Wonder Woman script review

[BobJM]

I like that fact that it takes place during WWII, but doesn't that rule out a modern-day Justice League film with her in it?

 

[BobJM]

Ok, I was watching the Justice League episode, "Paradise Lost" recently and Faust was blackmailing Wonder Woman to retrieve several artifacts, which together created a key that would unlock Hades from his dungeon beneath Themascyra (sp?)

I'll admit that I have never read a WW comic in my life, but maybe the writer's are thinking along those lines as far as the "Key" storyline goes. The Nazis want some evil god's powers (Ares, Hades, etc) to defeat the allies. An assault against the Amazons, leads to the big battle in Act III, with Diana trying to prevent the evil god's escape.

Maybe?

 

[dnno1]

I rather the film wasn't a period piece, but I liked what I read of the characterizations.

I don't know, LOTR, POTC, Harry Potter, and a number of other films were period pieces and faired pretty well.

 

[The Question]

Ok, I was watching the Justice League episode, "Paradise Lost" recently and Faust was blackmailing Wonder Woman to retrieve several artifacts, which together created a key that would unlock Hades from his dungeon beneath Themascyra (sp?)



I'll admit that I have never read a WW comic in my life, but maybe the writer's are thinking along those lines as far as the "Key" storyline goes. The Nazis want some evil god's powers (Ares, Hades, etc) to defeat the allies. An assault against the Amazons, leads to the big battle in Act III, with Diana trying to prevent the evil god's escape.



Maybe?

The Greek gods were never locked into such moral definitions. Almost all of the gods were highly morally ambiguous. Also, Hades would never take sides in a war, as wars are good for the death buisness and thus he wants them to go on as long as possible. Ares might side with the Nazis if he wanted to, but who he sided with in wars was usually based on who gave him the best offerings, or sheer whim.


Also, in DC, all gods are metaphysical in nature. They wouldn't be confined in a literal, physical prison.

 

[Stringer]

Sounds like it has the basis for a very good comic book movie, I really like the opening battle.

 

[Psionic Force]

Sucks that Joss is no longer attached to this. But, from the release from him, he really wanted to give the movie what it truly deserved and, as usual, the studio wants to sabotage it in someway.

After seeing what happens when a movie is rushed (X-Men: The Last Stand) and seeing how it can ruin a character that many love (Dark Phoenix), I am glad to see him stand up for what is right.

Now knowing that the studio seems to want to invest very little into this movie, I am not sure I ever want to see it released. I do not want it to become a joke like Catwoman did.

 

[dnno1]

Sucks that Joss is no longer attached to this. But, from the release from him, he really wanted to give the movie what it truly deserved and, as usual, the studio wants to sabotage it in someway.

After seeing what happens when a movie is rushed (X-Men: The Last Stand) and seeing how it can ruin a character that many love (Dark Phoenix), I am glad to see him stand up for what is right.

Now knowing that the studio seems to want to invest very little into this movie, I am not sure I ever want to see it released. I do not want it to become a joke like Catwoman did.

I don't see how you could say that after what happened with "Serenity".

 

[Octoberist]

the one thing that joss is good at is the chemistry with the actors that he picks, an possibly his best assest as a director.

 

[BrianWilly]

I don't know, LOTR, POTC, Harry Potter, and a number of other films were period pieces and faired pretty well.

Harry Potter is set in modern day. Lord of the Rings is a "sword and sorcery" fantasy genre set in another reality. Pirates of the Caribbean is supposed to take place in the time of pirates; it can't possibly work in modern times.

And Wonder Woman is supposed to take place in modern times. When they wrote about her fighting WWII, they were in the middle of World War II. And the TV show, which only references the original comics sparingly, was a cheesy, light-hearted tribute...and after a few seasons, she stopped fighting Nazis because even the TV show outgrew it!!

It is now more than half a century later. The comics haven't had her fighting in World War II for more than half a century, for obvious reasons. Seriously, what part of this is so hard for people to understand? You wouldn't make Superman fight the Japanese again so why is there a fixation on making Wonder Woman do it?

