"Wonder Woman" rocks!

I saw Wonder Woman twice this past week. It's terrific!

I've been a fan of the superhero film universe from day one. As a kid, I was a huge DC Comics fan. I even had a Superman comic book subscription. At the time, I really wasn't all that interested in the Marvel Comics universe. I felt the heroes had too much angst for me, but I eventually came around. I've commented to my family that if I were in my teenage years now, I would be in superhero heaven what with their being all over cinema and television.

Obviously, I still have feelings for superheroes. Glad I never lost them!

I've been aware that there has been a problem with women superheroes having their own movies. Interesting women characters have been around such as Agent Carter, Black Widow, etc., but had not yet had a cinematic showcase for any of them. I'm sure this move to put Wonder Woman in the forefront was a risk to the studio heads, but common sense prevailed and now we have an excellent film.

One can look at this as just a fine superhero movie, or go beyond and enjoy it as a woman empowerment  message. It works either way. I am very pleased that this is such a huge success. Everyone knows that had this film failed it would be a long time before another woman superhero would take the main stage.

As has been pointed out elsewhere, men directors can make a superhero movie that bombs and go on to make more, but sure as shootin' if this one had failed, director Patty Jenkins would never have had the opportunity to direct a big budget superhero film again. This is a very sad state of affairs, and I hope it will not be the case in the future.

This movie is great from the start. Gal Gadot hits a home run in her portrayal of Wonder Woman. From her scenes in her home world of Themyscira, land of the Amazons, to her fish out of water innocence and awe when she final leaves the island, she nails it. Chris Pine is also nifty as her "sidekick." He strikes just the right tone. The supporting characters are great in my opinion, though they might have had a bit more character development, but that's a very minor quibble.

My favorite scene is a rousing, kick ass defining moment for Wonder Woman that will definitely pump you up. Its a terrific scene. The irony is that the studio heads tried to not have the scene shot, but bless Jenkins' heart, she persevered and it was allowed in. Amazing to think that this excellent scene might not have made it in the finished product.

To me, the weakest part of the film is the climax. It's a trope in the superhero universe that the climax has to be a CGI-heavy clash of the titans. It was unwarranted in this movie. There was so much more to this film than just superhero vs. bad guy. The climax wasn't bad, per se, just a bit unnecessary.

One way I know how much I love a film is that I will smile through practically the entire movie. That was how I watched Wonder Woman. Smiling merrily away. I even got emotional during some of the scenes. I enjoyed it just as much the second time I saw it.

I know I get an extra amount of delight about the movie because I'm such a superhero fan, but I willing to bet that the majority of folks who see it will get a big bang out of it!