Watched it today and kinda got a Captain America 1st Avenger vibe when she finally left Paradise Island and got to London. Similar type of films. To me anyway.
Very similar on a number of levels. I think someone made a short list in the first few pages of the thread actually. It was still well done. The only thing WW didn't have that CA:TFA did was the war effort montage that seems to be the #1 grating element for those who think CA:TFA was lacking.
Captain Craig, the Cap/WW list was part of my review--
The comparison--
CA: The origin story begins and concludes during one of the great wars of the 20th century.
WW: The origin story begins and concludes during one of the great wars of the 20th century.
CA: A young, inexperienced person seeks to enter a war as a way of stopping it, with others doubting his potential to be effective. Steve Rogers is presented as a young man with--almost--a physical revulsion of man's abuse of other men.
WW: A young, inexperienced person seeks to enter a war as a way of stopping it with others doubting her potential to be effective. Diana is presented as a young woman with--almost--a physical revulsion of man's abuse of other men.
CA: Enemy agent trying to retrieve a vial of the Super Soldier formula is attacked, ultimately committing suicide with a cyanide capsule
WW: Enemy agent trying to retrieve Dr. Poison's book is attacked, ultimately committing suicide with a cyanide capsule.
CA: The main villain--The Red Skull--repeatedly tells the hero that he's not living up to his true potential, which would include being a conqueror at his side.
WW: The main villain--Ares--repeatedly tells the heroine that she's not living up to her true potential, which would include being a conqueror at his side.
CA: Dr.Erskine--who saw Steve's true, inner good, and believed that he had the right potential to become the Super Soldier (and all that the position means for the world)--is killed by a Hydra agent. His death (and faith in Steve) adds to Steve's already morally solid resolve to do whatever he can to work toward ending the global conflict.
WW: Antiope--who saw Diana's true potential is killed by a German soldier. Her death (and faith in Diana) adds to Diana's already morally solid resolve to do whatever she can to work toward ending the global conflict.
CA: The Red Skull relies on brilliant scientist Arnim Zola to apply the Tessaract's energies to various advanced weapon designs. Though Zola has abilities that would (in theory) make him arrogant, his personality is clearly kept in a submissive position by The Red Skull. Of the two, he is the only one to survive the war.
WW: Ludendorff relies on brilliant scientist Dr. Maru / Poison to develop advanced chemical weapons. Though Maru has abilities that would (in theory) make her arrogant, her personality is clearly kept in a submissive position by Ludendorff. Of the two, she is the only one to survive the war.
Here's where main and supporting character actions are split--in
Wonder Woman's case, given to the supporting character, but the events are the same:
CA: Captain America assembles a select team of racially diverse specialists with equally diverse personalities.
WW: Steve Trevor assembles a select team of racially diverse specialists with equally diverse personalities.
CA: Captain America boards The Red Skull's advanced aircraft, fights enemies (ultimately taking control of the ship). The aircraft is armed with equally advanced, Tessaract energy-based weapons of mass destruction, which the villain intends to use as part of his mission of conquest.
WW: Steve Trevor boards Ludendorff's advanced aircraft, fights enemies (ultimately taking control of the ship). The aircraft is armed with the advanced form of mustard gas, which Ludendorff intends to use as part of his mission of conquest.
CA: Captain America purposely crashes the Skull's aircraft as the only means of stopping its bombing run.
WW: Steve purposely destroys Ludendorff's aircraft as the only means of eliminating the gas bombs / bombing mission.
CA: Steve Rogers' first, real romance is with an agent--Peggy Carter--the woman he also fights alongside, but their romance is short-lived.
WW: Diana's first, real romance is with Allied spy Steve Trevor--the man she also fights alongside, but their romance is short-lived.
Although present day Cap wistfully looks back to his lost love Peggy in
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (and visits the ailing, elderly Peggy),
Wonder Woman's present day framing sequence of Diana and the WW1 photo places her in the same, emotional place.
Despite that wealth of clear inspiration / similarities,
Wonder Woman--like
The First Avenger--was a grand film that added a necessary foundation to the (partial) origins of their respective film universes, using the worst of conflicts to catapult them to hero status. Gadot carried the film on her shoulders, having to create a character (that never had much of a
competent filmed inspiration to draw from) and made it--as in
Dawn of Justice--her own. The one and only Wonder Woman, and the greatest filmed female comic character--all others (movies & TV) are left in the dust.
The difference here is that in the MCU, Steve Rogers/Cap easily became the moral center of that universe, while in DC's Diana would have competition with Superman in that category.
Felt like she'd bury that argument when I saw her brief turn in BvS, and she certainly delivered.) Chris Pine did solid work as Steve Trevor; I was actually a little upset that they knocked him off, but then he could hardly still be around adventuring a hundred years later. And I daresay the unexpected casting of Ares worked out better than I would have imagined if anyone had told me about it going in.
