By now, it’s cliché to declare Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman the best of DC’s so-called “Extended Universe” films, which began with Man of Steel and nearly killed itself with Suicide Squad. But here’s a little-discussed capper to that sentiment: Wonder Woman is just a mediocre comic-book movie. Don’t worry, this is neither a tirade against recently publicized women-only screenings of the film, nor sour grapes from a Marvel fanatic. I expected more from the director of Monster than a gender-swapped, near-literal retread of Captain America: The First Avenger. Between the cyanide-chomping assassins, bargain-bin Howling Commandos, and a guy named Steve bravely flying a plane packed with world-ending cargo over the Atlantic, the cribbing in this picture is as omnipresent as its overcast vistas. Yes, compared to Wonder Woman's messy, mean-spirited predecessors, this iteration is practically the model of competence. Next time, it would be nice if someone strived for excellence.
Listen to Kicking the Seat Podcast #227 to for a super-powered discussion of Wonder Woman with Ian, David Fowlie's Keeping it Reel, Every Movie Has a Lesson's Don Shanahan, and Emmanuel Noisette of EMan's Movie Reviews!