Wonder Woman (***1/2)

As bloated and as long as "Batman v Superman" was when it was released a year ago, I still remember the entrance of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman in the final battle and the cheers that went through the audience when she arrived. In a genre that's dominated by male heroes and stories that are told over and over and over again (stay tuned for Spider-Man: Homecoming later this summer), I think the world needs Wonder Woman. She's strong, independent, beautiful, and unlike a lot of her counterparts, she can actually kick some ass.

The movie is not without its flaws, but I admired it on the whole for it's more playful tone and consistency. DC movies have been anything if not somber, and for once the filmmakers slowly dabble in bits of humor and wit. As all superhero movies go, the first is always the 'origin story.' Here we meet Diana, a Princess living on a lone island amongst a tribe of warrior women called The Amazons. They are descended from Zeus and are sheltered from the modern world, training for a battle that they know will one day come. Zeus, long ago defeated, warned of the return of Ares (the God of War) and gave them a special power that they can use to defeat him should he ever rise again. What is that power? Diana wants to find out. She is trained by her steadfast aunt, Antiope (Robin Wright) and learned in the ways of battle and combat.

The story picks up with the arrival of a WWI fighter plane that crashes just off shore. On board is an American spy, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) who is lost at sea with stolen German documents. He is rescued by Diana and kept prisoner on the island, but his stories of war and death lead Diana to believe that this is the moment they have been training for their whole lives. Sword in hand, she sets off with Steve to return to civilization to search for and defeat Ares. Back in London, Trevor assembles a crack team that hopes to penetrate enemy lines and defeat a woman known as 'Doctor Poison,' a German scientist who is dabbling in poisonous gas.

The movie is fine when its attention is on Gal Gadot, a natural presence on screen who understandably makes men weak in the knees. With help from Steve, she buys dresses and hats in order to blend into society, but she rips the slit wider so it is easier to fight with. At a cocktail party, she hides her sword down her back in case it ever needs to be used quickly. Chris Pine is also surprisingly charming in his role, evolving from a character with a single mindset and concluding as a person who Diana can respect. The film sets up the idea that the Amazon women were put on Earth to ultimately save the day and protect the world of men, but in the end the heroism of Chris Pine ultimately shines as the one moment of heroism. Despite the gray areas, not all humans are bad.

The film is without doubt too long, and drags on through scenes of war, plotting, destruction, and jokes. It's nearly an hour before we get our first glimpse of Wonder Woman in action, and in perhaps the film's best scene we see her slowly making her way across "No Man's Land" while being gunned down by the enemy artillery. Bullet by bullet, she deflects the shots, and leads an army across a desolate field. Later, she single-handedly takes down an entire brigade by bursting through walls and jumping over rooftops. The action takes cues from "The Matrix" or maybe "300" in the way time is slowed down before every hit. Sometime's it's cool,  but other times we might find it tedious. I understand also how Diana is superhuman, but still the images of her jumping 50 feet in the air and ascending buildings was more comical than impressive.

There's a final duel (two, in fact) in which Diana comes face to face with a German officer who she believes is Ares in human form. He inhales various gases that give him super strength, and for a while he is an equal match for her. Nonsense. The scene is bonkers for trying to convince us that a normal man on poppers can match strength with a god. Later, Diana meets her true adversary and the finale shapes into the standard CGI-laden blur that we come to expect with such a movie.

Overall I liked this film, directed by Patty Jenkins (who's first film was the impressive 'Monster' starring Charlize Theron). While it doesn't break new grounds in the genre, it is certainly a well-made movie with enough moments of dazzling visuals that make the price of the ticket well worth it. Am I excited to see what DC has to offer next? I'm unsure. All I know is that at least for once, they have found a good character that is both interesting and fun to watch. Batman better watch out.