DC Comics "Wonder Woman" has been an
American icon since her creation and debut back in 1941. Since that time she has
appeared in several forms, a comicbook character, a cartoon, a live-action
television character with Linda Carter playing the starring role, and now a
live-action movie character in both the Justice League films and her own debut
film "Wonder Woman" which
opened in theaters on June 2, 2017.
Today's incarnation of "Wonder
Woman" starring Gal Gadot is without a doubt the most complete version of
the idea of who "Wonder Woman" should be. Considering that the
character got her start in comics in the
40s of the last century, it is hard to say if her Marvel's creator intended her
to become an icon for women's empowerment. Nevertheless, she is the embodiment of a
balance mixture of the feminist and femininity, which makes her both strong and
ideally naïve.
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| Linda Carter |
This mixture of the feminist and femininity is
clearly seen in this "Wonder Woman" film and is startling so, as without prior introduction she
boldly joins Bruce Wayne and Clark Ken's battle against evil in the 2015
blockbuster film, "Superman in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice".
In the film "Princess Diana" of Themyscira
is kept in the dark about her true origins by her mother Queen Hippolyta.
Diana is unaware that she was fashioned
by Zeus to be the ultimate weapon against the return of the evil god of war,
Ares. This is due to Queen Hippolyta being blinded by her love for the young
Diana, so much so that she doesn't acknowledge that beyond the invisible barrier
that protects their island from both man and the passage of time, that Ares has
always been the ruling darkness that is still causing men to war against each
other. Hence, Queen Hippolyta only wants
Diana to remain her innocent little princess, and to remain unaware of all things
about and pertaining to man and his world.
It is not until Hippolyta's sister Antiope is discovered training Diana in secret
that she loosen the restraints on Diana so to allow her to be trained as a
Amazon warrior, but harder than any of the others while maintaining hope that
the God Killer will never be needed.
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| Gal Gadot\\ |
Yet, the fates must have their day, and it is when
the world of man comes literally crashing through their protective wall in the
form of the American spy, Steve Trevor, with a fleet of hostile World War I German airplanes
and a battleship on his tail that Queen Hippolyta is force to accept that Diana
has always had a higher purpose much greater than being a princess of
Themyscira.
"Wonder Woman" , the movie, is basely a
introductory story. It serves in retelling who Diana is and where she comes
from in physical origin and ideology. As Diana Prince in this movie, she
entered the world of man with the intent of ridding it of its all time enemy,
Ares. As for this god of war, he has a hatred of mankind very much like Satan
in the Biblical stories of Genesis. In this storyline Ares wants to destroy
Zeus's "greatest creation" of mankind, it so reflects the grievances between
the Christian God and Satan that it takes away from the film of "Wonder Woman" rather than adding to it.
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| Gal Gadot & Lucy Lawless |
A few writers on the web have noticed similarities
between "Wonder Woman" and "Xena".
And some of these writers have condemned DC Comics and Warner Bros for those similarities.
Although both characters are beloved by their fans, "Wonder Woman" has been growing and maturing since the 1940s. Therefore, the only
similarities between these two characters has resulted in what was borrowed from
her for the creation of "Xena",
who is admittedly a amassing of good and bad qualities from several females
from fiction and history. If today's "Wonder Woman" borrowed anything
from "Xena", it is her sassy style in battle dress.
Intended or not, DC Comics "Wonder Woman"
has always been an American icon representing strength, truth, and perseverance
in women's fight for equity in all things related to America's continuous growth
as a nation.
As stated above, Ares in this film is the greatest
threat to mankind and the Amazons. It can also be argued that on some level
that Queen Hippolyta knew that beyond their barriers that the war between men
still existed and that Ares was behind it.
What failed to be convincing in this film is the
battle to the death with "Wonder Woman", as the "God
Killer", and Ares. Grant it, the story of Ares in most mythologies really is
little more than a foot note. Therefore, that DC Comics could write him in the
story as the monster to destroy all of Daddy's Zeus creations just to show him (like
Satan to God) that his creations were unworthy, unlike his own godly children,
is doable but not ultimately intriguing. This characteristic in Ares (as well as in
Satan) makes him all too human, a humanist trait he fails to see, and one he would rather die than admit exist. In
addition, and admittedly, this sequence is too much "Xena vs Ares", but
thankfully, minus the sexual charisma.  |
| David Thewlis |
In short, the battle sequence between "Wonder
Woman" and Ares was not as
believable as intended, and there
probably are better mythological baddies that could pose a greater threat in Steve
Trevor's world and in that of the Amazons.
Was Ares killed by "Wonder Woman" in this
film? Understanding the fact that all mythologies deem the cause of war on one unknown
or known god of war or another, regardless of name or nationality,
misunderstandings that cause discord and strife among men will eventually lead
to a rise of an Ares, an Anat, a Krishna, or one of the Morrígans. So does Ares
still live? It is possible that he ceased all interference in human affairs to
rethink Wonder Woman and heal his wounds.
In its entirety, "Wonder Woman" the movie played out well. It was very
entertaining, and the world of the Amazon was very interesting, and it offered
the audiences an alternative answer for the disappearance of their society.
This "Wonder Woman" film is worth adding
to anyone's movie collection. The sequel, "Wonder Woman" 2, is scheduled to be released on December 13,
2019.
-- A Widescreen Online Review
-- A Widescreen Online Review
