MOVIE REVIEW: WONDER WOMAN

Wonder Woman is another DC movie in their extended universe. Coming after the critically panned Suicide Squad and BvS, it has often been hailed as the first good DC movie. Personally, I think it is probably okay but leagues better than the previous movies.

One of the main things it gets right is that it is mainly a self-contained story. It isn't trying to shoehorn in references to other movies or other heroes. Instead, it is a story where Wonder Woman is hunting down Aries to try and end World War One.

And for the most parts is it works. Although it has its silly bits and doesn't make too much sense, it is shot with a sense of drama and direction. Every character isn't trying to be overly melodramatic and quotable, instead having some normal conversations and character building in it. This is something that was sorely lacking in the previous films.

In fact the main stumbling block is the ending, which is where it gets dragged down to an average of okay (because the ending is bad). Just when a point has been made, it is undermined by the movie trying to drive the plot forward. This happens in the final battle (and it is pretty obvious when) and also the actual ending. It needed to set up Wonder Woman in isolation and hiding, which undermines her final character arc.

At the end of the day, this movie could've been good if it tried to avoid the standard tropes of the superhero genre. Also the biggest stumbling block is when it has to fit in with the rest of the DC universe, which really undercuts Wonder Woman as a strong character.

2.5 out of 5 non-wondrous waffles.