IT IS TIME! One of the biggest movie events of the year is finally here! Wonder Woman! I’m sure most of you would have already bought tickets weeks ago when it first went on sale. But for those of you who aren’t sure if you should catch this movie, one, you’re crazy. Two, this article will change your mind. Here are 5 reasons to get excited for Wonder Woman.
1. The weight of the entire DCEU rests on its shoulders
This is something that has been mentioned over and over and over and over again since the less than stellar reception of Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad. The DCEU is in trouble. I don’t hate DC. And I’m not celebrating the fact that they’re in trouble. Marvel did not pay me. If they did, I wouldn’t be a part-time UBER driver.
In one of my previous articles, I mentioned that some of you might like Batman V Superman more than Captain America: Civil War, which is fine. But, that’s not what the general critics and box office numbers reflect. While Man of Steel, Suicide Squad and Batman V Superman are all reasonably enjoyable, they’re not the kind that would cause simultaneous nipple erections around the globe.
That mixed with the abundance of backstage problems this franchise is going through (i.e The Flash page one rewrite, Ben Affleck not directing The Batman, Ben Affleck possibly not reprising his role Batman after Justice League), the weight on the entire DCEU now rests on the shoulders of Wonder Woman. IF the movie sucks and doesn’t crush it at the box office, then Warner Bros might actually consider rebooting the entire franchise.
2. Patty Jenkins
Hollywood likes to pride itself on being all about equality and diversity. Absolute bullsh*t if you ask me. Patty Jenkins’ feature film directorial debut, Monster received rave reviews from critics, did well at the box office, and won an Oscar (Best Actress in a Leading Role Charlize Theron). That’s an amazing achievement for a directorial debut. Heck, that’s a damn good achievement even if you’ve been a veteran in the industry. So why on earth was she not offered to work on a big studio movie since then? Why did Patty Jenkins not get another feature film gig when the likes of Brett Ratner and Tim Story keep getting offers despite churning out one crappy movie after another?
Maybe…. Just maybe…. It’s because she’s a woman?
Here’s the thing about film: You can have Daniel Day-Lewis, Jake Gyllenhaal and Meryl Streep in a movie about a drug addict, rape victim, pregnant mom suffering from AIDS, but if the script and/or director sucks, the movie will suck. Patty Jenkins does not suck. And finally, after 14 years, she’s back at the helm of another feature film. You can bet, it’s gonna be spectacular!
3. First female-led superhero movie
Well, what d’you know. The DCEU has beaten MCU to something. It’s actually quite surprising that MCU’s first female-led superhero film will only be hitting cinemas in 2019. Why on earth didn’t Kevin Feige and gang not make the much clamoured for Black Widow movie? Surely it couldn’t have been a business decision. After all, Lucy, which also starred Scarlett Johansson made more than US $ 500 Mil worldwide and that movie wasn’t good at all.
Wonder Woman is the first female-led superhero movie in the current era of superhero films. Sure, there were female-led superhero movies in the past, like 2005’s Elektra starring Jennifer Garner and Catwoman in 2004. But that was in an age where comic book movies were few and far between and good ones were a dime a dozen. Wonder Woman is releasing in 2017, which is the post The Dark Knight/Iron Man era, where comic book movies not only mint billions of dollars every year, but also have Oscar buzz surrounding them.
4. The trailers have been great
I have not watched Wonder Woman yet, so just like many of you, all I have are the trailers to go by. And the trailers have been AMAZING. I know, I know the DCEU has always given us great trailers. The trailers for Man of Steel were good; the movie was average at best. The trailers for Batman V Superman were good; the movie was a letdown. The trailers for Suicide Squad were PHENOMENAL; the movie turned out to be a disappointing affair. Will Wonder Woman be more of the same? I guess it’s possible.
5. It’s a damn good movie
Let me first reiterate that I have not watched Wonder Woman (I’ll be watching it opening night, tomorrow). Hence, I can’t possibly provide you with my thoughts on the movie. However, the early reviews have been good great thus far.
Let’s do a quick comparison:
Man of Steel
Rotten Tomatoes score: 55%
Metacritic score: 55%
Batman V Superman
Rotten Tomatoes score: 28%
Metacritic score: 44%
Suicide Squad
Rotten Tomatoes score: 25%
Metacritic score: 40%
Wonder Woman
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Metacritic score: 79%
*Note: the reviews are still coming in for Wonder Woman and the score will most likely drop a little more.
This isn’t just a good score. This is a score that most likely exceeded the expectations of even the most optimistic DC supporters.
In the words of our resident movie critic, Iain McNally, who has already watched the movie (I’m so jealous), “It’s a damn good movie.”
Tomorrow can’t come soon enough. Book your tickets now before it’s too late!
