"Wonder Woman" 2017, A Long Way From Her 1941 Incarnation and Far More Freer



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.

 
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.
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. 

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

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