Of all the comic book movies coming out this year, none is so highly anticipated as Wonder Woman. So is it any good? The reviews are now in. The embargo on reviews lifted last night which means everybody who attended the premiere and early screenings is now allowed to say what they think. What they think, is that Wonder Woman is really, really good. Unlike previous DC efforts, Wonder Woman is receiving nearly universal acclaim. Our own Conner Schwerdtfeger says that Wonder Woman is the best movie based on a DC character since the best of Christopher Nolan's trilogy.
Diana Prince's solo film easily stands out as the best DC film since The Dark Knight, and Wonder Woman is a sign of great things to come in the DC Extended Universe.
His opinion isn't the only one that is glowing, however. Forbes doesn't even limit its praise to recent superhero movies, calling Wonder Woman one of the best ever, period.
[A]n electrifying, breathtaking cinematic achievement... Amazing performances, pulse-pounding action, and outstanding visuals make it one of the best superhero movies of all time.
For the most part, the positive views seem to come from the idea that Wonder Woman by virtue of its setup not requiring a deep dive in continuity, means the film can tell a fairly simple story and concentrate on telling it well. The film is also being praised by many for its sense of fun, humor, and lightness. Variety says it plainly.
All the praise is being heaped on star Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins. As Diana, it seems that Gadot was perfectly cast in the lead. She seems to bring the right mix of energy and humor to the role and the consensus seems to be that if you thought Wonder Woman was the best part of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, then you'll love everything about the character's solo outing.
Of course, even the most popular films will still have a few detractors and Wonder Woman is no different. There are a pair of negative reviews of the film. Daily Review holds the opinion that, for as much as Wonder Woman does differently, it is essentially the same old superhero movie...
The hero faces off against a seemingly insurmountable bad-guy-from-Central-Casting, throwing around what appears to be a range of fluorescent Photoshop-generated squiggly lines before one of them inevitably keels over.
Meanwhile, the Guardian feels that Wonder Woman actually gives too much of a focus to Chris Pine's Steve Trevor, seemingly insisting that he also be the hero of the film.
The film feels obliged to give Pine his own equally heroic story arc. Men might be unnecessary for pleasure, but they're still essential for big-budget action movies, it seems.
Ultimately, the negative reviews are outliers. The feeling from almost everywhere seems to be that Wonder Woman is exactly the movie we all hoped it would be.
