Heard this thing kicked butt, and took yesterday evening to go out and see it.  Steve Kenson (creator of M&M and ICONS) wrote up a review on his own blog site, some of which I agree with, some of which I don't, some of which I can appreciate the logic behind even if I don't get on the tracks with it.

The gang behind this work did an absolutely inspired job, and it deserves every nickel of the success it has earned (and continues to earn) at the box office.  That DC chose to forgo the Lynda Carter route (and which would have been completely predictable again) in fulfilling the title character and instead go for a young woman who captures the essence of what I perceive to be the core of the character concept - a woman riding the razor's edge between outreaching empathy and compassion and a merciless killer's willingness to wield a sword in the cause of justice - who also is someone I would crawl over broken glass on my hands and knees while clutching a rose between my teeth for.

Chris Pine and the rest of the crew did standout jobs as well - riding their own razor's edges of inspiring both understanding and contempt, at times, from the audience - and although I will confess that I felt a bit of loss in the exchange of World War II for I (nothing says EEEvil like blank-faced, sub-machinegun wielding Nazis), no one is ever going to convince me that it was a bad idea to get Gal Gadot attired in some total knockout 1918 fashionwear.

Restraining the urge to do the spoilers bit, I will simply note that DC, by pursuing its own stories on its own terms, has now matched Marvel move for move on the cinematic front.  Patty Jenkins, Gal Gadot, Deborah and Zack Snyder, Geoff Johns, Allan Heinberg and the rest of the team are apparently on tap for Wonder Woman II, and they've certainly raised the bar for the kinds of stories that can be told and the fact that gender does not seem to set any kind of barrier - and which is something that Wonder Woman herself would be in full support of - in terms of the kinds of excellence that can be achieved.  Damn well done.

Before the film was released, I asked my daughter (4th grade) if she wanted to see it and she said flatly, "no" and moved on.

It's evidence of how word-of-mouth has spread about the film, I think, that, one night last week, she came home from school and told me, out of the blue, that she wanted to see the movie.

My septuagenarian parents, who are visiting friends on a vacation, texted me to tell me that they had gone to see it as a group.  (Another sign of the film's popularity, I assume.) My mother's review was not enthusiastic.

It's a good film, and it's interesting that they avoided certain common choices that other films often embrace. If I had to give it any criticism, I'd say it's not a funny film, as in, the laughs are very few and far between. But since it's not a comedy, that's just a fact not a killer.

Four out of five stars.

RAMBLE

I, for one, have liked 3/4 DC movies thus far--I'm still miffed about the portrayal of Supes in Man of Steel but I'm getting over it.

I loved the fact that Diana is flat out a goddess now and not just an immortal. And I don't want to sound all SJW, but it's a big plus to see movie after movie these days geared toward feminine empowerment.

I thoroughly enjoyed Wonder Woman and am eagerly anticipating Justice League around Thanksgiving.