Wonder Woman (2017)

[Centerfield]

Anyone see this yet? Wow. Terrific.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Saw it on Saturday afternoon. I really enjoyed it. I liked that it wasn't entangled in the rest of the DC Universe and was set off on its own in World War I. And I liked the period setting as well.

It's just too bad that the actress playing Wonder Woman was so damn unattractive.

[Vic Sage]

She may be homely, but at least she's a nice Jewish girl.

[Edgy MD]

Any of you cineastes going to cast a vote?

[Centerfield]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: It's just too bad that the actress playing Wonder Woman was so damn unattractive.

I almost feel bad mentioning it because the movie is so much more than just a hot girl running around in a superhero costume, but wow. Absolutely stunning.

I feel like the word "beautiful" applies to very few actresses today, but definitely is appropriate here.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I half agree and half disagree. I think that there are a lot of beautiful actresses around, but Gal Godot definitely stands out among them. She really is stunning. In fact, I saw that photo that I posted above in a newspaper article and I literally had to will myself to turn the page.

[Guest cooby]

Is she scratching her back?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Don't make me look at that picture again! I won't be able to stop!

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Kinda curious... who went with two stars? Why?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm the 3.5.

[Edgy MD]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Kinda curious... who went with two stars? Why?

Me.

I found nothing original or particularly engaging in it. In the way of contemporary blockbusters, it was full of plot elements and money shots shamelessly cribbed from other films. Contemporary ones. Also, the stilted accents of the denizens of Paradise Island made for unintentional hilarity.

As with a lot of latter-day superhero stories, the extent, nature, and limits of her powers were unclear and all over the map.

[Vic Sage]

Saw it last night with the family. My kids don't agree on anything, and my son is a particular sort of "yuck your yum" type moviegoer, who'll tear to pieces even stuff he likes. But the only discussion in the car afterwards is where we placed it among the top comic book movies ever made. Is it #1, 3, 6? Nobody thought it was lower than 6th all-time.

The acting was top notch. Gal is not just another pretty face and Pine was fine, as well. The choreography of the action sequences is perhaps the best in any movie of recent memory. The cinematography and shot compositions gave me literal goosebumps, as i got one iconic moment after another. The story? Its an origin story, clearly told. My daughter gets easily confused by plots and she was like "i even understood everything!" I would have preferred the ending go in a slightly different direction, closer to the origin of comic book origin in terms of the paternal revelation, and i'm sure, were i of a mind to, i could go through a pick at threads in the plot to unwind the weave, but why on earth would i do that after such an intensely pleasurable experience? Its love story was touching, its humor was good enough to keep it from being too somber (unlike most DC movies), and its action was brilliantly executed.

Please, sir, may i have some... more?

[Vic Sage]

My rankings of 102 superhero movies, selected based on the following criteria:

* English language live-action feature films,
* Released theatrically in the US after the publication of Action #1 (1938),
* Based on a pre-existing US or UK comic-book or comic-strip superhero, and
* Grouped into categories (in tiers of 12 films each), in descending order.

Great (**** TO *****):
LOGAN
DARK KNIGHT, the
IRON MAN
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
WONDER WOMAN
CROW, the
DEADPOOL
AVENGERS
SPIDER-MAN 2
CAPTAIN AMERICA II: WINTER SOLDIER
CAPTAIN AMERICA III: CIVIL WAR
SUPERMAN II

Very Good to Great (*** TO ****):
SPIDER-MAN
SUPERMAN
BATMAN BEGINS
X-MEN II: x-men united
CAPTAIN AMERICA: FIRST AVENGER
DR. STRANGE
KICK-ASS
DARK KNIGHT RISES, the
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
ROCKETEER
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
X-MEN

Decent to Good (**1/2 to ***)
BATMAN (89)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
WATCHMEN
V FOR VENDETTA
BLADE
SUPERMAN RETURNS
KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE
MEN IN BLACK
ANT-MAN
IRON MAN 3
HELLBOY II: the golden army
HELLBOY

Mediocre, but watchable (**to**1/2):
DREDD
MYSTERY MEN
WANTED
MAN OF STEEL
AVENGERS II: AGE OF ULTRON
THOR
BATMAN RETURNS
FLASH GORDON
BLADE II
BATMAN: The Movie (66)
INCREDIBLE HULK, the (08)
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (90)

Not good, but watchable if you stumble over it while flipping channels (*1/2 to **):
MASK, the
SPIDER-MAN 3
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
WOLVERINE, the
THOR: DARK WORLD
IRON MAN 2
BATMAN V SUPERMAN
PUNISHER (04)
CONSTANTINE
BLADE III: Trinity
X-MEN: APOCALYPSE
DAREDEVIL

Bad, but watchable if stoned (* to *1/2):
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE
MEN IN BLACK III
LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN
SUICIDE SQUAD
DICK TRACY
TANK GIRL
FANTASTIC FOUR II: rise of the silver surfer
HOWARD THE DUCK
FANTASTIC FOUR
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN II
X-MEN III: the last stand
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES III (93)

Really bad, but watchable if forced at gunpoint (0* to *1):
SWAMP-THING
GREEN LANTERN
PHANTOM, the
BATMAN FOREVER
MEN IN BLACK II
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS(16)
GHOST RIDER
SUPERMAN III
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II: Secret of the Ooze (91)
SPAWN
ELEKTRA
HULK (03)

Remaining atrocities, unwatchable even if dead (0*):
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (14)
PUNISHER WAR ZONE
KICK ASS 2
RETURN OF THE SWAMP-THING
SPIRIT, the
GHOST RIDER II: spirit of vengeance
BARB WIRE
SUPERMAN IV: the quest for peace
SHEENA
FANTASTIC 4 (2015)
JUDGE DREDD
BATMAN & ROBIN
SUPERGIRL
CROW II: CITY OF ANGELS
STEEL
CATWOMAN
JONAH HEX
SON OF THE MASK

Edited June 7, 2017 by Guest

[Centerfield]

Vic Sage wrote: Its love story was touching, its humor was good enough to keep it from being too somber (unlike most DC movies), and its action was brilliantly executed. Please, sir, may i have some... more?

