Might and wonder: Gal Gadot portrays Wonder Woman, one part of the holy trinity in the DC Comics Universe alongside Batman and Superman.

Gal Gadot’s portrayal of the superheroine proves that a woman can also save the world. 

Those who have watched Warner Bros.’ superhero film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice might remember the brief appearance made by a super heroine clad in leather bustier, very short skirt and knee-high boots with a sword and shield.

She is Wonder Woman, one the most popular super-heroines of all time.   

The super-heroine’s long-awaited first solo live-action film Wonder Woman has finally hit cinemas and will reveal her origin story to contemporary audiences who might be unfamiliar with her.

Created by avowed feminist and psychologist William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman, which was a popular term for women who were exceptionally gifted, first appeared in All Star Comics #8 in 1941.  

A TV series then aired from 1975 to 1979, however, the character has not enjoyed the spotlight since then.

Like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman stars Israeli actress Gal Gadot, 32, a former beauty queen trained in martial arts, as Diana Prince, the alter ego of the super-heroine.

The film starts with the childhood of Diana, the princess of the Amazonian people, who live peacefully in the all-female mystical paradise island called Themyscira.

When Diana was a child, she had already shown interest in martial arts and wanted to be a warrior like her aunt, General Antiope (Robin Wright), who later secretly trained her to master skills like archery and sword fighting.  

On the island of only women, Diana had never met a man until she rescues an American pilot, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), whose plane crashes off Themyscira’s shores.

He then tells Diana and her mother, Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), the Queen of the Amazonians, about a war that is taking place.   

The Amazonians believe the Greek war God Ares is responsible for the war. Diana then decides to go with the pilot to save the world from the war, which the audience later learns is World War I.

Hippolyta does not give her blessing to her daughter because she does not want Diana to lose her immortality in the man’s world. However, she cannot be stopped. 

Along with Trevor, she leaves Themyscira to find and kill Ares, a journey that leads her to discover her full powers and true destiny.

Wonder Woman is directed by Patty Jenkins, 45, the first woman ever to helm a big-budget DC superhero movie. Known for her directing role in the Oscar-winning thriller Monster, Wonder Women saw her team up with Allan Heinberg, who wrote the screenplay.

The movie is not just about how fiercely Diana swings her sword ‘God Killer’ or throws her glowing rope, the ‘Lasso of Truth’, which has the power to force anyone caught to tell the absolute truth, but also her funny and light romance with Trevor. 

Wonder Woman is not the first female-led superhero movie. Previously, there were Catwoman, which stars Halle Berry, in 2004 and Elektra, which stars Jennifer Garner, in 2005.

However, they failed to wow diehard comic book fans or impress movie critics and performed disappointingly at the box office.    

In this male-dominated field and male-dominated genre, WonderWoman deserves attention. DC’s latest film implies that anyone, regardless of their gender identity, can save the world.

Diana knows that and in the poorly received Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, she tells Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman that, “I don’t think you’ve ever known a woman like me.”   

— Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

_____________________________________

Director: Patty Jenkins

Screenplay: Allan Heinberg

Based on: Wonder Woman by William Moulton Marston

Starring : Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, Elena Anaya

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