It's no secret that the DC Extended Universe is struggling. The first three installments of the franchise (Man Of Steel, BVS and Suicide Squad) received less than mixed reviews from critics and fans alike, Fortunately Wonder Woman has broken the curse and provided the franchise with it's first competent, fulfilling and overall good movie ... who would have thought?
One of the first things to note is Gal Gadot's performance as the titular character, for me it's no question now that she was the perfect casting choice, Gadot brings the character to life on the big screen with charm, charisma and a whole lot of energy. The supporting cast also turn in good performances to support the star all being helped by the strong origin story, Chris Pine is naturally charismatic when he is on screen as the somewhat pessimistic, but always likable Captain Steve Trevor. Performances from Lucy Davis and Ewen Bremmer provided a comedic element to the film without overstaying their welcome which can be the vain of some blockbuster films with comedic relief characters.
The film is directed in a way which would usually irritate me because of the use of slow to fast motion action shots and the camera panning rapidly up and down, however the shots work because of the way Jenkins uses them in the context of the scene, for example the shot in the trailer where Wonder Woman is seen diving on the floor tripping up people in slow motion, the use of the effect feels warranted because it shows the unique way Wonder Woman fights, rather than the actions of typical fights we see in the average Hollywood movie. The film for the majority is a beautifully colorful and the production design really is incredible to look at from the island of Themyscira to World War One London. Rupert Gregson-Williams' powerful and exciting score and is allowed to strike it's attention to the audience loudly and clearly unlike many films of the action/superhero genre in which the scores are drowned out by sound effects and dialogue.
I only have a few small problems with Wonder Woman, one of them is that the climax of this film feels stereotypical at this point, I understand that not much can be done at this point in time, but it's a case of ... it's not bad, but I've seen it done better. Overall the strength of the film up to the climax is worth praising and while they are certainly better climax scenes in other superhero films it doesn't hold back the film from being an exciting, charming and enjoyable experience overall.
Rating: 8/10
Comments
Post a Comment