WONDER WOMAN REVIEW

Before she was Wonder Woman she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained warrior. When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, she leaves home to fight a war to end all wars, discovering her full power and true destiny.

Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, and Robin Wright

Directed by: Patty Jenkins

Written by: Allan Heinberg, Zack Snyder, and Jason Fuchs

  When it comes to DC vs. Marvel movies, it’s safe to say it hasn’t been a fair fight so far. Overall, the Marvel movies have just been better. While “Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice” didn’t do enough to change that view, there’s plenty of hope that “Wonder Woman” can. So did “Wonder Woman” live up to the hype?

  In typical first time super hero movie fashion, the audience has to be introduced to how the character came to be a hero. So most of the movie is a flashback, starting when Diana (Gal Gadot) is a little girl being raised by Amazon women. She has an urge to fight, and eventually finds out that she has something special in her. After saving a pilot, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), who crashes lands in the water, she gets a chance to fight for real against the Nazis that shot down the pilot. Without a doubt, Diana and the Amazons taking on the Nazis on the beach is one of the best parts of the movie. The way they go on the attack is awesome, and leaves the audience wanting more.

  Unfortunately, that’s it for the Amazons, as Diana soon leaves the island with Steve. She wants to help Steve end the war, but for her own reasons. There are some funny moments when she gets a taste of the real world, including ditching her sword and shield for some new clothing. She actually has several awkward moments as she tries to fit into a strange new world for her. Besides for the humor, it’s nice to see this because it reminds the audience of her true human side.

  She also has an emotional side that brings out the hero in her like when she decides to run right into a battlefield. It’s really cool watching her fight off the bullets, and eventually go on a tear through the enemy. It might seem a little extreme but that’s why they call her Wonder Woman. Of course she has to meet up with her ultimate villain in the end, and again she goes to the extreme to win this fight.

  So there's nothing left to wonder about because “Wonder Woman” does live up to the hype, and finally puts DC on the map. Even though the movie is almost entirely a flashback, it’s good to see what makes Wonder Woman a true superhero. She’s born to fight, and shows it in some awesome scenes with her Amazon family. After adjusting to a new world, she brings the fight against the Nazis before facing her ultimate foe. Overall it’s a good mix of emotion, light humor, and superhero action. Most of all, it proves audiences can handle a woman superhero, and others deserve to come forward! With that, I give this movie 4 stars!

  HorrO

STAR TREK BEYOND REVIEW

The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a new ruthless enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Karl Urban

Directed by: Justin Lin

Written by: Simon Pegg, and Doug Jung

  “Star Trek Beyond” definitely goes above and beyond. There are many things to like in the next chapter of this franchise, the first being the tribute and respect for the original crew. In particular, they go out of the way to salute the one and only Mr. Spock, Leonard Nimoy. Zachary Quinto does justice in role as Commander Spock, and uses his role to share the audience’s pain over the loss of Leonard. They top it off with a classic picture of the original cast.

In another sad note, the USS Enterprise gets absolutely demolished. On the bright side, it’s a truly awesome scene. This new enemy launches a very coordinated attack on the ship ripping it apart both inside and out. The crew scrambles in defense and survival, as Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) squares off with the leader of this new found enemy, Krall (Idris Elba).

The story seems kind of standard, as the crew gets attacked, separated, and struggles to find a way to defeat the enemy. However, there are a few subtle twists that make the difference. For one, there’s more than meets the eye in regards to Krall. He’s not just another alien out to destroy the Federation for no reason. Also, there’s a couple of songs played that the audience probably would never think would be played in a Star Trek movie.

In between some of the aforementioned emotional moments is a good mix of comedy and action. Bones (Karl Urban) and Spock have their usually back and forth, while Chekov (Anton Yelchin) has his spots following Kirk around. However the best pair might be Scotty (Simon Pegg) and his new friend Jaylah (Sofia Boutella). The action is non-stop, and the pace picks up after a slow opening. As expected, it ends with a very dramatic showdown between Kirk and Krall.

It wasn’t until after the credits started rolling that the biggest surprise happened, which was Simon Pegg’s name coming up as one of the writers. It’s hard to tell exactly how much he wrote, but that might explain why movie comes off as if it’s truly written by a Star Trek fan. From the tribute to Leonard, Bones and Spock’s interactions, and a cool time lapse scene at the end, it’s all things fans want to see. Add the great action, and acting from a terrific cast, and I give “Star Trek Beyond” 3.5 stars.

  

  HorrO