‘Wonder Woman’ Review Round-Up: The Best DC Extended Universe Superhero Movie Yet
Anticipation is high forWonder Woman, not simply because it is the first female superhero movie of the modern age of comic book films, but also because it is a ray of hope for the abysmally-reviewed DC Extended Universe movies, stretching fromMan of SteeltoSuicide Squad. With not a fresh tomato rating in sight for any of the past DCEU movies, couldWonder Womanbreak the trend? The glass ceiling, so to speak?
Critics have spoken:Wonder Womanis quite simply, wonderful. DirectorPatty Jenkins' first foray into the DCEU and Wonder Woman’s (played byGal Gadot) first solo foray onto the big screen is a runaway success, presenting an earnest and thrilling superhero movie with old-school charms that everyone seems to agree is the DCEU’s best movie yet.
Find out more in ourWonder Womanreviews round-up below.
Entertainment Weekly’s Chris Nashtaway says:
Variety’s Andrew Barker praised the film’s light tone despite its bleak setting:
USA Today’s Kelly Lawler had high praise for theWonder Woman’s control of the different genres within the film:
Buzzfeed’s Alison Willmore said that the film rose above its clunky in-universe framing and origin story tropes:
It’s a saga, written by Allan Heinberg, with a decent sense of humor, which any story prominently featuring Zeus and a Lasso of Truth demand. Wonder Woman is as outlandish as she is awe-inspiring, and everyone she comes into contact with from the outside world regards her with the appropriate mixture of admiration and disbelief.
Total Film’s Kevin Harley agreed, saying star Gadot helped elevate the traditional origin story:
Mashable’s Angie Han had even higher praise for Gadot for bringing to life a difficult character:
Indiewire’s Kate Erbland complimented the film’s balance of dark and comedic tones, thanks to Gadot and Chris Pine’s chemistry, but noted that it suffers from a villain problem:
IGN’s Joshua Yehl callsWonder Womanthe best DCEU movie yet:
Dave Schilling fromBirthMoviesDeathtook it a step further, calling it the best DC movie sinceThe Dark Knight:
“Wonder Womanis unquestionably the best DC superhero film sinceThe Dark Knight, dispensing with the relentlessly grim, cynical take on these iconic characters in favor of embracing an appropriately modern interpretation of the aw shucks sincerity that defined the times in which these heroes were born. Gal Gadot performs the niftiest trick in superhero cinema, playing the origin story of a character she’s already introduced in another film. Diana Prince is not the highly confident person challenging Bruce Wayne inBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,a film Gadot thoroughly stole from the bigger names in the cast. Instead, she plays Diana’s strength, plus the vulnerable, optimistic, moral core that was missing from that initial performance.”
Uproxx’s Mike Ryan noted the timeliness of the film, not just for its feminist message, but its message of hope:
The Associated Press' Lindsey Bahr makes one of the many comparisons to Joe Johnston’s World War II-setCaptain America: The First Avenger:
Director Patty Jenkins' film is so threaded with sincerity and goodness it’s a wonder how it got past the pugnacious minds responsible for what’s come before. ‘Wonder Woman’ evokes not only the spirit of Richard Donner’s ‘Superman,’ but also Joe Johnston’s ‘Captain America: The First Avenger,’ while still being its own thing. Just look to the image of Gal Gadot confidently striding out alone onto an unwinnable battlefield with only a shield, a sword and a mission — and prevailing. It’s enough to give you goosebumps."
The Hollywood Reporter’s Sheri Linden applauded the film’s lightness, but bemoaned its lengthy runtime:
“Yet as with all comics-based extravaganzas, brevity is anathema to the Patty Jenkins-directedWonder Woman, and it doesn’t quite transcend the traits of franchise product as it checks off the list of action-fantasy requisites. But this origin story, with its direct and relatively uncluttered trajectory, offers a welcome change of pace from a superhero realm that’s often overloaded with interconnections and cross-references. (A nod to Wayne Enterprises in the story’s framing device serves as a fuss-free tie-in to the upcomingJustice League.)”
The rare dissenting voice,The Guardian’s Steve Rose said:
“But there’s something rather distasteful about co-opting trench warfare as the backdrop to a sanitised, hyper-stylised fantasy. I couldn’t help thinking of Kendall Jenner’s disastrous “protest chic” Pepsi ad. And when Gadot is called upon to communicate the horrors of war moments later, reeling around dazed and confused in a haze of orange poison gas, it’s a moment of Zoolander-esque silliness that brings home how weightless the whole story has become. Gadot is entirely credible as the embodiment of Amazonian perfection, but there’s only so much emotion her concerted brow-furrowing can convey.”
Wonder Womanis being lauded as the best DC Extended Universe movie to date — and maybe even the best DC film afterThe Dark Knight— thanks to the star power of Gadot and the expert direction by Jenkins.
Despite problems with lengthy runtimes, a clunky universe-connecting framing device, and weak villains, those issues seem minor compared to the earnest tone, heart-pounding action sequences, and the crackling chemistry between Gadot and Pine.
