Wonder Woman

[Steve]

I will agree with sinanju, Ranxerox and others in their praise. I took my family to see it today, and my young daughter loved it. It most definitely wasn't the depressing and morose stories that the last few DC travesties involving Superman have been. Diana was treated as a hero in the story.

[Lord Liaden]

I heard one online reviewer point out that Steve Trevor in this movie is Captain America without the super-powers.

[Doc Shadow]

I'd like to go and see it but I can only afford to either see in the theaters or buy it on dvd, and this looks like one I'm really going to want to own. So I'll be waiting. For what it's worth I'm in the same boat with GotG2, waiting for the dvd.

[Lord Liaden]

Interestingly, at this moment Rotten Tomatoes' critic and audience ratings both line up at 93%. I can't remember the last time they agreed that closely.

[slikmar]

Saw it with friends yesterday. I will just agree with the assessments above. First DC movie that ranks with the Marvel movies in the modern versions. Gal Gadot was excellent as WW. I have always thought of Steve Trevor as the DC Steve Rogers without powers, and Chris Pine pulled that off. And the writers did an amazing job of showing Diana as a force for hope (something DC/Snyder has not been able to do with Superman since the 2nd Donner film). And I loved their version of the Howling Commandos (I know that's not who they were, but still) as much as the first Cap movies ones.

[Matt the Bruins]

Marvel movies may have lots of snarky heroes, but Steve Rogers isn't one of them.

Steve has a little bit of a sarcastic edge, but it only comes out in banter with his friends. Mostly with Thor while fighting together, but he also scored one on Maria Hill regarding her skepticism of the Maximoff twins' motives.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Yeah he's pretty much a straight shooter but he'll quip once in a while (mostly with Joss Whedon writing, who has a tough time differentiating characters sometimes).  One snarky cynic in a group is enough, like one clawed regenerating killer.

[Lord Liaden]

From the new movie's soundtrack, by Rupert Gregson-Williams:

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chC-nTLh6aA

[bigdamnhero]

Finally saw it and really enjoyed it. Definitely the best DC movie since Dark Knight, tho I feel that's damning it with faint praise. There were a few too many minor-but-annoying "Wait, WTF?" plot moments for me to give it an A, but definitely a solid B. Great acting, particularly from Gadot & Pine. A lot of nits I could pick, but honestly all I wanted was for it to NOT SUCK! and it didn't so me happy!

 

Tho I will say: Worst. Ares. Ever.

[Dr. MID-Nite]

I liked it overall. I think she adapted too quickly though. I wanted more "stranger in a strange land" moments...as those provided the heart of the movie to me. Also...what is "Ottoman" language? That part annoyed the hell out of me. Seriously? They speak Turkish. "Ottoman" isn't a language. Still...easily the best DC movie in a long while.

[bigdamnhero]

From Wikipedia: "Ottoman Turkish, or the Ottoman language, is the variety of the Turkish language that was used in the Ottoman Empire."

 

So meh, I'm willing to give them that one. I'm more curious how they learned how to read/speak so many modern languages so perfectly if they've had no contact with Man's World in 2000 years?

[Greywind]

It's a kind of magic.

[L. Marcus]

Magic. Magic!

[Lord Liaden]

Has to be magic. Like how Thor speaks modern English. According to the movie's introduction, Amazons were created by the gods to help build understanding among Men. Easier to do that when they can speak to each other.

 

You can't watch Amazons fighting and not think there's some magic in them. Plus there's that whole never-aging thing.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Turns out guys like strong female lead movies, as long as they don't suck.  Imagine that.

[PhilFleischmann]

So meh, I'm willing to give them that one. I'm more curious how they learned how to read/speak so many modern languages so perfectly if they've had no contact with Man's World in 2000 years?

Yeah, that's what I was wondering, too.

 

They've never seen firearms before, they have no idea what's going on in the outside world, they've never seen a pocket watch or a printing press, let alone a tank or an airplane, but they can speak Chinese and presumably every other contemporary language on the planet.

[Lord Liaden]

And also read Sumerian. Definitely magic.

[Bazza]

Or just highly spiritual (a refined consciousness). One of the charisms is the gift of tongues, ie polyglot.

 

We know Diana's "superpower" is Love. But what type? Lewis said there was four with philia & agape the best candidates. Plato stated there was two distinct types of love: Aphrodite Pandemos (earthly love, of the flesh) & Aphrodite Ourania (spiritual love, celestial love).

 

We know from the film that Diana read all 12 volumes of Cleo's body and pleasure, and concluded men were suited for reproduction. One interpretation is that Diana has used reason and will to transcend these "earthly urges". (Like a pagan saint)

 

We also know that Diana shows on multiple occasions a desire to help people, whatever the situation. She is also shown to kill when required to, but prefers to wound/injure.

 

At the end she is able to kill Ares by using the power of love.

 

For me, the most suitable type of Love is that of universal fellowship for humanity, which Diana elevates to a highly spiritual level. It is a combination of a deep philia and Aphrodite Ourania.