 

[Katsuro]

I don't see how you could say that after what happened with "Serenity".

Yeah, it was a great movie. Hate for that to happen again...

 

[Lestat74]

Harry Potter is set in modern day. Lord of the Rings is a "sword and sorcery" fantasy genre set in another reality. Pirates of the Caribbean is supposed to take place in the time of pirates; it can't possibly work in modern times.

And Wonder Woman is supposed to take place in modern times. When they wrote about her fighting WWII, they were in the middle of World War II. And the TV show, which only references the original comics sparingly, was a cheesy, light-hearted tribute...and after a few seasons, she stopped fighting Nazis because even the TV show outgrew it!!

It is now more than half a century later. The comics haven't had her fighting in World War II for more than half a century, for obvious reasons. Seriously, what part of this is so hard for people to understand? You wouldn't make Superman fight the Japanese again so why is there a fixation on making Wonder Woman do it?

I pretty much agree with what you are saying, but unlike Superman and Batman, the early WW stories featured WW fighting Nazis a lot more than Superman and Batman ever did. The real world of the time infringed on her world a lot more than the others, so there is a precedent for the WWII angle. I'm not crazy about it, but it would bug me a lot less than other changes. Not like I'm optimistic about this at all...Diana is my favorite comic book character, and Joss Whedon is my favorite creator, so I'm in a bit of mouring period so to speak. And what's going on with The Flash is making it worse. Gawd, Warners are a bunch of F**ktards.

 

[Steelsheen]

I like that fact that it takes place during WWII, but doesn't that rule out a modern-day Justice League film with her in it?

depending on which source you're gonna go with, Diana has a certain level of immortality, so its definitely very possible for her to be around WW2 and present day w/o looking to have aged much.

 

[cronosred]

After seeing what happens when a movie is rushed (X-Men: The Last Stand) and seeing how it can ruin a character that many love (Dark Phoenix), I am glad to see him stand up for what is right.QUOTE]

I know what you mean I feel the same way about what Singer did to Rogue in his X-men movies, what a waste of a great character.

 

[bosef982]

That´s what seperates me from the majority of people that write his scripts.
You all want to see action, thrills, kick ass action...
Me?
I say all that inerant to the genre, so i don´t even think about that, what i want is for the characters (WW, in this case) to be real, as real as she can be, to have realistic problems, to have realistic toughts.
If you are an Amazon, with a mission in a land you never seen before, talking a genre you never laid eyes on (nothing states that she ever saw a man before), how do you deal with that?
How is WW sexualy?
It´s a fairly normal question, because she lived all her live on a island with women.
This is the type of movie that i always look for in a comic book, dramatic, serious, adult, and almost never get it, besides Hulk, X-Men and Batman Begins.

This script might make a fun movie, but it isn´t IT, not even close.

Though I vehemently disagree with your opinion of Superman Returns, I do completely agree with your analysis on what makes a good film. Screw the comics, they have no relevance to the character of these people. Let's be fair, comics forgoe character and have an easier time ith it than a movie does.

I want a deeper understanding of these characters. In this film, Diana sounds like a sex-bot running around, kicking ass, and enjoying the adventure of a mysical experience...nothing NOTHING in that script review about her arch!

Has anyone even discussed this or that there is not mention of her arch in the script? What she's going to accomplish? What she'll do emotionally?

 

[Hunter Rider]

Has anyone even discussed this or that there is not mention of her arch in the script? What she's going to accomplish? What she'll do emotionally?

The review only goes to the first act,the rest is just overview
Diana starts as wanting to shed the shackles of being a princess and become a warrior and explore,im sure by the end she will have learnt emotionally who she is

 

[GL1]

Well, I haven't read the script, nor was the happy reviewer interested in these things enough to mention them, meaning either they aren't there, or they are not important to people who like the script. Both of which are bad for my enjoyment of such a WW movie.

