Wonder Woman

Just as Justice League hits cinemas to a mixed reception, I recently saw what is considered to be DC's strongest outing in their rebooted series Wonder Woman. It hadn't been an easy ride for DC prior to this in their race to keep up with Marvel following a decent Man of Steel, an average yet enjoyable Batman v Superman and then the truly awful, headache inducing Suicide Squad. They needed a hit that would prove that they are capable of doing better and entrusted Gal Gadot as the amazon warrior to put DC back in contention.

Placed in the background and introduced in BVS, Gadot was a bright ray of light for the film adding elements of intrigue and excitement to an otherwise rather murky battle. Her charismatic performance rightly awarded her the chance to have her own film but could I face another origin story? Personally, as much as I enjoy superhero films from time to time, the origin story is that routine chore that is the same every time with the odd change here or there. Thankfully, director Patty Jenkins keeps the story moving and already this was looking like the best of DC's new series.

Woman Woman begins with her as a child on an island surrounded by female warriors and we watch her grow into a young warrior before a WW1 pilot (Chris Pine) crashes into this hidden land. Warned from an early age about the God of War, she follows the pilot to London where she hopes to end this mysterious war. What follows is a charming fish-out-of-water series of events, boosted by Chris Pine's expertise in balancing comedy and drama, before entering the war. If some ways these moments formed the best part of the film, owing a lot to the lead's top chemistry.

Once the battle kicks-off, we're treated to a lot of exciting action sequences but Jenkins keeps the focus on the warrior herself (Diana) and her naivety to this world that's completely foreign from what she's known. But if I had to fault Wonder Woman in any way, the final conflict with the big boss is typically overblown in the way DC likes to do but there's still plenty of great moments in the final act to keep it entertaining.

Despite the OTT DC moments that we've become accustomed to, Wonder Woman still ranks up there with the better superhero films of late. The mix of a WW1 setting, top performances and solid direction give this one the pace to succeed in a genre that is heavily dominated year upon year. With a sequel expected for 2019 and Jenkins returning to the director's chair once more, hopefully this series can continue to impress and repair DC's name.