 

By extension, Diana is able to tap into this love to gain the charism of polyglot.

 

So not magic. An ability gifted due to a highly spiritual demeanour.

[Lord Liaden]

And there's the proof of the old adage: "Never bring a comic book to an epistemology fight."

[bigdamnhero]

Brilliantly logiced, Bazza! Although...Diana seems fairly unique on Themyscira in many of those aspects. Particularly the desire to help people; nobody else seemed too fussed about helping/protecting the outside world, despite that supposedly being their whole reason for existing. And they certainly weren't trying to wound/capture any of those poor German bastards in the opening fight. Yet they're all ployglots too?

 

[shrug] Frankly I'd be fine with "It's magic" as an explanation. It just seemed like their knowledge of the outside world was weirdly plot-specific? [shrug] Like I said, minor nitpicking.

[Christopher R Taylor]

I just figure its because "otherwise she'd have a terrible time functioning in the world taking months to learn how to talk to anyone" movie logic.

 

In a movie that sucks, or has lots of flaws, that kind of thing annoys me.  In a movie that's otherwise good, I can let it slide.

[bigdamnhero]

Actual conversation after we got back from the movie:

 

Friend: "It was great!" <pause> "There were a few things that didn't make a lot of sense..."

BDH: "Like how she speaks perfect modern English, even tho it's only been around for a few hundred years?"

Mrs. BDH: "What are you talking about? Modern English has only been around since the `80s!"

 

[Pariah]

< cue rimshot >

[Bazza]

Part 1 of 3

Brilliantly logiced, Bazza! Although...Diana seems fairly unique on Themyscira in many of those aspects. Particularly the desire to help people; nobody else seemed too fussed about helping/protecting the outside world, despite that supposedly being their whole reason for existing.

 
A couple of ways answering that. So I’ll refer my texts I sent to a friend after watching it, and two quotes from the film. 
 
My comments, er random musings. 

 

I do like the line: my greatest love is now my greatest sorrow, but the Amazon's reluctance to join the war is a "purpose fail" for them. 
 
That part had a very epic feel like you might expect in Greek tragedy or Greek comedy. Or Greek. 
 
Back to WW. I understand why the Queen may not have wanted Diana to get involved--quote above-- and the scene is likely put in so Diana would start her "superhero's journey" but still, it seemed a bit forced. 
 
Alternatively in an actual war, discussions take place on PI [Paradise Island / Themyscira] and the Amazon's call to arms and back up Diana on the field of battle. It may be away from Diana but the Amazons entering the war should have occurred. 
 
Just think what could have happened in the third act, with Diana leading the Amazons (and her mum) to war. 
 
Girl power moment, missed. 
 
More I think about it, it should have been a novel, or two part film. 
 
It would have sustained its epic ness from the first two acts of the film and played out more realistically. A contingent of Amazons led by Diana confronting Ares in the third act of the second film. 
 
That is what the film promised. But didn't deliver. 
 
Yes of course. But my point is that the Amazons mission was to help mankind see the light (which turned out to be love) and they did nothing. 
 
The very opposite of Steve Trevor. 
 
Even if Queen Hippolyta didn't believe Ares was behind it, i.e. more pragmatic than Diana, the attack on PI [Paradise Island / Themyscira] should have been a call to arms. It was their mission statement. 
 
MCU's Asgard is much more noble. Odin leads a force of warriors to reaffirm peace with the Frost Giants collecting Thor & friends in Thor. With Bors in Thor 2, and Thor defending the Nine Realms in the first part of Thor 2 (stone monster).
 
Thor like Diana believe mankind is worthy of saving. (See what I did there? )

 
Quotes from the film:
Queen Hippolyta: “I used to want to save the world, this beautiful place. But the closer you get, the more you see the great darkness within. I learnt this the hard way, a long, long time ago.”
 
Diana Prince: [from trailer] “It is our sacred duty to defend the world. And it is what I am going to do.”
 
Those two quote explain so much about the attitudes of the Amazons and Diana. Diana still believed in the Amazon’s mission and Queen Hippolyta became disillusioned.

 

Aside

IMDB also has this quote:

Steve Trevor: "How do you know so much about... the pleasures of the flesh? 

[Diana holds up her hand]“

 

It is not exactly how it occurs in the film, but is quite funny. 

[Bazza]

Part 2 of 3

And they certainly weren't trying to wound/capture any of those poor German bastards in the opening fight.

 

The Germans attacked the island. The Amazons defended their home. They saw one of their sisters being killed. Wounding or capturing wasn't going to happen. Also what the Amazons did was just as it is self defence. 

 

What I didn't like about that scene was the disjoined feel of it in the beginning. From the Germans breaking through the veil, to them being in boats, to having arrows hitting them, to then being on the shore. And German reinforcements. All in a matter of moments. The Amazons, and Steve & Diana had no time to prepare much of a defence -- they should have had plenty of time. The set piece and fighting were all well done, don't get me wrong. But it annoys me that the Amazons were left "flat footed".