Furthermore, you can't update a WWII movie... there's not Nazi's or similar villains to be had nowadays, nor is there a large conflict as a backdrop...

I'm with the crew that says: being faithful to the character is not enough. The characters need emotion that resonates with us as individuals to do, something that's hard as heck to do with females in the mainstream (which is why I think WW is going to turn out to be a Ultraviolet/Aeon Flux/Catwoman without the male feminist)... and this script doesn't bring that, it gives us fluff that COULD be excecuted well, but even at it's best, without the emotional realism... it would just be an alright popcorn flick with some cool action. Totally forgettable.

Heh. The Emotional importance, which Joss seemed to preach about every time he got a chance, is not only missing from this thread, not only from the script reviewer, but it also may be missing from the script. Scary. Furthermore, these "fans" who claim to be so into WW... are they reading her book every month? Or do they just want something to yap about?

Cuz I'm looking at the sales, and as much as I like Wondy's book, most people aren't even touching it with a ten foot pole. (I'm really interested in seeing what Circe's going to do from here on out)...

 

[Yellow Cyclone]

the script seems good, but what i don't understand is how a guy can be behind nazi lines stealing secrets, and crash his plane in a tropical paradise

unless it's always perfect weather because of "magic" *groan*

i don't see why this couldn't be done in modern times. just change the nazi's for the chinese or something. if anything it'll confuse the general audience less with advanced invisible planes, hover chariots and etc...

 

[BrianWilly]

Whedon could still be directing this movie, the Flash, Superman, X-Men, and Batman and my opinions would still be the same: A World War II setting is wrong. It's pandering to the lowest common denominator. It's admitting that you have no idea how to make her work in the modern day, that she has no place in the modern day, so you have to "settle" for something else. I'm aware that Wonder Woman is not an easy character to get. But it's been done before, so the fact that they're not getting her right doesn't tell me that it's impossible, it merely tells me that they're not getting her right.

Wonder Woman is the single most well-known female superhero in the entire world; that alone is enough to distinguish her. And I know the pathetic track record that superheroines have on the silver screen. Which is why I'm all the more invested in seeing this movie truly succeed and be the best movie it could be. Whether they know it or not, and whether I like it or not, it may have been for the better that the WB dismissed Whedon despite all the good things he could have brought to the movie, because now flight is back in and original comic villains are back in. What I don't want is for WB to have gotten rid of the good things Whedon could have brought to the movie and then make even worse decisions.

 

[Aethea]

I like the storyline, and concerning the modern day adaptation, if you remember the original series went from ABC Nazi Driven Plots to CBS Modern Day Plot. I think the first film can focus on NAZI conflict to establish Wonder Woman as a myth--and the sequel can depict Diana's triumphant return with a Modern Day Plot. It makes sense. After all, Diana is immortal and time means nothing to Amazons. Steve Trevor can then be protrayed as an older man. The sequel can then tackle Wonder Woman's flight via Hermes' sandals or some other Amazonian technology. I think it's promising.

 

[The Question]

Though I vehemently disagree with your opinion of Superman Returns, I do completely agree with your analysis on what makes a good film. Screw the comics, they have no relevance to the character of these people. Let's be fair, comics forgoe character and have an easier time ith it than a movie does.

I want a deeper understanding of these characters. In this film, Diana sounds like a sex-bot running around, kicking ass, and enjoying the adventure of a mysical experience...nothing NOTHING in that script review about her arch!

Has anyone even discussed this or that there is not mention of her arch in the script? What she's going to accomplish? What she'll do emotionally?

Exactly. Diana is a very complex character with much more to her than simply beating guys up. In fact, that's something she tries not to do alot of the time. She's got alot of potential for being both a deep and relatable character and an awe inspiring one.


