WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE
In Wonder Woman”s long-overdue live-action theatrical film debut, over 70 years after her first comics appearance (!!!), the Amazon warrior princess made quite the entrance in Batman v Superman.
Wonder Woman”s first act on the big screen: saving Batman.
After we”ve met her mysterious alter ego, Diana Prince, our first glimpse of the superheroine all suited up is when she swoops in just as Doomsday is about to make smithereens of Batman. One moment, Batman is facing this monstrous Kryptonian, knowing the two words he”s just uttered – “ah s–t” – will be his last. And the next moment, there”s Wonder Woman, arms crossed in front of her face, her indestructible cuffs blocking Batman from the blast of energy Doomsday shot at the caped man who had lured him to Gotham.
Batman would have been a goner! (And I mean a permanent, truly and completely dead goner, not a dead until we”re 15 minutes into the next Justice League movie because why the hell would WB kill off Superman at the launch of their multi-million-dollar franchise goner.)
This movie had Superman saving Lois Lane repeatedly (which is fine – saving Lois Lane is just part of what Superman does, and in reasonable doses that”s enjoyable to watch – but it happened more often here than in Man of Steel, when Lois seemed more capable), so it seemed only right that this legendary heroine”s first move on the big screen was to ably rescue one of the titular heroes.
Also making Wonder Woman”s entrance a kickass moment: the piercing cry of an electric cello. Kudos to Hans Zimmer and new collaborator Junkie XL.
We barely got to see Gal Gadot”s Diana Prince/Wonder Woman in BvS. But we got a sense of her from that memorable entrance and one other moment in the movie”s climactic fight: When she takes a hit from Doomsday, still reeling from that big blow, a smile spreads across her face before she lunges back at Doomsday. That smile says a lot: The thrill of the fight is exhilarating to this veteran warrior. Warner Bros. seemed to be supplying only brooding heroes who (granted, understandably) were wearied from battling various villains, so it was a relief to know we have at least one hero in this franchise who can taste and savor the glory of saving the day. Watching a superhero movie is more fun when at least one of your heroes is having some fun being a hero.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was engineered to launch a new franchise and to get audiences pumped for a long line of new DC movies. Did it succeed in this mission? Your milage may vary, but I can say this brief glimpse at Wonder Woman has my curiosity piqued for her movie at least. Not sure if I can say the same for the other superhero flicks BvS clumsily set up. But come June 2017, you can count me in for that Wonder Woman movie.