This is a classic example of a poorly written movie.
The story meanders all over the place. In retrospect I suppose the opening scene of of a young Diana in competition with much more mature Amazons is to show that she has a selfish streak -- one that establishes her desire to selfishly hang on to Steve later. It also shows that she simply cannot relate to those of lesser skills, a lesson she will learn later in the movie when her powers are diminished by her wish. But so much effort is put into the pure spectacle of the competition that both these points are lost.
What's with the opening heist scene in the mall? Why is there a valuable artifact in a mall jewelry store? Why such so much screen time wasted on what is after all a small heist that requires no special skill on Diana's part? Perhaps it's to show that Diana is bored without a big nemesis and spending too much time on her loneliness, but again it's overdone and the point is wasted.
What's the point of Kirsten Wiig's character? What does she add to the overall theme of "be careful what you wish for" that we didn't get from Diana? She's just a sketch of a character, we never feel for her. This takes nothing away from Wiig's performance. I can't think of any other actress who can span the range from mousy to beautiful and self-assured so effortlessly.
And then the writing is full of factual sloppiness. Egypt never had any significant oil. President Reagan would have never wished for more nukes, he would have wished for fewer (see the 1986 Reykjavík Summit). No fighter jet can fly from the US to Egypt without refueling. The attempt to build a SDI particle weapon failed precisely because the particles couldn't reach down into the atmosphere. Maybe it's because the movie is about a superhero that the writers think they can just make things up, but after awhile it begins to show. People may not remember the facts but after awhile they begin to realize they've been conned.
I think the writers attempted a thoughtful story arc where Diana has to face her own weaknesses. Diana showed real fear when being dragged under a truck and she had to be rescued by Steve, for example. But it just never jells and it shows. The movie is bloated and unfocused.
The story meanders all over the place. In retrospect I suppose the opening scene of of a young Diana in competition with much more mature Amazons is to show that she has a selfish streak -- one that establishes her desire to selfishly hang on to Steve later. It also shows that she simply cannot relate to those of lesser skills, a lesson she will learn later in the movie when her powers are diminished by her wish. But so much effort is put into the pure spectacle of the competition that both these points are lost.
What's with the opening heist scene in the mall? Why is there a valuable artifact in a mall jewelry store? Why such so much screen time wasted on what is after all a small heist that requires no special skill on Diana's part? Perhaps it's to show that Diana is bored without a big nemesis and spending too much time on her loneliness, but again it's overdone and the point is wasted.
What's the point of Kirsten Wiig's character? What does she add to the overall theme of "be careful what you wish for" that we didn't get from Diana? She's just a sketch of a character, we never feel for her. This takes nothing away from Wiig's performance. I can't think of any other actress who can span the range from mousy to beautiful and self-assured so effortlessly.
And then the writing is full of factual sloppiness. Egypt never had any significant oil. President Reagan would have never wished for more nukes, he would have wished for fewer (see the 1986 Reykjavík Summit). No fighter jet can fly from the US to Egypt without refueling. The attempt to build a SDI particle weapon failed precisely because the particles couldn't reach down into the atmosphere. Maybe it's because the movie is about a superhero that the writers think they can just make things up, but after awhile it begins to show. People may not remember the facts but after awhile they begin to realize they've been conned.
I think the writers attempted a thoughtful story arc where Diana has to face her own weaknesses. Diana showed real fear when being dragged under a truck and she had to be rescued by Steve, for example. But it just never jells and it shows. The movie is bloated and unfocused.