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Now two different superhero movies have made me cry. First, I wept my way through Logan. Now DC’s latest offering, Wonder Woman, has turned me into Niagara Falls. I mean a stranger handed me a napkin to wipe my tears away in the theater. In other words, I loved it and I think you will too! This will be a spoiler-free review because I really want you all to be surprised at how great this flick turned out but read on to hear my thoughts about some of the main performances.
So let’s talk about Gal Gadot, she is stunning and strong as Princess Diana of Themyscira aka Wonder Woman. That alone would have been enough reason to give Gal the ultimate props for bringing this beloved comic book character to life but she’s managed to take it a step further and make her vulnerable. Throughout the movie, you have moments of naivete from Diana. Gal’s performance makes you believe that this powerful Princess really doesn’t know what she is and really doesn’t know anything about the real world. It’s sincerity that you don’t usually see in a superhero movie and made for some truly adorable moments, where you not only thought ‘man she’s beautiful’ but also ‘darn she’s cute’! And if anyone out there was worried about Gal being able to pull off the fight scenes you can rest assured she can definitely kick ass and take names!
Chris Pine plays a slightly above-average American spy named Steve Trevor. Pine may have been born in L.A. but he’s really gotten that Midwest, smooth-talking, pretty boy charm down pat! I figure his time playing Captain James T. Kirk didn’t hurt when it came time to take on this role as Steve Trevor likes to go rogue to get things done seemingly as often as Captain Kirk does. The chemistry between Pine and Gadot was fantastic and their banter back and forth during various parts in the movie made for some really funny moments. Now that I’ve seen him in the role, I honestly don’t think anyone else could have played opposite Wonder Woman without either overshadowing her or playing far too small to be interesting. He played it just right, making himself seem both worthy of Diana’s interest, as well as mortal next to her immortality.
Normally, Lucy Davis with her secondary role as Etta, Steve Trevor’s British secretary, wouldn’t get much attention in a review but I just have to tell you all, she was funny!
She brought some serious laughs to the table as Diana’s figuring out what the outside world is like. I think good comedy needs to be acknowledged because it’s harder than it looks.
Now for villains, there was Danny Huston playing Ludendorff and Elena Amaya playing Dr. Maru. Huston could probably work a little more on his German accent but otherwise, he was nefarious enough. As for Amaya, while it was at times slightly difficult to understand what Dr. Maru was saying, Amaya does quite a lot of talking with her eyes. They were within the realm of the prototypical comic book villains but didn’t seem as cartoonish as in other superhero movies.
As for the woman who put this whole vision together, Director Patty Jenkins deserves a round of applause for putting so much heart into this superhero tale. I have no doubt that it was thanks to her direction that I was crying toward the end of this movie and being handed napkins by strangers. She managed to capture in this larger than life character all the feelings that I think all women feel as they transition into womanhood. The self-doubt, the pressure to succeed, and the desire to be acknowledged. She created a world in which you wholeheartedly believe this woman is both strong and vulnerable, like the rest of us. The men can still enjoy the action and Diana’s beauty. The women can feel like inside each of them is a little there’s a little Wonder Woman just waiting to come out.
After the $100.5 million Wonder Woman raked in at the box office its opening weekend I think it’s safe to say that girls can do anything, in our own way and in heels. Ladies go watch this flick! Maybe take tissues…you’ll thank me later.
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