Wonder Woman has officially surpassed Batman v. Superman as the highest grossing DCEU movie domestically. That is a remarkable achievement was solely accomplished because of one reason: Wonder Woman is a good movie.
Up until the release of Wonder Woman, every other movie released under the DCEU banner—Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman, Suicide Squad—were all hot messes of dysfunction. Each tried to ambitiously carry the mantle as the face of the DCEU, but each failed.
Wonder Woman did not.
Fans have been waiting for a thoroughly entertaining movie from the DCEU, and they finally got one. Wonder Woman was filled with lighthearted moments, fantastic action set pieces and a cohesive story that made you care about the protagonist. It sounds so simple, but as it turns out, it was extremely difficult for the DCEU to make happen.
Unlike the jumbled mess that was Batman v. Superman, where Zack Snyder tried to clumsily include Batman’s origin story just for the sake of it, Wonder Woman’s origin story is fresh and new and something fans want to explore.
Director Patty Jenkins slowly peels away at the mythology and history of the Amazon warrior race and before it, we’re completely immersed in the movie’s world. That’s a staple of any great film.
After learning of Diane’s upbringing and uniqueness, we are whisked away to 20th century London. Jenkins and screenwriter Allan Heinberg do a fantastic job of playing off the comedy of Diana being a fish out of water.
It’s made all the better with the pairing of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). Their charisma and chemistry is palpable throughout, building a relationship that carries the movie right up to its conclusion.
One of the main complaints against DCEU movies is the dreary world they’re set inside, but Wonder Woman as a character is filled with never-ending optimism and hope. Batman and Superman, on the other hand, are both drowning in their sorrows. You definitely care for Wonder Woman by the end of the movie.
A course correction has been expected from the DCEU, but all it ever needed was a good movie. One movie to show off what it has long been hoping its movies would be. It can now start to build off the success of Wonder Woman.
The road ahead doesn’t look as dreary as it once did now that the DCEU has a critical success on its hands. And it’s all because Wonder Woman was first a foremost a fun movie to watch.