‘Wonder Woman’ is wow

DC Comics does the damn thing in ‘Wonder Woman’ (2017) as Gal Gadot swiftly becomes synonymous with the moniker. Finally giving us a titular superheroine worthy of the marquee with a female director at the helm, ‘Wonder Woman’ is a coup for Gadot, Patty Jenkins and the woman-led blockbuster.

Though critics may (inaccurately) decry Wonder Woman’s skimpy outfits and ridiculous good looks, the feminism in ‘Wonder Woman’ is a little more subversive.

Wonder Woman being more interested in a watch than a naked man’s body, the Princess of Themyscira stifled by the frilly, bone-crushing women’s wear of the early 1900s, her being stronger and smarter than everyone in a series of toxically masculine rooms and the inclusion of an extraordinary woman scientist who is much smarter than the boys but who, more problematically, is gruesomely disfigured in contrast to Wonder Woman’s perfection.

An origin story, a World War 1 movie and a superhero film made in the narrative style with which we are familiar where Wonder Woman wins is in the casting of Gadot who straddles fish out of water and haughty Amazonian princess with endearing aplomb.

Add the actress’ chemistry with Chris Pine to a cast including a steely Robin Wright, Danny Huston and David Thewlis and you have the kind of personnel that can make super gadgets as absurd as the Lasso of Truth look cool while Wonder Woman kicks butt, doles out compassion and tries to save the world in a film that does err on the overly expositional.

Entertaining, off the DC beat to a point just shy of Marvel and insurgent in its godly female lead in a timely plot about love and human nature amidst the inhumanity of war, ‘Wonder Woman’ is a fresh, feminist act disguised as a superhero film.

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