Wonder Woman is wonderful

Movie Title:  Wonder Woman

Grade:  A-

Rating: PG-13, 141 minutes

In a Nutshell: I used to watch Wonder Woman on TV back when I was a little girl.  I loved it.  I thought she was beautiful, kind, and strong.  As a little girl, it made me feel like I could do almost anything. Yep, this superhero movie is about female empowerment, but it has a lot more than that.

I don’t know why it has taken this long to bring Wonder Woman to the Big Screen.  Maybe we were waiting for the perfect Gal Gadot.

This fun action flick has just the right amount of humor and Justice League magic.  Warner Brothers gives us an extremely entertaining summer popcorn blockbuster that gives Marvel a run for its money.  It’s part of a set up for Justice League and a planned trilogy for Wonder Woman.

Uplifting theme: 

• “If you see something wrong happening in the word, you can either do nothing or you can do something." - Steve Trevor (Chris Pine)
• “What one does, when faced with the truth, is more difficult than you would think.” – Diana/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot)
• “It is our sacred duty to defend the world.” –  Diana/Wonder Woman
• "Everyone is fighting their own battles, Diana, just as you're fighting yours." - Sameer
• “A promise is unbreakable.” - Diana
• "Only love can truly save the world." - Diana
• Love vs. hate, peace vs. war, humanity

Things I liked:

• Gal Gadot and Chris Pine are both gorgeous and awesome.  As Chris Pine’s character explains, “I am above average.”  Gal Gadot has the perfect accent to sound exotic.  As Sameer says about her, “OMG, that is a work of art.”  Eye candy for everyone.
• Great female stunt work.
• Some cool and fun slow-motion, as well as sped-up action sequences.
• Female director Patty Jenkins was going to film Wonder Woman back in 2005, but she became pregnant and the project was put on hold.  She said she was thrilled to be able to pick up the project again, because it was the movie she had been wanting to make her whole life.  She’s the first woman to direct a superhero film with a female protagonist.  We haven’t seen a female superhero since Electra in 2005.  It’s about time, right?
• Most of the CGI is very good, although it becomes a bit heavy towards the end.  Gal Gadot was actually 5 months pregnant during some of the filming, so they put green screen on her belly so they could remove the baby bump during post-production.
• I love it when the directors and producers put themselves in small cameo performances in their own films.  In this case, producer Zack Snyder shows up as a World War I soldier.
• Did you know this movie has been banned in Lebanon?  Gal Gadot is Israeli and even served in the military.
• Ah, romance.  I love that both Diana and Steve learn from each other and make one another better.
• I wish I had one of those truth lassos.
• It was cool to see the symbolism of light and color illustrated in man's world and that of Themyscera.
• The soundtrack was noticeably good.

Things I didn’t like:

• There are a couple of long, explanatory scenes to help you understand what’s going on.
• I wish Lynda Carter, the first TV Wonder Woman, could have made a cameo performance.  Apparently, she sings in cabarets and couldn’t fit it into her schedule.  She definitely should have made the time for her fans.
• The villain was pretty weak.

Interesting lines:

• “You let this little thing tell you what to do?” – Diana/Wonder Woman talking about Chris Pine’s watch.
• “You know that if you choose to leave, you may never return.” – Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen)

“Who would I be if I stayed?” – Diana

• “What kind of weapon kills innocents?” – Diana

“In this war, every kind.” – Steve Trevor
* "I believe in love." - Diana

Funny lines:

• “How could a woman ever possibly fight in this?” – Diana

“Fight?  We use our principles.  Although, I’m not opposed to using fisty cuffs, should the need arise.” – Etta (Lucy Davis)

• “Please put down the sword.” – Steve

“It doesn’t go with the outfit.” – Etta

• “Welcome to jolly ‘ole London!” – Steve

“It’s hideous!” – Diana

“Yeah, it’s not for everyone.” – Steve

• “You’re a man.” – Diana

“Yeah. I mean, don’t I look like one?” – Steve

• “Stand back!  Or maybe not.” – Steve
• “I’m both frightened and aroused.” – Sameer  (Said Taghmaoui)
• “You should be very proud!” – Diana after she tastes a vendor’s ice cream.  I feel that way about great ice cream too.
• “May we get what we want.  May we get what we need. But may we never get what we deserve.”  - men's toast at campfire

Tips for parents: 

• I love that the heroine is good.  She's someone I wouldn't mind my daughters emulating...if I had daughters.  I guess she's someone I wouldn't mind my sons marrying.  :)
• You see a LOT of Chris Pine…bare naked after a bath while he covers his junk with his hands.
• A man and woman close the door and a sexual romp is implied.
• Lots of violence, destruction, and explosions.
• At 141 minutes, it’s a long movie that a lot of little ones won’t be able to sit through.
• In the comics, the war is WWII, but the director chose to highlight WWI in the movie.  Parents might need to explain the differences between those two wars.

