This
is a special treat for me, as I have a bit of a personal link to the original
Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter. Ms. Carter was filming a movie in Seattle in
the now defunct Public Safety Building. My father was a bailiff in
municipal court and took the elevator with her during the filming. She
was very kind to my dad and he was given a personally signed photo from his
encounter with her. I have that photo and to tell the truth, she hasn’t
changed a whole lot from when it was taken.
Being
that Wonder Woman is pretty much immortal, it was no wonder to me that the
character transitions from WWI to present day with little effort and absolutely
no change in physical attributes. She tests her limits, is fearless, a
powerhouse on the battlefield, empathetic, compassionate, logical, and
curious. I would vote for “Stronger” (see Kelly Clarkson hits) as a theme song for this Amazon
Warrior Princess. It certainly fits. That being said, the film is
spectacular.
Gal
Gadot is amazing as Diana. It’s almost as if the role was custom written
for her. She looks comfortable in the red/gold/blue ensemble and carries
off evening wear like a runway super model. (I think I have a great idea
from this for next year’s Oscar party.
It involves gold cardboard.) It
could be the training for Miss Israel and the two years of mandatory military
service that secured her place in the spotlight. She shines alongside
Chris Pine aka Captain Kirk in the Star Trek reboot) and was, amazingly,
pregnant for most of the filming, but you’d never know it. Oh the wonders
of trick photography, green screens, and really top notch hair, make-up and
costuming. The other Amazons are nothing to sneeze at either. Most
notably, Robin Wright and Connie Neilsen, who are “aunt” and “mother”,
respectively, to little Diana; they do more to shape her both physically and
mentally to meet her fate than any boot camp on earth could. This is epic
because we finally get to know where Amazons come from, since there are no men
on the island.
Far-fetched
as this story may seem, it’s no more fantastic than other films that have been
pulled from the pages of DC and Marvel Comics.
I’m looking forward to more adventures with Wonder Woman in the
lead. I bestow the rating of the highest
order on this Princess of Power…4 stars!
