Wonder Woman

Liebe auf alle Blicke. Und das beste DC von Man of Steel. Eine toll dargestellte Kollision einer Fantasy-Welt auf einer verborgenen Insel mit ihren reinen Werten und Idealen und der realen Welt in der historisch schwierigsten Zeit. Zwei geschickt geschriebene Figuren, bei denen die Regie gut gemacht wurde, sind Vertreter dieser zwei Welten. Dazu kommt das sich vertiefende Verständnis und eine unumgängliche Zuneigung. Ist es einem anderen Comic mit so einem starken Fantasy-Background so treffend gelungen, der Welt einen Spiegel hinzuhalten? Wonder Woman hat ein Herz, hält sich an die Vorlage, ist schlau, sexy und hat keinen einzigen misslungenen Witz. Viereinhalb. (06.06.2017)

This is for me by far the most interesting origin story that DC Comics, and in fact all of the Marvel comics combined, have done to date. You can see that it was made by a woman, so the emphasis is not on CGI, but on the story and it works perfectly. The juxtaposition of wide-eyed Diana vs a new, uncharted world works great and brings a lot of funny situations (the whole cinema was laughing), the setting of the story in World War I is original and unorthodox in comics, and the CGI orgy at the end is easy to digest. Plus it has a strong anti-war appeal, so another thumbs up. And Gal Gadot? As of today, she’s my new heroine. Irresistible in her righteous anger, honest with her astonished surroundings, and not only charming but – how to say – emancipated in the right way, girls must love this. (10.06.2017)

In the recent years it is fashionable to shoot action or fantasy movies with female leads, so we have a chance to see or discover a whole range of new and beautiful actresses with great skill. In this case Gal Galdot did not disappoint at all. Her beauty is probably visible all the way from the Moon and even Martians would know who to pay attention to on planet Earth, if they decided to conquer it. However, I've had some issues with the screenplay as that is much worse. The Americans appear to think that we Europeans are completely dumb, so they’ve mixed the visualization of the First and Second World War and created something that may be nice to look at, but otherwise it is completely stupid. Luckily, there is Chris Pine alongside Gal Galdot and he was probably even better than her. His role was once again amazing, which I cannot say about the antagonist, portrayed by David Thewlis. His acting was good, but as an enemy he qualifies at a similar level as a nice uncle with moustache and candy. The film radiates personality and also quality, but I think it is still not enough to place DC on the same level with movies like Thor or The Guardians of the Galaxy that brought a new level of quality and fun into movies based on comic books. (16.07.2018)

I don't know. It didn’t bother me, but if I could sleep two hours longer instead of Wonder Woman, I'd probably consider it time better spent. The opening on the island of the Amazons is a feast for the eyes, the action sequences are fine until the Snyder-like CGI-mess kicks in, where everything bangs, lights up, slows down and looks like it's from a stupid video game. And Gal Gadot nails it, she's not a very good actress, but luckily Chris Pine is always next to her and is cool and funny enough to somehow pull it off. Unfortunately, the whole thing is at least half an hour longer than it should have been, the middle section with the shenanigans in London isn't nearly as funny as the filmmakers might have liked, and the messed-up finale sadly shows that Warner still hasn’t learned from the mistakes that plagued their previous films. And I honestly don't know if I'll be in the mood for it next time. (31.05.2017)

It is indisputable that Gal Gadot is bad at acting but... She has a Schwarzenegger-like Conan drive, when she transforms her non-acting and striking accent into kind of strength, when Diana's naivety (not to be confused with stupidity) seems authentic and cute. Yes, the opening part on the Amazon´s island could (and should) have been shorter. And the only thing that is really good about the digital mess ending is unlike today's standards at least short, coherent and does not last dozens of minutes. Nevertheless, not at all does it fit into the rest of the movie, it is purely Snyder style and unnecessarily devalues the otherwise well-conceived villain "It wasn´t me, I am only whining". That´s for the strengths and weaknesses. The rest is basically Doner's first Superman in the Xena fan version (why Lucy Lawless doesn´t play Diana's mother?); that is, unexpectedly conservative, perfectly balancing on the edge of relaxed squabble, Shestakov time and serious tone. With a minimum of action (which is a plus, but at least the one from the battlefront is amazing), thanks to that everything is focused on the characters and the soundtrack is simply excellent. That's why it's a surprisingly nice movie among all those mainstream popcorn comics movie. (17.06.2017)

