Blu-ray Review: Gal Gadot Goes To War In WONDER WOMAN

Despite having limited screen-time, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman was one of the stand-outs from Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (much better than many would have you believe). Gadot’s Amazonian Princess showed a charisma and strength that was just begging for a spin-off adventure and while Wonder Woman might not be a great movie, it does showcase Gadot’s talents as a power player in the superhero genre. She’s got the chops to more than hold her own against Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill when it comes to presenting a DC hero on the big screen.

Gadot’ Diana is pulled into World War I when Steve Trevor (Chris Pine)’s plane crash-lands in her all-woman paradise of Themyscira. Nazis are in hot pursuit but they’re no match for our island of female warriors. She then heads off to the front-line with Trevor and a band of merry men in search of Ares, The God of War. Her plan is to defeat Ares, so that the war to end all wars can…errr… come to an end.

Patty Jenkins’ film is an enjoyable romp for the first two thirds, moving along at a brisk pace as we meet our heroes and they go in their mission. Gadot and Pine share some great chemistry and they work well as a pairing. The island of Themyscira is well realised, perfectly counter-pointing the bleak no mans land of the war. However, the film comes a cropper in the last act, when it turns into yet another soulless CGI punch-up between Wonder Woman and the movie’s big bad. It’s a shame because the rest of the film manages to walk a fine-line tonally, offering up humour and a serious amount of pathos.

Wonder Woman has gone on to score over $400 million at the US box office and $800 million worldwide, showing that there is a thirst for female driven superhero films. The film is highest grossing film ever directed by a female, which again shows that women can play with the big boy’s toys and score boffo box office. A sequel is on the way (which see Jenkins receive pay parity with the likes of Zack Snyder) but first Gadot’s Wonder Woman will be joining Batman, Superman et al for Justice League.

Special Features

The blu-ray for Wonder Woman comes with an impressive array of mini-featurettes. They offer a good look at the making of the film and the character for Wonder Woman. You also get some deleted scenes, a blooper reel and a trailer for Justice League.