What Worked So Well For Wonder Woman??.....

REASONS WHY WONDER WOMAN HAS BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL....  

First of all, I know you're thinking "oh no, not another Wonder Woman article 😐"  but I'm sorry I couldn't help it and I just had to write this. So anyways, as of the time of writing this Wonder Woman is officially the second-highest grossing release of 2017 having recently passed the $400 Million mark and is only behind Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Commercial success aside, Wonder Woman has also received universal acclaim with critics and audiences alike the world over positively reacting to the movie.

Now, I know none of the above is really news and you're already wondering where all of this is leading to. Well the thing is, earlier this week I kinda got into a discussion about the movie with a friend of mine who only recently saw it and felt it was grossly over-hyped and I didn't so i decided to watch the movie (for a fourth time) so it could evoke all the emotions i feel at every viewing. Before I begin I'd like to say that this is not necessary a review of the movie but  rather my take on what worked so well for it. So let's get to it, these are the reasons why i feel Wonder Woman has been so successful.

1. ITS A SUPERHERO MOVIE WITH A STORY TO TELL AND A HEART

Superhero movies are comic book adaptations and for the most part time they have a rich history of story lines and character arcs to draw upon for their movies but I think the best superhero movies are thought provoking and carry emotional weight. A recent example to call upon is a release earlier this year from 20th Century Fox's X-Men universe Logan. Logan was set in a gritty, grim and brutal, it just wasn't a pretty movie but it was grounded in painful but affectionate story.  Wonder Woman follows in this path, not to take anything away from its action sequences but I think the movie's biggest strength was its focus on the title character and its emotional core as well as its refusal to dwell on just spectacle (save for the CGI-heavy third act final battle with Ares😔). We got to follow Diana through her journey from paradise island to the vastly different and "ugly" world of men, we watched as she couldn't understand the norms and intricacies of society in a new world (she wondered why all the women dressed in clothes that made it difficult to fight, she just assumes that every woman everywhere is a warrior like those back at Themiscyra), we watched her grow to be the hero we know her to be as she discovered that things in the real world are not how she had perceived them to be. Wonder Woman was an emotional ride that helped showed us the world as the amazon princess viewed it and later learnt to embrace and accept it for both its good and its bad.

2. The Cast

A great story makes a great movie but every great movie needs a good cast to bring that story to life. Casting in superhero movie is kinda different, besides the actor's or actress' ability another thing that is considered is perhaps their charisma and stick-ability, a face that can easily be identified and recalled whenever people think about the character (think Chris Evans as Captain America, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Scarjo as Black Widow and several others...).

Many people were skeptical about Gal Gadot's casting as the title character as she was largely inexperienced as at the time she was cast but in hind sight it was a total hit. 

Gal delivered a passionate and believable portrayal of the character and perfectly conveyed Diana's innocence, compassion, selflessness and naivety as well as her resilience and determination to save as many lives as she can. 

Along with Gal, Chris Pine's Steve Trevor was also a perfect match and was a delight through out the movie. Another point to note about the casting here is the chemistry between the two leads which made for awesome viewing and emotional investment , the scene on the boat from Themiscyra has one of the best exchanges in a superhero movie as it was both hilarious as well as engaging and the fact that it was improvised makes me appreciate both leads even more.

3. ITS THE FIRST FEMALE-LED SUPERHERO MOVIE SINCE 2005

Not since 2005's Elektra in which Jennifer Garner played the title character has there been another female-led superhero movie on the big screens. That fact and the popular opinion that female-led superhero movies are always poorly received put pressure on Warner Bros. and DC comics but Wonder Woman has done so well and exceeded all expectations. Director Patty Jenkins also became the first female director to helm a studio superhero movie and she did an excellent job. Wonder Woman is one of the most iconic and beloved superhero in the DC comics roster, inspiring and challenging generations of young girls all over the world. In this era of feminism, the promotion of diversity and the fight to change the gender stereotypes, Wonder Woman was a refreshing entry in the DCEU (your move Marvel).

4. ITS THE BEST MOVIE OF DCEU (SO FAR) AND COULD STILL SAVE           THE FRANCHISE

The DC comic's own shared universe, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) which kicked off with 2013's Man of Steel has been received with mixed reactions from critics and fans alike with all the entries prior to Wonder Woman managing to divide audiences every time with their poor story lines, crappy dialogue and overall gloomy feel that has failed to give the heroes the kind of representation they deserve (looking at you Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice 😒). The DCEU hasn't found the same success that Marvel Comic's MCU is now revered for (up steps Diana Prince), Wonder Woman has managed to avoid all those pitfalls and is the DCEU's strongest entry yet and it provides the franchise with the opportunity to apply what has worked for the movie to future entries, offering hope for a brighter more successful future and reinstate the trust of fans the world over.


So there you have it, 4 reasons why i think Wonder Woman has found so much success. Lets me know what you think in the comments below


Thanks for reading, here's that GIF of Gal dancing in her costume (you're welcome 😏)

via GIPHY