In the film universe of the DC stable, which lasted for ten years, there was a flash of the best times here, because it stopped trying to cram in all genres, themes, and directions. The trailers may have promised explosive action interspersed with perfectly timed jokes, but the reality is completely different. For Wonder Woman gave rise to a charming, genuine, and authentic fairy tale right before my surprised eyes. It contains the archetypal battle of good against evil and lessons about their intertwining and necessity. It has faith in love and its power. And it also has a princess, who incredibly suits Captain Trevor and whose dialogue debut screenwriter Allan Heinberg gave his soul to. A beautiful spectacle with all the attributes of old-school adventure traditions. (02.06.2017)

This suffers from similar ailments as Batman vs. Superman, but has a clear storyline and knows what it wants to say. Gal Gadot is just right for the role, although Chris Pine overshadows her somewhat. He is the anchor reminding that it can’t work without a struggle. The action is typical of Snyder, full of superfluous slow motion. Some similarity to Captain America exists, but each movie is in a different class. A certain femininity can be felt in the movie as a whole, so it’s ideal for a date night. (03.06.2017)

Es war einmal, Ende 1941, als die erste "Wonder Woman"-Geschichte aus der Feder von William Moulton Marston veröffentlicht wurde. Seitdem ist eine Menge Zeit ins Land gegangen. Ich persönlich liebe die ganze Reihe der Geschichten um die Amazonas-Prinzessin und die Serie mit Lynda Carter, und bei den Animationsfilmen werde ich auch fündig, nur schon seit dem neuen Man of Steel war ich etwas nervös, wie das Ganze ausgehen würde. Und es ist ausgezeichnet gelungen. Letztes Jahr gab Gal Gadot ihr Debüt als Wonder Woman in Dawn of Justice und erregte viel Aufmerksamkeit. Heute haben wir einen Film, auf den man seit 75 Jahren gewartet hat, der es schafft, eine lange Reihe von Ansichten über seinen Ursprung und seine Sidekicks zu vereinen, alles in das neue DCU einzubinden und sowohl traditionellen als auch neuen Lesern ein Stück von ihrem Lieblingskonzept zu gönnen. Und es funktioniert, auch wenn für den Film der Zweite Weltkrieg gegen den Ersten Weltkrieg ausgetauscht wurde, den Krieg, der alle zukünftigen Kriege beenden sollte. Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman ist ein wunderbares Erlebnis, und IMAX ist der perfekte Ort, um es zu erleben. (01.06.2017)

The beginning is pure comic book delight. It's wholesomely mythical, visually captivating, and the world of the Amazons is fleshed out to a tee (the scarred Robin Wright, yum!). After arriving in London, the atmosphere is logically gone, but they manage to evoke the feeling of the 1920s quite well, not only thanks to the generous budget, but also thanks to the costumes and the period banter between Chris Pine and Gal Gadot. The imaginary highlight is the gorgeously shot opening trench scene, which I think Zack Snyder took credit for because it just couldn't be shot by a woman. From then on, it goes downhill dramatically in both the tightness of the plot and the supporting storyline. Unfortunately, the finale is the traditional DC CGI mess, like in Batman vs Superman. It's a terrible shame, because Snyder, paradoxically, can shoot action wonderfully, but he can't let himself off the hook, and unfortunately film finales don't work well for him either as a director or as a producer. But that doesn't change the fact that Gal Gadot was good and Wonder Woman is a very likeable character who can be femininely fragile, funny and strong. Switch the director and screenwriter for the sequel, avoid the grand finale, and you're home. It most closely resembles the first Captain America – especially in the characterization of the main character, its retro-futuristic war atmosphere, and the setting of the story in history. (03.06.2017)

