Bringing Superheroes to the big screen is a risky endeavor. Deviate too far from the core of the comic and fans will accuse the director of not respecting the character. If the director fails to add something new, critics will pan the film for being unoriginal. Thankfully, Patty Jenkins (Director) has delivered a film which sets the franchise up for a big future whilst retaining many of the key elements from the comic book and TV series – Spoiler alert… (sadly no invisible plane in this Wonder Woman outing).
Diana (aka Wonder Woman) is played perfectly by Gal Gadot, it's difficult to imagine anyone else in the role. Although Kate Beckinsale was apparently in the running for the part. Gadot has made the role her own with this first movie and Wonder Woman 2 is already in production, with a release date penciled in for 2019.
So what can you expect from Wonder Woman? Well, plenty of action from the start. As you'd expect for a movie set in battlefields of World War One the action scenes are quite brutal! If you have young kids (under 10) you might be tempted to let them watch Wonder Woman thinking this movie is nothing more than an updated version of the 70s TV series. It's not! Think of the difference between the 1960s Batman TV series and Batman Begins. However, teen and adult action fans will enjoy the shift to a more powerful portrayal of the character than the one depicted in the 1970s.
In many ways, Wonder Woman feels like an Indian Jones film. Or rather Indian Jones meets Iron Man, and that's no criticism by the way. The villains in the film are dark, especially Doctor Poison. A scientist with a deformed face who is developing the perfect chemical weapon. Our heroine must stop the Doctor before she can unleash the deadly toxin against the Allies. If Wonder Woman used the ‘Lasso of Truth' on me, I'd be forced to confess that I enjoyed this high octane superhero movie and I'm already looking forward to the next instalment.
As of January 7th 2020, Wonder Woman is now available on Netflix UK.
