Wonder Woman
23/06/17 Filed in: Cinema
We were in Lille, France, for a week, and while there we saw Wonder Woman. It was the original English language version with French subtitles, although all the pre-film advertisements etc. were of course in French. We saw it in a multiplex and were treated to a wide-screen experience.
This film has been well received, in part because it's refreshing to have a female superhero, even if we have to have a male lead in the form of Chris Pine alongside. Hollywood likes to hedge its investment bets! The storyline starts by showing us how Diana of Themyscira (aka Wonder Woman) matures from the only child on the woman-only island into a super Amazonian with powers that surpass those of any mere mortal, basically because she's a demigoddess, although she doesn't yet know this. Her mother, Queen Hippolyta, tries to stop Diana learning to fight, but her aunt, General Antiope, defies her sister's wishes, recognising Diana's potential and her future need to protect herself.
Introduced into this tribe of elite women warriors drops (literally) Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), an American airman cum spy who is trying to escape the German army, having stolen a note book from an evil chemist who is developing a deadlier form of mustard gas. Diana, personified by Israeli actor Gal Gadot, rescues Steve from a watery grave just before a German warship breaks through the island's surrounding veil. The ensuing skirmish that pits Amazonian athleticism and bows and arrows against firearms is a well choreographed scene that uses slow motion sequences to good effect. The Germans defeated (although not sure why the warship didn't send more), Diana interrogates Steve using her magic lasso, since as Steve is a spy he won't talk voluntarily. Steve tells them about the war to end all wars, namely World War I, and Diana is immediately convinced that she must leave the island to stop the this terrible conflict. Her mother forbids it, but Diana is sure that the god Ares is behind this war, and believes that if she can stop him the war will end. As you would expect, and because the story demands it, Diana defies her mother and sets off with Steve, taking a ceremonial sword that she believes to be the 'Godkiller', a weapon bestowed to the Amazons by Zeus.
And so we enter the main plot. Themyscira has the appearance of being somewhere vaguely tropical, but they set off for presumably distant London in a boat that I wouldn't want to cross the Channel in. Despite this they somehow navigate to London, with the help of a Thames tugboat over the final stage. Diana's presence in London gives rise to some interesting interactions as she bursts onto the male dominated military scene, not to mention the looks she receives from the prim and proper ladies of the period as she parades around town standing out like a sore thumb. Etta Candy, Steve's faithful secretary, adds to the humour of the situation.
In due course they're off to the Belgian front, where Diana breaks months of military stalemate by leading an attack across no man's land, her objective being to free a village and thus relieve the suffering of the inhabitants. She is an empathic person, which comes from being a female superhero - take note. But her ultimate goal is the pursuit of General Erich Ludendorff, who she believes is really Ares, and who is the key to ending the war. They track him down at a gala being held at German High Command, where Diana poses as one of the guests, with the Godkiller sword installed down the back of her stunning dress (stolen from another guest), in true Braveheart fashion. But Steve stops her because he doesn't want to jeopardise their main mission, which is to destroy the gas.
As one would expect, in due course there is a confrontation between Diana and Ares, but it doesn't turn out to be quite as straightforward as Diana had imagined, and gives an unexpected twist to the story.
The final scene takes us back to the opening of the film, where the present day Diana Prince has received a photograph couriered from Wayne Enterprises showing her with Steve and the other members of his group, taken all those years ago in the village she liberated from the Germans. This obviously sets us up for more of Wonder Woman, which can't be a bad thing based on this initial outing. Gal Gadot is in all respects very impressive.
In due course they're off to the Belgian front, where Diana breaks months of military stalemate by leading an attack across no man's land, her objective being to free a village and thus relieve the suffering of the inhabitants. She is an empathic person, which comes from being a female superhero - take note. But her ultimate goal is the pursuit of General Erich Ludendorff, who she believes is really Ares, and who is the key to ending the war. They track him down at a gala being held at German High Command, where Diana poses as one of the guests, with the Godkiller sword installed down the back of her stunning dress (stolen from another guest), in true Braveheart fashion. But Steve stops her because he doesn't want to jeopardise their main mission, which is to destroy the gas.
As one would expect, in due course there is a confrontation between Diana and Ares, but it doesn't turn out to be quite as straightforward as Diana had imagined, and gives an unexpected twist to the story.
The final scene takes us back to the opening of the film, where the present day Diana Prince has received a photograph couriered from Wayne Enterprises showing her with Steve and the other members of his group, taken all those years ago in the village she liberated from the Germans. This obviously sets us up for more of Wonder Woman, which can't be a bad thing based on this initial outing. Gal Gadot is in all respects very impressive.