Eine tolle Comicshow, die nichts vortäuscht, und falls ja, dann merkt man es eigentlich nicht. Ein ähnliches Gefühl der Leichtigkeit hatte ich zum letzten Mal wahrscheinlich beim (Original-)Film The Fantastic Four. Dem Publikum ist von Anfang an klar, was und wie passieren wird. Die Geschichte ist aber trotzdem unterhaltsam, sie nimmt sich selbst nicht so ernst und es macht Spaß, sie zu verfolgen. Gal Gadots Wonder Woman ist großartig (als hartnäckige Amazone in ihrer Welt und auch als zauberhafte Verlorene in unserer Welt, sie hat aber viel mehr Facetten) und es gefällt mir, wie sie sich anstrengt. Chris Pine ist sympathisch und sowohl Danny Huston als auch David Thewlis haben sich durchgesetzt. Die Musik konnte einfallsreicher sein, die Actionszenen und die anderen Szenen begleitet sie aber gut. Und es gefiel mir auch der Frauenblick der Regisseurin Patty Jenkins, die hier die Welt der Amazonen ohne Männer und das gute alte England gegenüberstellt, in welchem die Männer geherrscht und auf die Frauen überheblich herabgesehen haben. (02.06.2017)

It holds together much better than the mechanically assembled BvS, for sure, and manages to elicit satisfaction in the fact that the script this time around isn't stubbornly trying to create a doomsday spectacle where the heroes grumble angrily at each other and are too bound by the seriousness and rules of the real world, but it still reaffirmed my belief that these DC stories just don't measure up to Marvel. The initially appealing and funny fantasy metamorphoses into a plot that would be hackneyed even in a theatre club of hungry children in Zambia, with otherwise likeable characters occasionally philosophising strangely and potentially good action spoiled by frantic slow-motion. I enjoyed a lot the chemistry between Pine and Gadot (and the resulting best scene with the conversation about marriage and sex), the overall more relaxed atmosphere suited me, and I applaud the unexpected arrival and identity of the main villain, played by my British favourite, but the dramatic arc around the protagonist's mental development, which was obviously meant to be pivotal in the eyes of the script and director, just didn't work in the overall context of clichés and readable super hero gibberish. However, I don't regret the money I spent on the ticket if only because of Gadot, whom I would eat up with love, and if I were Chris Pine, I'd happily work for free – I would even pay myself. 65% (06.06.2017)

(UCI Kinowelt, Potsdam, Deutschland, 20.06.2017) Neben Man of Steel ist dies der bisher beste Teil des DC-Universums, der überwiegend sympathische Charaktere und eine gute Portion Action von gigantischem Ausmaß bietet, die Spaß macht. Der Zuschauer hat die Möglichkeit, die Entstehung und Entwicklung der Hauptfigur mitzuerleben, die ihre Feinde gewiss nicht verhätschelt, und ich würde sie sicher nicht verärgern wollen. Kurzum, ein sichtlicher Qualitätssprung gegenüber den bisherigen DC-Filmen, so dass wir nur hoffen können, dass die nächsten Filme einem ähnlichen Trend folgen werden. (03.09.2017)

Gal Gadot ist so reizend, dass man sie mindestens 140 Minuten anschauen kann, also ist es toll, dass sie im Grunde nie von der Leinwand gegangen ist. Außerdem verlieh ihr die gutmütige Naivität ihrer Figur noch mehr Anziehungskraft. Nach dem depressiven Streifen Dreck passte dieser erholsame Film wirklich in meine Stimmung, wobei man nicht sagen kann, dass das Drehbuch stupide einfach gewesen wäre, es hat sich sogar um irgendeine Botschaft bemüht. Ein angenehmes Erlebnis nicht nur aus ästhetischer Sicht. (14.07.2017)

If there's anything ironic, it's that the gender indulgence of the superhero genre that is Wonder Woman is shot like a 1950s Roger Corman production. But it's not the means (though many of the special effects, which the film doesn’t save on, are relatively lame), it's the unapologetic naivety, the abandonment of the details, and the irrelevance to the main theme. Whenever the question of "How?" or "Why?" comes to your tongue, you're in for a very rough time, believe me. The question is, who on earth expected that in such a random, context-free world, anyone would care about anything relevant them that involves more than idle banter or over-the-top action. The action scenes themselves thankfully work, at least until WW tries to throw a tank, and is greatly aided by the divine Gadot, whose physical attributes build a certain sanctity of their own and some of her kicks you'll actually believe. The usual superhero problem then arises, however, in the madcap finale, whose only interesting detail is the final takedown of the bad guy, which takes place in such a way that suddenly the screen goes completely white under a barrage of tricks and effects and we see nothing at all. This is nicely brought to a head by the usual cluelessness of comic book writers over how to make the final confrontation against the villain even more drawn out, resulting in an overwrought inferno. In this case, that hitherto overblown hell culminates in a climax that is already so over the edge that it was not meant for human eyes. And so we see only whiteness. Oh, and by the way, the movie is desperately uninventive in almost every way, and doesn't try to go beyond doing things that have already happened, but three times as big. Pluses: Chris Pine, Gal Gadot, the action scenes, the cringe effect. (08.09.2017)

