Re: Wonder Woman - June 23, 2017
Regarding the new Wonder Woman footage, I'm really looking forward to the movie. In fact I'd say this is now my most anticipated solo hero movie.
My expectations aren't *too* high though. It does have a bit of an amateurish look to it with regard to the scale and the action. I can't really put my finger on what makes characters riding horses in a forest or fighting with swords high or low production value but I know it when I see it. Take the forest battle in Thor the Dark World where he's helping his friends fight the enemy soldiers (the one where the rock dude shows up at the end) vs. the forest battle at Amon Hen in FOTR. Now from a strictly production value standpoint both films feature guys in costumes fighting guys in monster costumes out in the woods. But somehow Peter Jackson made Amon Hen look like a masterwork of cinema and Thor 2's fight looked more like, well, some people cosplaying out in a park somewhere.
Or compare Arwen being chased by Ringraiths vs. Kate Beckinsale riding her horse being chased by vampires in Van Helsing. Those scenes were night and day (literally actually but that's not the point I'm making.)
And right now the Wonder Woman on horseback scenes feel a little more Van Helsing/Thor 2 to me. Camera work seemed noticably second tier.
And her "300 style" fight indoors with the Nazi dudes. Well, we've seen that before: Baby Doll fighting the Nazi Zombies in Sucker Punch. Well some of us saw and remember that movie anyway, lol. And say what you want against Snyder but he's *really good* at making chicks look awesome when fighting Nazi dudes indoors.
And in that clip WW's roundhouse kick looked a little sloppy. It was cool and slo-mo for a second but then you could tell (especially since it WAS in slow-motion) that her leg wasn't long enough to hit the guy so they CG'd her kind of doing this weird horizontal float thing until she connected. Obviously I just articulated those thoughts in two big paragraphs but when I was actually watching the clip they were instantaneous observations. The cinematography and action just seems a hair off a step.
Now for the good. Gadot looks amazing. Really amazing. And the whole little mirror thing, gorgeous. She seems like she's going to be really likable in the part. Which is huge! Likability can cover a multitude of sins. And when they AREN'T trying to just copy Snyder's Sucker Punch moves she really looks like she's going to bring it as an action heroine. Can't wait for the finished film.