The love story on many levels. Between the Queen and Diana, between the Queen and Robin Wright's character, between WW and Chris Pine, between WW and humanity, and even the camraderie between Chris Pine and his band of misfits.

The story had so much heart.

[Centerfield]

Edgy MD wrote: Also, the stilted accents of the denizens of Paradise Island made for unintentional hilarity.

Loved the accents. I get why it doesn't work for everyone, but I thought it added a lot to the characters. Was it done because Gal speaks with an accent and everyone had to match? Was wondering about that.

If you're going to nitpick, you could go the route of "Why do the Germans speak to each other in broken English rather than their native German?" But why would you during such a great ride.

[Benjamin Grimm]

You have the 2008 Hulk movie listed twice. I'm guessing the 2003 one is the one you say is unwatchable? If so, i agree.

And you liked Deadpool a lot more than I did!

[Vic Sage]

lovvvvvvvvvvvved DEADPOOL Funny, good action, Reynolds was terrific, and great opening credits. It proved there was a market for R-rated comic book movies, which paved the way for LOGAN.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I liked Logan a lot. I just didn't find Deadpool funny at all. And when you're not enjoying the humor, comedies are a chore to watch.

[MFS62]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I liked Logan a lot. I just didn't find Deadpool funny at all. And when you're not enjoying the humor, comedies are a chore to watch.

You haven't broken the fourth wall.

Vic, I liked Blade III. Ryan Reynolds began to show us sarcastic hero chops and that (as well as Jessica Beil's shower scene) made the movie for me.
Also, (insert blushing emoticon here) I liked League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and The Phantom.
I'm blushing because I can't figure out why I did.
Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

I didn't have any problem with the broken fourth wall. I like it when George Burns does it on Burns and Allen. And more recent examples include House of Cards and Fleabag.

[MFS62]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I like it when George Burns does it on Burns and Allen.

I had forgotten about that. So did I. LOL!

I was trying to be funny, not nasty. Sorry.

Later

[Edgy MD]

Centerfield wrote: Also, the stilted accents of the denizens of Paradise Island made for unintentional hilarity. Loved the accents. I get why it doesn't work for everyone, but I thought it added a lot to the characters. Was it done because Gal speaks with an accent and everyone had to match? Was wondering about that.

That's the theory I'm working with, but match they did not. Different characters were slipping out of different studied versions of Germanic, English, Irish and other stuff. It felt Clash of the Titans hammy, only moreso.

Centerfield wrote: If you're going to nitpick, you could go the route of "Why do the Germans speak to each other in broken English rather than their native German?" But why would you during such a great ride.

I don't mean to nitpick.

But yeah, when Diana is dueling languages with Samir, they used subtitles, but when Germans spoke to Germans, they used German-accented English. Either is a legit way to go, but both is offputting. You've got to stick with the rules of your own universe, man.

Benjamin Grimm wrote: You have the 2008 Hulk movie listed twice. I'm guessing the 2003 one is the one you say is unwatchable? If so, i agree.

He's got Batman Begins twice also.

[nymr83]

Absolutely loved it.

and while Vic debate its place at the top of the Superhero movie list (clearly the #1 DC film) I would go even further - is this the best movie with a female lead since... ever?

[Edgy MD]

Sheesh, the culture is clearly going against me.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yeah, really! I mean, what about Barbarella?

[Benjamin Grimm]

This letter appeared in the Voice of the People in today's Daily News.

Long Island City: I won’t see the new version of “Wonder Woman” because it won’t make America great again. It has nothing to do with America. But my lesbian friend Daisy saw it twice in one day and told me it was nirvana and that she can’t wait for “Wonder Woman II.”

[Edgy MD]

Always sobering to find myself and Steve on the same side of an issue.

[nymr83]

You are joking right? The Daily News actually published that letter?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yes, they did.

[Edgy MD]

Steve's apparently an old hand with his IBM Selectric. Writing to Mike Lupica in 1998:

Dear Lip, I'm glad Hideki Irabu hasn't choked anybody yet. Steve Chaddock Long Island City

Back with The Voice of the People in 2014:

Long Island City: If Judge Judy gets paid $60 million a year handing out justice to the brainless, it’s worth it. Loonies, dummies, morons and once in a while someone with an IQ of 50 makes Judge Judy a genius. Love ya, Judy. Steve Chaddock

To the Mighty Quinn in 2010:

3D mania is running wild. Yes, it will be on cable television and I will endorse it. I remember in the '70s I saw 'The Stewardesses,' a porn movie, in 3D, and I thought I was in bed with three people.

I'm guessing Steve will NOT get tired of all the winning.