Princess or Warrior?
Wonder Woman | Patty Jenkins
Science Fiction Film/Action | PG-13 | 2h 29m
In June of 2017, we were blessed with the greatest superhero film of all time. Not only was Wonder Woman Warner Bros. Studios #1 grossing film that year but it also currently sits at #3 on Warner Bros. all time box office, just following the Batman films The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.
The film Wonder Woman tells us the backstory of the female superhero we have come to love. It starts off with Diana Prince (nobody calls her Wonder Woman throughout the film) on her home island of the Amazons. Gal Gadot plays our famous heroine who eventually meets the American pilot and spy Steve Trevor, played by Chris Pine. He crashes onto the island with multiple ships of German soldiers following behind him, leading to a small battle between the Amazons and the German crew. Trevor eventually tells Diana about the ongoing World War. Thinking it is caused by Ares, she leaves home with the hopes to end the war.
There was a lot of talk on whether this film truly smashed through the “glass ceiling” like it said it would or if it was a step in the opposite direction. Part of the problem is that throughout the entire film Trevor (Pine) continues to call the shots and boss her around even though she is clearly stronger and smarter than he is. Overall the film has many men than women. I believe that the film seems to lose much of its feminine credibility due to the romance plot line between Diana and Steve Trevor. Aside from all of this, a significant scene that comes to mind is when Diana walks into a men-only war meeting, completely ignoring all the men telling her she can’t. The other thing that makes Wonder Woman so different is that emotions like kindness and love strengthen her rather than weaken like in most other superhero films.
In my opinion, even if it didn’t completely eliminate the idea of the glass ceiling, it was most definitely a step in the right direction. Not to mention the number of young girls it has inspired.
Both Gadot and Pine were praised for their performances in the film. Although the film was not nominated for a single Oscar (which is bogus), Gadot was still the highest grossing actress of the year 2017. This was caused by both the films Wonder Woman and Justice League. The two of them were complimented on their relationship and ability to work together. The humor between the two creates an incredible chemistry that truly gets represented well on camera.
Director of Zack Snyder originally cast Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. He states that although fans criticized her appearance, everything about her seemed right for the part. He said that she was strong and beautiful and on top of that she was truly a kind person. These were the exact factors that he was looking for when casting. Now for this film it is clear that Patty Jenkins already had her lead actress. Initially, Jenkins was unsure about the casting of Gadot but in the end she stated that she is so happy and thankful for Snyder’s choice and believes it is a better choice than she would’ve made.
