Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Patty Jenkins, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros, M 141 Minutes.
DC comics’ most popular female superhero of the ‘70s has been transformed into an entertaining blockbuster action adventure by filmmaker Patty Jenkins (‘Monster’) and follows Wonder Woman’s debut appearance in ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’.
In this origin story Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman (Gai Gadot – ‘Criminal’) recollects her days as an Amazonian princess being trained as a warrior by General Antiope (Robin Wright – ‘Everest’) and observed by her mother, the Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen – ‘Gladiator’).
According to Amazonian folklore this training is in preparation for the day that Amazon women may need to face Ares the god of war, having been earlier defeated by their supreme god Zeus.
It is during Diana’s training that she is distracted by a plane plunging into the sea near the mythical island that prompts her to save the pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine – ‘Star Trek’) being pursued by the German navy.
Once the Amazons have overcome the German intruders, Trevor is questioned telling them of the First World War involving the major powers and that he is a spy for the allies on a special mission.
He further reveals how he got behind enemy lines to steal a secret notebook from a Dr Maru (Spanish actress Elena Anaya – ‘Point Blank’) detailing the development of a poisonous gas with the potential of killing millions of innocent lives.
Maru is also being urged to disperse the gas against the allied forces by the disenchanted General Ludendorff (Danny Huston – ‘Frankenstein’) conscious of Germany’s intention to sign an imminent Armistice with the allies.
These revelations convince Diana that Ares has created the war and decides to accompany Trevor to the battlefront to confront the Germans – in particular Ares.
Her powers prove a great asset leaving it to Trevor to prevent the release of the deadly gas after Diana discovers that Ares has taken on human – form, forcing her to engage him in a “mother of all battles.”
Jenkins’ direction of ‘Wonder Woman’, her first stand-alone film is not only exciting but by far the most entertaining and thrilling of any of the other superheroes in either the DC or Marvel universe.
In addition to a thoroughly enjoyable storyline there is the perfectly-pitched casting of Gadot as the superhero together with Pine including the splendid settings and special effects.
It should therefore be obvious to fans of this superheroine that Gadot’s portrayal of Wonder Woman clearly overshadows that of Linda Carter’s TV role.
Vic’s Verdict: 4 ½ Stars
Wonder Woman is being televised on Foxtel Movies Action at 6.05pm on Friday 29 October.
