Wonder Woman (2017): My Rambling, Honest Take
INTRODUCTION
- Wonder Woman basically knocked the door off its hinges for female superheroes in big-budget movies.
- Patty Jenkins sits at the helm, Gal Gadot owns the boots, and suddenly DC is fun again. Who knew?
- Here’s a snappy run-down (okay, with some personality) that’ll cover everything: plot, characters, themes, action, box office—the works.
PLOT SUMMARY
The Early Life of Diana Prince
- Picture this: Themyscira—gorgeous, mysterious island of hardcore Amazon women.
- Little Diana’s got wide eyes and a wild spirit. Trains with Aunt Antiope (Robin Wright = perfection), all while Queen Hippolyta, her mom, frets in the background.
- Diana grows into a warrior with a shovel-load of justice and a knack for trouble.
Steve Trevor Crash-Lands and Chaos Follows
- Outta nowhere, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine, full of charm) crashes his plane near Themyscira. Nazis (well, Germans—World War I era) are hot on his tail.
- The Amazons suddenly get dragged into this gloomy, war-torn world from their paradise.
- Diana decides, “Yeah, sitting on the sidelines is lame.” Grabs her iconic gear and follows Steve off the island.
Journey to the Human World
- Diana, now in dreary London, gets smacked in the face by how bleak humanity can be. Gray everywhere—someone buy this woman a coffee!
- Steve’s oddball band joins her: Sameer (makes a mean disguise), Charlie (sniper, kinda messy), The Chief (steadiest of the bunch).
- Diana’s SURE the god Ares is behind all the world’s misery. She barrels into battle, no patience for anyone’s doubts—No Man’s Land sequence? Instant classic.
Confrontation with Ares
- Surprise! Ares (David Thewlis in very questionable facial hair) was pulling strings the whole time.
- Diana takes him on in an epic, totally messy CGI battle.
- But in the end, it’s not just biceps that matter—she chooses love, justice, and believing that humans aren’t total disasters. That’s how she wins.
MAIN CHARACTERS
- Diana Prince / Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot): Relentless, moral Amazon who’ll punch a god and still care about kids and puppies.
- Steve Trevor (Chris Pine): Handsome pilot who’s just trying to keep up.
- Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen): Stubborn, loving mom with a thing for capes.
- Antiope (Robin Wright): Battle-hardened aunt, total legend.
- Ares / God of War (David Thewlis): Walks in with bad juju and even worse style.
THEMES & ANALYSIS
Female Empowerment
- You can’t swing a sword here without striking female strength, independence, and ambition head-on.
- Diana inspired women (and honestly, everyone) to step up and smash expectations.
Heroism & Sacrifice
- It’s not about just being tough—saving people means making ugly choices and standing alone sometimes. Diana’s choices = true hero stuff.
Humanity & Compassion
- Even when people absolutely blow it, Diana keeps some faith alive. Love (and a touch of stubbornness) wins the day.
VISUALS & ACTION
- Fight scenes: Amazon training, No Man’s Land—literal goosebumps.
- Cinematography: World War I is all mud and misery, Themyscira is sunshine and Instagram filters.
- Costume: Come on, that armor and lasso are iconic.
BOX OFFICE & RECEPTION
- Production Budget: $149 million (cha-ching)
- Worldwide Gross: $821 million (DC finally wins big)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93% (yes, critics liked it, too)
- Gal Gadot gets catapulted to stardom. Audiences go nuts, critics almost crack a smile.
CULTURAL IMPACT
- Everybody and their grandma cosplayed Wonder Woman at cons.
- Hollywood finally remembers that women buy tickets, too.
- Sequel happened (Wonder Woman 1984), but let’s be real—the original did the heavy lifting.
CONCLUSION
- Not just slow-mo butt-kicking, but legit heart and guts.
- Wonder Woman is about believing in people (even when they’re the worst), calling out bad behavior, and refusing to sit down when it matters.
- Plus, it made superhero movies way more interesting—and gave the next-gen a new kind of hero to root for.