There never seems to be a lack of intriguing superhero movies. So it was no surprise that when “Wonder Woman” came out on June 2, 2017, it was an instant hit. With a 92 percent rating in Rotten Tomatoes and a box office of $813.2 million, “Wonder Woman” has been in over 4,165 theatres for 100 days. Being such a big hit, Warner Bros. has already announced the return of Gal Gadot in the sequel being released in 2019. 

In “Wonder Woman,” Israeli actress Gal Gadot plays the main role of Diana. We first saw the development of her strong female character in an appearance in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” In preparation for this role, she had to train in sword fighting, kickboxing and jiu-jitsu to fully represent her character. Her training gave her a realistic and more defined appearance in her role as Diana. In the film, she acts with passion and desire and reflects both confusion from being sheltered from the world but also straightforward courage as she heads towards conflicts.

The main character of “Wonder Woman,” Princess Diana, along with the rest of the Amazons, is tasked with preventing Ares from turning the world of humans evil. The scenes from her home and the music background in the movie created a sense of urgency, but also melancholy. There is one particular part of the movie where Diana comes to a realization with music playing in the background, and the audience feels more intrigued and amazed. 

In one such realization, male lead Chris Pine teaches Diana about the good that is still in humanity. Other main characters include Diana’s teacher, Robin Wright, who helps Diana to be the best she can be; Diana’s mother Connie Nielsen, who spends her entire life protecting Diana; a major German general Danny Huston and major American general David Thewlis, who both help and prevent Diana from helping humanity. Directed by Patty Jenkins, this movie sculpted a story of a naïve warrior turned into an inspiring hero. Very similar to a Disney princess, Diana is a free spirited and rebellious character. Struggling with her opinions of the world, she chooses to try to save it.

While in the movie it is made clear that Diana has some sort of superpowers, her strength focuses elsewhere. Jenkins did a fantastic job in making Diana a symbol of strength even without the superpowers. Not only appealing to women in the stance of embracing female power, the movie also tries to include men not only taking Wonder Woman’s side but also accepting a woman saving a man. The acting was effective in delivering these ideas. 

Every part of the movie, from the music to the scenery, appears remarkable because it adds perspective to the viewer. The sequences of special effects were also very enriching, especially in the fighting scenes, putting the audience on the edges of their seats. When her whip glowed and her shield reflected bullets, it showed the hard work put into making the special effects look amazing. From the special effects to the writing styles to the various emotions the movie made the audience feel, “Wonder Woman” continues to be a movie that people talk about. 

If you have not already seen “Wonder Woman,” it is a powerful film that engages you the entire 141 minutes. While some critics believe it to be too long, most audiences are pulled to it because of its unpredictability and glamour. Overall, with very few drawbacks, the movie effectively not only empowers women but also encourages men to let women feel empowered.