Wonder Woman * * *

Whenever ANOTHER feature film comes along which is based on comic book characters I wonder who is missing the point here.  Me or the filmmakers?  (Probably me).  But I always look at a comic as something that was written to be cheap, short, simple and forgettable.  A bit of mindless entertainment.   So why use it as the source of a film that costs mega-millions and goes on for nearly two and a half hours?  I’m just amazed how could anyone can get motivated to do it and stay interested all the way through the writing and production of these comic based feature films. 

I know that enthusiasts rave about the symbolism and the analogies and the reflection of topical issues, but no matter how much they try to flesh them out, the characters always come across as shallow, and any social commentary looks contrived.  No wonder the UN dropped Wonder Woman as their ambassador for Women. I mean… get real!

"Outta my way ANZACS,
I'll get this war sorted."

However, at least this feature film of Wonder Woman has the decency to  celebrate its own ridiculousness by suggesting the First World War was won by Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman is introduced to us as Diana. She is part of an Amazon tribe that live on a secreted island.  

A spy for the allied forces, Steve, crashes his plane in the sea nearby.  Through him the Amazons learn of a “Great War” that has been raging for 4 years in which millions of people have died. Diana (Wonder Woman) figures this must be the God of war, Ares up to his old tricks again and asks Steve to take her with him to this war so she can  get things put to right.

Arriving in London I especially liked the reproduction of the early 1900's period. There are some fun scenes of her shopping for clothes and arguing with politicians and knocking out a few baddies.

Wonder Woman believes that Ares the God of War has poisoned the minds of the people whilst posing as a figure of trust, thus causing them to fight. If she brings Ares down then the war will end.

With a ragtag collection of scoundrels beside her she goes to the front in France, overcomes the horror of trench-warfare and punches her way through the German defense.

Meanwhile we learn of an impossibly corrupt German general who is in allegiance with an unconscionable doctor of death who is dead keen on chemical warfare.

Looking for Ares, Wonder Woman and Steve penetrate a gathering of high ranking German officers.  Actually up to this point it's kind of fun and you’re happy to go along with the yarn. A quick wrap-up now would have been welcome.

But like all Superhero films Wonder Woman has an interminable ending which runs for about twenty or thirty minutes as Wonder Woman and her nemesis fight by shooting lightning at each other and picking up things like tanks and other heavy objects to hurl at each other.   Like all these superhero fights it’s boring and goes on for far too long.

Otherwise it’s not a  bad for a film of a comic if that’s your thing.

There is talk of franchising this (why am I not surprised?) but they’d better get their skates on. Although she looks marvelous in this, Gal Gadot is already in her thirties. She sure to be nearly forty by the time they hit the second one, and if there's one thing Hollywood don’t like it’s an older woman, no matter how wondrous she is.