A lot of pressure was riding on Patty Jenkins' take on Wonder Woman. Not only would the film be DC and Warner Bros.' attempt to redeem themselves after the disappointing Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the mediocre Suicide Squad, but it would also be the first female superhero film of this age.

And believe me: on both angles, Wonder Woman does not disappoint. The film is a solid addition to the DC film universe as well as an empowering depiction of one of the world's greatest superheroes.

The problem with past female-fronted superhero movies was that they assumed the primary audience was male. The beauty of Wonder Woman is that it not only executes a female-friendly movie, it manages to make the lead heroine's story universal - something both male and female audiences can relate to.

When compared to DC films before it, Wonder Woman is a breath of fresh air. Instead of adapting the dark and heavy undertones of Zack Snyder's DC films and Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, this film opted for a much lighter approach. What resulted was a film that felt more like a superhero tale and less like a gritty noir drama.  

This is not to say that Wonder Woman totally deviates from the DC universe. It still feels like a DC film and tackles similar themes like identity and whether or not mankind deserves heroes.

It's a straightforward narrative. It may have several plot holes, but with strong performances from both Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, they're easy to dismiss. Some fans may have criticized Gal Gadot's casting for misogynistic reasons, but she damn well did the titular character justice. Despite having only a few notable movies and TV series under her belt, she was able to portray a strong-willed, idealistic, and compassionate woman like a pro.

Before she was known as Wonder Woman, our heroine was Diana, princess of an all-female race called the Amazons. Born and raised in an isolated paradise island called Themyscira, she and the rest of the Amazons are descendants of Zeus, who created them to help mankind.

When American pilot Steve Trevor crash lands on said island and informs the Amazons of the massive war happening throughout the world, Diana takes it upon herself to end the conflict and accompanies him back to London.

Diana's naivety makes for some great comedic timing, which the movie shows a generous amount of. The way she unintentionally puts Steve in awkward positions will easily elicit laughs from the crowd. And since it is set during World War I, a time when numerous women's issues were left unaddressed, the film satirically points them out.

The action scenes are some of my favorite portions in the film, save for the final sequences that were CGI-heavy. This isn't just because it feels empowering to see a female superhero kick ass or a legion of strong women warriors fight off an army of soldiers, but because they were filmed in such a way that the viewer understands what's actually going on (instead of having to decipher shakey camera angles like in  Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman).

I would have wished for the final villain to be better written, though. His intervention in the story seemed rushed, as if he was added in as an afterthought. The audience was not given enough time to properly understand his motives and had to settle for a ton of dialogue between him and Diana right before the final battle.

Despite these small lapses, Wonder Woman is a film I would strongly recommend. It is a movie with a lot of heart, and for the first time since the recent string of failed DC movies, you'll walk out of the theater in high spirits.