DC’s latest and greatest blockbuster Wonder Woman: Rise of the Warrior is directed by Patty Jenkins and written by Allan Heinberg, Zack Snyder and Jason Fuchs. This movie is 141 minutes long and has been full of buzz and controversy.
Is this movie brimming with female empowerment that will rattle the course of western society? Can DC finally make a solid movie that has a beginning, middle, and an end? Do people care about female superheroes? Let’s find out.
Let’s start by talking about the movie as a whole: how was it? Solid. I really enjoyed the first two acts of the movie. Gal Gadot does an amazing job in the titular role – you really believe she is an amazon warrior and her stunt work is right on spec.
Gadot also has great chemistry with Chris Pine, who plays the role of Steve Trevor, a captain from the United States Army Air Service, their scenes together are charming and touching.
The movie is well paced and has a good mix of action and humour that keep you engaged throughout. The cinematography, special effects and soundtrack are exactly where they need to be to bring this story together.
The movie tends to lose itself a little bit in the third act, desperately trying to create stakes that just aren’t there; this causes the final action beats to fall a little flat, but overall doesn’t kill the impression of a positive movie.
Female Empowerment, is that what this is all about? No. Yes. And a little bit of Maybe…
Let me explain. While the movie certainly takes the time to showcase how women were treated during World War I – and that Diana (Gadot) is having none of that – I wouldn’t say that this movie is a bastion for female empowerment any more than Spiderman is a movie for teenage empowerment.
I have heard the criticism and comments on both sides, that “Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) has now become a General,” and this signifies the evolution of women. That “Patty Jenkins is a token director, not normally fit for big budget action movies,” and was given the job only to satisfy the female demographic. I don’t buy into any of that; I think these are two amazing professionals who did an outstanding job.
If this is what a token director looks like to DC, please bring on the token directors, as, in my opinion, this is their best film since The Dark Knight.
I found that this movie showcases that the world is interested and invested in a female superhero and that she can carry her own movie without needing a stronger, flashier male lead to help her along. Perhaps in that sense it is a movie about female empowerment, but I think that speaks more to the sad state of our society and less about the direction of the movie.
Is this the greatest superhero movie ever? No, not by a long shot. Is this an excellent superhero movie that anyone of any gender can enjoy? Absolutely, get out to the theaters and check it out.
This movie gets four out of five amazon swords.
