Wonder Woman - 4 smiles

"Wonder Woman" is a wonder. It's a movie that moves at its own pace, taking enough time to explain our heroine's deeply held beliefs of justice and morality and Gal Gadot brings thought and nuance to her role (rare for a super hero movie). Credit director Patty Jenkins (Monster) for having a vision for "Wonder Woman" and following through. After a framing device introduces Wonder Woman in modern day Paris, we flash-back to Diana as a young Amazon child raised on a mystical island free of men and full of warrior princesses. Among them are Antiope (Robin Wright), Diana's ferocious aunt and Hippolyte (Connie Nielsen), her protective mother. They impart on her the ways of their people and raise her to be a fierce, all-powerful fighter. However, Diana is also thoughtful and compassionate whose world is turned upside down when American pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes into the waters near her island. Diana rescues him and then travels back to London with him, where World War I is underway and she's determined to do her part to end it. Her immediate goal is to find and kill Ares, the Greek god of war. But there are several others in her way, including German General Erich Ludendorff (Danny Huston), and Doctor Poison (Elena Anaya), a chemical weapon's specialist. Diana's venture into 'No Man's Land' is where the movie really takes off, but the film is in no hurry to get there.

The script has plenty of action and CGI, but there are humorous fish-out-of-water moments with Trevor explaining the world and human nature to Diana. These are the character-building moments that give "Wonder Woman" such depth and make her feel like someone we care about before she demonstrates her extraordinary qualities. If there's a weakness, it's in the overblown climactic battle, a staple of superhero movies, but it's just a minor one. After all, she is fighting the god of war. Jenkins's biggest coup are her two leads: Chris Pine, as Trevor, brings a self-aware humor to a role that requires him to stand nude before an inquisitive Diana and say things that inimical to his macho pride while wrapped in Diana's glowing Lasso of Truth. We know he's good at the hero part because he's also Captain Kirk. And Gadot is exceptionally good, expressing female power with a quiet focus and an almost nonchalant self-possession. Cool, sincere, she's utterly credible, even when she's effortlessly scaling a tower or bouncing bullets off her bracelets. "Wonder Woman also benefits from a top-notch supporting cast, including David Thewlis, Ewen Bremner, Said Taghmaoui, Eugene Brave Rock and Lucy Davis. Jenkins' "Wonder Woman" has set the bar very high. I hope the upcoming "Justice League" can at least match it.