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Wonder Woman
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Plot SummaryBefore she was Wonder Woman she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained warrior. When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, she leaves home to fight a war to end all wars, discovering her full powers and true destiny. (from IMDB.com) |
Film Review![]() It seems like the perfect social climate today to see the release of a Wonder Woman film. In a time where people are calling for strong female role models, and women are leading marches in the name of womens’ rights, Wonder Woman seems like the right superhero for the job. But, like with many extraordinary supheroes, she’s a tough character to ground in a real world setting. The Marvel franchise has done a pretty good job of accomplishing this, while the DC films haven’t really up until this point. It doesn’t help Wonder Woman right out the gate either when it decidedly takes us back to Diana’s origin on a paradise island hid from the rest of mankind by Greek god Zeus. But after a lengthy intro that soon shows the outside world infiltrating their secluded culture, Diana is whisked away to war-torn England to join the fight against the Germans in WWI. But serving as her anchor to the story is Chris Pine’s excellent performance as a spy named Steve Trevor. Not only does he provide some extra charm and comic relief, but he helps usher Wonder Woman into our world. And while the finale is a bit gutsy in how Wonder Woman’s involvement in the Great War is portrayed, she proves to be an admirable hero that you can easily fall in love with and want to have fighting by your side.
As good as Wonder Woman is as a superhero film, it’s not entirely without some problems. At almost 2 and a half hours in length, it does feel a little long at times. The beginning especially feels slow-going, but once Steve enters her life, the story starts to pick up speed. I love a good, well-paced origin story, so Jenkins serves the story and the character well by taking her time telling it, but some may start to feel the running time before the film’s end. I do have to give props to Jenkins for not dumbing down the male characters in the film in an effort to make Diana all that more powerful of a woman. She proves to be just as powerful of a force with strong male characters around her (Even Peggy in Captain America was a strong female character). However, the story has her coming into the male-dominated society and rightfully questioning how some things are done, but then she ends up being the quick-and-easy solution to some of these problems (thanks to her bravery and superpowers). It’s a little awkward when we’re dealing with real-life scenarios where real men fought for our country at great cost, and then a superhero comes in and somewhat undermines the situation and sacrifice by fixing the problem almost effortlessly. I honestly don’t believe Jenkins or any of the filmmakers were trying to be disrespectful of the soldiers in WWI, but there’s something about how it all plays out that makes me feel a little uneasy. I’m curious how repeat viewings might change my feeling on it, though.
With Jenkins’ feature-length take on Wonder Woman, we almost have a great revitalization of one of the most iconic superheroes of our time. As a role model for young women, it’s almost there, but considering that the story has Diana falling in love with literally the first man she’s ever seen and implies that they sleep together soon after meeting, Wonder Woman still falls short. As a superhero movie, it’s otherwise a solid film and hopefully a sign that the tides are turning for DC’s cinematic universe. – John DiBiase (reviewed: 6/3/17)
Blu-Ray Special Features ReviewWonder Woman is available in a 3D Blu-Ray/2-Disc 2D Blu-Ray/Digtial combo pack, a Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital combo pack, 2-disc DVD, and a 4K Ultra HD release with a Blu-Ray disc and digital copy, as well as separately through the usual digital movie providers. We’re reviewing the 3D combo pack, which includes the 3D movie on one disc and a 2D Blu-Ray disc with the following features:Wonder Woman 3D – I’ve found that 3D can be rather hit and miss, with some movies having great 3D presentations and others not being all that memorable at all in this format. Wonder Woman certainly isn’t bad in three dimensions, but I’d probably say the 3D for this film isn’t among the best. Still, I do find the added depth in 3D to be pretty good, so I would still recommend this title in 3D; it’s just probably not going to “wow” you. Epilogue: Etta’s Mission (2:41) – This is a bonus scene that ultimately could have played as a post-credits scene, where Steve’s secretary Etta meets with the boys (from their mission with Diana) at the bar to recruit them. It takes place soon after the events of the film, and gives Etta a chance to fight a guy in the bar. It’s not a necessary sequence, but it’s a fun little bonus. Crafting the Wonder (16:26) – Gal Gadot talks about the role of Diana and Wonder Woman, and getting to play the character. Director Patty Jenkins talks about the film’s design, honoring the character, and having been a fan of the character since childhood. This segment also covers armor and costume design, sets, props, and Patty’s take on Wonder Woman. A Director’s Vision:
A Photograph Through Time (5:07) – Because Wonder Woman debuts in 1917, it makes her the first superhero in history. For the crucial photo of Diana with her team set in 1917, they actually took the photo using old technology from that time. We learn here that they took the photo before production on Wonder Woman had begun and while Zack Snyder was working on Batman v Superman (which also featured Wonder Woman). They then restaged that scene for this film. It’s fun to also learn that they snuck in crew and Zack into the background of the photo. Diana in the Modern World (4:39) is about when the character visits London for the first time, and addresses some of the locations used in the movie. (1 “h*ll”) Wonder Woman at War (5:03) is all about the incredible scene at No Man’s Land where Diana attacks the enemy’s trenches. We see some really cool footage of multiple takes of Gal acting in the war scenes. It was surprising to learn that she had to film her scenes in winter… in her skimpy Wonder Woman outfit, but she was a real trooper through the grueling process! Warriors of Wonder Woman (9:53) is dedicated to the women who played the other Amazons and the rigorous training they had to endure. We learn here that some of them are athletes in real life — and one of them is even a police officer in South Wales! The Trinity (16:05) – Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman make up the “trinity” in the DC Comics world (not in a spiritual sense). They talk here about how Wonder Woman relates to Batman and Superman and who she is as a character. (2 “bad *ss”) The Wonder Behind the Camera (15:34) is focused more on Patty Jenkins as a person and director and a fan of Wonder Woman. This segment also takes a closer look at what it’s like to be a woman working in Hollywood. Some female aspiring filmmakers visited the Wonder Woman set during production and they talk about that a bit here, too. Finding the Wonder Woman within (23:03) – This featurette celebrates the “wonder,” “grace,” “courage,” and “wisdom” themes of Wonder Woman and how it relates to women in real life. This is all about equality and women, and women empowerment. It’s kind of odd, though, featuring interludes with some awkward spoken word moments. Extended Scenes – There are five extended scenes with no Play All option. The first, “Boat Conversation” (3:37), is an alternate/extended scene with Steve and Diana talking more about the war and includes some dialog that was used later in the scene in a different take. (1 “oh my G-d”) In “Selfridges Shopping” (2:07), Diana is shown a coat with a dead fox head and then we see more of her accidentally breaking and ripping things she tries on. “Parliament Steps” (1:13) is just a little bit longer, showing Steve and Diana as they leave Parliament. “Morning at the Train Station” (1:13) shows Charlie stealing a drink from someone, while Diana watches some children as they leave on the train. Oddly enough, it cuts out the dialog where she tells the ice cream vendor that he should be “very proud.” “Charlie Never Sleeps” (0:54) shows him volunteering to take first watch at night… and then falling asleep. Alternate Scene: Walk to No Man’s Land (1:04) shows Diana, Steve and their team walking on a street where The Chief tells her to stay behind them because of landmines in the road. Blooper Reel (5:37) – This is a funny and enjoyable collection of mess-ups and mistakes on set, as well as the actors just goofing off. There are several instances of bleeped-out language, as well as one uncensored “J-sus Chr-st.” – John DiBiase, (reviewed: 9/13/17)
Parental Guide: Brief Summary of Content
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