Batman vs. Superman features several epic battles

Movie Title:  Batman vs. Superman

Grade:          B-

Rating:  PG-13, 2 hours 31 minutes

In a Nutshell:    When I saw the first trailer for this superhero movie almost a year ago, I thought it was a dumb idea.  I mean, Superman could easily kick Batman’s butt, right?  No contest.  No film needed. The next trailer that played a few months later included a sneak peek at Wonder Woman and then I became more intrigued, hoping there would be more to the story.

In an attempt to build the Justice League (and the movie studio’s coffers), this new installment in the DC Comic world of films is quite dark and takes itself a little too seriously.    It’s flawed, yet has some epic moments worth seeing.     

Uplifting theme: 

• “We can do better.  We will.  We have to.” – Batman
• “Ignorance is not the same as innocence.” – Anatoli Knyazev (Callan Mulvey)
• God vs. man.
• “What is good?  In a democracy, it’s a conversation, not a unilateral decision.” – Senator Finch
• Good vs. evil.
• Revenge vs. forgiveness.

Things I liked:

• I like Ben Affleck as Batman.  His greying sideburns give him a certain level of sophistication.  Some think he makes a better Daredevil.  Good for him for playing 2 superheroes!  How about a Batman vs. Daredevil movie?!  Ha ha
• I love the handsome Henry Cavill as Superman.
• Gal Gadot is a gorgeous Wonder Woman.  Her legs are perfect.
• Jesse Eisenberg plays the fast-talking, psychotic genius Lex Luthor.  His over-the-top, intense performance reminded me of Heath Ledger’s outstanding portrayal of the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film The Dark Knight .
• See it in 3D if you can.  There are a lot of scenes that are nicely enhanced…simple things like falling leaves, snow, and underwater views, not to mention all of the CGI action sequences.
• The beginning of the movie had some really great sequences that set the tone and serve as a little "catch-up" for those who can't remember what happened to the characters in their last movies.
• The new Batmobile is pretty dang cool.  I’d like it to stop moving for once so that I can get a better look at it.

• Walking Dead: Season 2 fans will be happy to see that Batman’s mom is played by the lovely Lauren Cohan for a few brief moments.
• I also love watching anything with Holly Hunter, Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams, and Diane Lane in it.  Here’s a picture of me with Diane Lane!  (Yeah, I keep showing it every time I review a movie with her in it.  I don't have many pictures of me with celebrities.  ha ha)

• One of the best things about this movie is the Lego Batman trailer that plays before the movie.  That movie looks awesome!
• Everyone likes to poke fun at Christian Bale's ridiculously deep Batman voice.  This film makes more sense when you see Alfred make a device to intentionally change Bruce Wayne's voice to hide his identity.
• The special effects were pretty amazing.

Things I didn’t like:

• Marvel Comics has been knocking it out of the park lately with their superheroes movies because of their coolness factor + humor.  This Batman v. Superman movie, “the greatest gladiator fight in the world”  has very little humor.  The audience walked out almost drained, rather than energized.
• TONS of CGI.  It comes at you constantly and so quickly that it becomes almost numbing.
• Batman wears full body armor like he’s playing Halo 5: Guardians video game.
• When are Alfred and Batman ever going to shave? 
• There were quite a few lines in the movie I disliked on a philosophical level.  Lex Luthor spouts all kinds of pessimistic theories and even Superman says “No one stays good in this world.”  I refuse to believe that.
•  The movie tries to cover a lot of time and back stories, as well as add some new monsters into the mix, but it ends up being too choppy and heavy-handed.
• It's a bit scattered, messy, and sometimes confusing.

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Funny lines:

•  “You’re psychotic.” –  Lois Lane

“That is a 3 syllable word for any thought too big for little minds.”  – Lex Luther

• “I’m not a lady.  I’m a journalist.” – Lois Lane  
• “Even you’ve gotten too old to die young…not for lack of trying.” - Alfred
• "Maybe it's the Gotham City in me...we've just had a bad history with freaks dressed like clowns." - Batman

Interesting lines:

•  “If man won’t kill God, the devil will do it.” – Lex Luthor

“What have you done?” – Superman

• “You want to know the oldest lie in America, Senator?  It’s that power can be innocent.” – Lex Luthor

• “The world has been so caught up with what Superman can do, no one has asked what he should do.” – Senator Finch

• “That's how it starts...the fever..the rage...the feeling of powerlessness that turns good men cruel.” – Alfred

• “We don’t have to use a silver bullet, but if we forge one, we don’t have to depend on the kindness of monsters.” – Lex Luthor

• “And now, God bends to my will.” – Lex Luthor
• "You're not brave.  Men are brave.  You say you want to help people, but you can't experience their pain...their mortality.  It's time you learned what it means to be a man!" - Batman

Tips for parents:   

• Amy Adams is naked in a bath tub, but you mostly only see her shoulders.  Clark Kent steps into the bathtub with his clothes on and gets frisky.
• Endless barrage of explosions, fights, chase scenes, buildings destroyed, car smashes, and firing weapons.
• Yep, there will be PLENTY of merchandising!