Wonder Woman (SPOILERS)

It's been a rough time for the DCEU. It's been a mixed bag and while I quite honestly enjoyed Man of Steel and Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, I can't say the same for Suicide Squad and I can also understand the criticisms that were being said. It was quite clear that there was a darker and edgier feel to the DCEU, and as a result most fans weren't thoroughly satisfied and couldn't hold much investment in the franchise...until the Princess of Themyscira came along and blew everyone away. To say Wonder Woman is an achievement would be an understatement, as this is a really great movie, definitely the best the DCEU has had. For this review, I will go over what worked to make this film the DCEU's saving grace, and what didn't work so well.

UPS

1. Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman. She was considered by many to be a highlight of BVS, but Wonder Woman makes it clear she is one of the best, if not the best, thing about the entire franchise. From beginning to end, Gadot brings a lot of layers to the character. She's curious, caring, gentle, adventurous, tough, strong, brave, and at times can be quite adorable. Now, as great as she is, she's got a great supporting cast to back her up, with an awesome actor leading the way...
2. Chris Pine is great as Steve Trevor. He has great chemistry with Gadot and is a great character in his own right. Wonder Woman is just as much his movie as it is hers, and they both do a spectacular job sharing the spotlight. By the time his ultimate sacrifice comes along, it's greatly moving since Pine's job in making the character connect with us was complete. 
3. The rest of the cast was just as good as well. Connie Nielsen and Robin Wright are great in their respective roles as Hippolyta and Antiope; Lucy Davis is delightful as the sweet and hilarious Etta Candy; And Said Taghmaoui, Ewan Bremmer, and Eugene Brave Rock as Sameer, Charlie, and Chief Napi provide great comic relief while also having interesting character moments and proving themselves to be valuable allies. Danny Huston, David Thewlis, and Elena Ayana also do good jobs as the villains of the film, even if they weren't given much to do (which I'll get to later.)
4. The hopeful, optimistic tone. The DCEU hasn't really brought about much hope in the past, but here, it comes in full force. Diana sees now that the world is filled with evil, and while that cannot be changed, she will still fight for the ones who deserve it, spreading love and hope the whole way through. It's a great message to convey and the movie does it exceptionally well.
5. The matter of it being a standalone film, as it helps the movie tells its story fully and completely without bearing the burden of setting up the rest of the universe. This is mostly what hindered BVS, so it's great that Wonder Woman took the opposite approach and just did what it set out to do without any interference.

 DOWNS

1. The villains were kind of sidelined for the most part. Though their actors did well in portraying them, they just didn't get much to do, which is a shame because what we did get from them was pretty awesome and interesting. For that reason, I was a bit disappointed.
2. Diana and Steve's romance felt a little rushed. Despite Gal Gadot and Chris Pine's chemistry, I felt their relationship didn't develop enough. I think the first time they should have kissed was when Steve left to sacrifice himself. While it was sweet and the chemistry helped tremendously, it needed more time to grow. 

OVERALL

Wonder Woman was a great film, which really benefits the DCEU, a fact that I am truly happy to know. It may not be the best DC movie ever made, but I do think it's pretty high up there, so expect a list coming soon ;) Now it's up to Justice League to make sure this success isn't in vain.

Well that's it for this blog guys. More will be coming soon :)