Marvel bummed me out yesterday, it was DC Comics’ turn today. Gal Gadot is great eye-candy. If she's a stellar actress, I failed to notice. The story was nonsensical and dysfunctional from the start. Despite all that, the creators still managed to turn it into an "awesome" multicultural quest to eradicate evil. Speaking of evil, David Thewlis was great as V. M. Varga but ridiculous as Ares and the whole film felt like a Xena upgrade. I wasn't entertained. (16.11.2017)

I don't know what was supposed to amuse me about this... The digital special effects are garbage, but I can look past that. The story is predictable, and the protagonist, instead of feeling like a strong female character, actually came across as somewhat stupid to me. It also turns out that Gal is not a very good actress. Unfortunately, this is a real disappointment to me. (08.09.2017)

Decent above average within the DCEU, but it still has a mountain of flaws and, compared to the hottest competition from the MCU, Wonder Woman loses in all marks. Still, it's definitely a better film than The Suicide Squad or Batman v Superman, and comparable in terms of quality to Man of Steel. On the other hand, I don't share the opinion of most comic book enthusiasts that DC’s ship has completely sailed, while Marvel is piling up all the records and is ten football fields ahead of DC (in the words of TV NOVA). As it stands, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is quite a bit further along than the DCEU, but that doesn't mean that some interesting work couldn't emerge from the DC Universe in the future. I’m actually bummed that I can't give Wonder Woman a higher rating, because for some time I've been wishing the DC universe would actually produce something great like the second Captain America (which I consider one of the best comic book adaptations ever). What the hell, maybe it'll work out in the sequel. And Chris Pine's performance is absolutely delectable. 3.5 stars UPDATE 5 Mar 2021 – the second time around, all the flaws come much more to the forefront and you unfortunately realize that this is in fact a terrible dud within the genre of comic book adaptations with a central (non)actress who, though gorgeous, simply doesn't impress with anything else. (02.08.2017)

By the standards of the new wave of DC movies, this is a pretty decent origin story which I really enjoyed. It's a great movie with the right dose of hyperbole, wit and adventure. The movie’s major asset are the two lead actors who have amazing chemistry. Gal Gadot is certainly not a brilliant actress, but she's simply perfect for the role of Wonder Woman. Plus, there’s Chris Pine always at her side, playing the coolest character I’ve seen in quite a while. Add to that the perfect slow-motion shots (like the best of Snyder in Sucker Punch or 300), especially in the beach battle or trench battle scenes. The final positive is definitely the soundtrack, which I liked here more than in any other superhero movie in a long time. But there are also things I find it hard to get over - the B-movie screenplay and some really bizarre moments, heroic poses and the worst-written story twists imaginable (whoever doesn’t realize who the main villain is by the end of the first third of the movie probably has vacuum for brains). I get it, Wonder Woman is portrayed like this in the comic books - a slightly naive superhero who knows when it’s still worth fighting for good and so I’ll forgive this movie a lot. Something much worse, yet predictable, comes at the end. A lousy final duel accompanied by some repulsive CGI which seems to be a trademark of the Warner bros and which will definitely undo any previous attempts at something worthwhile. When comparing the ending of the Dark Knight to Batman v. Superman, Suicide Squad, or now Wonder Woman, it's enough to make you cry. PS: I must add something in relation to the trench battle scenes. The world doesn’t really need 50 different Avenger movies or the 20th version of the same story from the world of X-men, but more war movies from the thick of the battle, which make a visit to the movie theatre feel like a major event, a truly absorbing experience. (15.06.2017)