Let me put it like this: Alot of people like to compare Superman to Christ. Honestly, I'm not too fond of that, simply because besides the fact that both were super people raised by unwealthy parents in a farming community who went on to do great things, there isn't much in terms of a similarity between them. Of all the DC characters, I think Daian is the one you could really liken to a Messiah. She was empowered by the gods and chosen for a holy mission: To serve as Themyscira's ambasadore to the rest of the world and to try and raise the quality of living in the rest of the world to Themyscira's standards. Diana's the one trying to make a difference. She's the one fighting for a finer world. Clark just saves lives. While he does a great deal of good, he's not trying to change things, or challenge the status quo, or teach people a better way. He does sometimes get caught up in social issues (which I an quite fond of), but on an individual basis. He's not trying to change things on a major, long term scale. Diana is. And thus, you have a great character conflict right there: How far is too far? How far can you take a fight for peace before it stops being a rather amusing paradox and becomes complete hyporcacy? Aiding the needy with good deeds, writing books on philosophy, giving lectures, and so on are all great, but often Diana finds herself needed to use force for more imidiate results in order to save lives. And she often finds herself wondering if it is necessairy, or if she is being toos soft. She's balancing reasoning with force, and far greater individuals have crumpled beneath such a task. To compress a very long winded explanation, Diana is constantly trying to figure out the best way to save the world from itself. And that is what we in the buisness call major internal conflict.


However, the way the new script is described, it sounds like she'll just be beating up Nazis and having a hissy fit when her mom grounds her.

 

[BrianWilly]

Exactly. Of all superheroes in the world, how many of them are actually here because they think entire world is wrong? Superman is here because he believes in humanity. Wonder Woman is here because she doesn't. "Oh you poor, misguided men, you're all so stupid. Here, listen to what I have to say and follow my culture's ways, because we're smarter and better than you." That alone is interesting enough to drive a movie. And then she'll learn more about the people in the world and make friends and learn that there's good things about the world too which makes her want to save the world all the more, and yada yada etc. Maybe I'm too close to it to see clearly, but I actually, honestly don't know what's so hard about this.

 

[The Question]

Exactly. Of all superheroes in the world, how many of them are actually here because they think entire world is wrong? Superman is here because he believes in humanity. Wonder Woman is here because she doesn't. "Oh you poor, misguided men, you're all so stupid. Here, listen to what I have to say and follow my culture's ways, because we're smarter and better than you." That alone is interesting enough to drive a movie. And then she'll learn more about the people in the world and make friends and learn that there's good things about the world too which makes her want to save the world all the more, and yada yada etc. Maybe I'm too close to it to see clearly, but I actually, honestly don't know what's so hard about this.

Well, I wouldn't say that she doesn't believe in humanity. I think she thinks that humanity has a great deal of potential. But she also thinks that humanity needs either a helping hand or a kick in the ass to reach that potential, because our society has become bogged down by corruption and greed.

Plus, if you take her from that conflicted savior standpoint, you have great potential for villains aswell. She's a political activist who sometimes gets into fisticuffs when she deems it necessairy and has super powers. Thus, naturally, most governments don't like her. However, she is a diplomat from a nation that most governments want on their good side, so they have to be craftier in how they deal with her. She's not only got to deal with crazy international terrorists, criminal masterminds, and the occasional gods who like screwing with her life, but she's also got to deal with almost every major governmental power trying to hinder her mission for their own interests. With Superman, the feds can reason with him and can get him to work with or sometimes even for them. With Wonder Woman, they've got to break her down to keep her in line. And since Diana isn't someone who gets broken down without a fight, we have conflict.

 

[Eros]

Heres How I would of done a WonderWoman Movie.

The movie would begin with a voice over of an old woman, as she Explains her younger days as a free Lance pilot during world War 2. We see as she encounters trouble while flying over Europe. She is forced to crash Land after her plane is attacked but what appears to be Nazi's. Useing all her skills, she manages to Land by what appears to be an Island which just appears from a Mist. Badly Injured, she blacks out as her Plane floats by the Island. She awakens on the Island's beach, as a a group of armor clad Warrior woman stand over her. She then Blacks out again, and later awakens on a bed inside a Tower. Her Injuries her are fully healed, and she is amazed buy all this. The door to the room opens, and 5 warrior woman walk in, and behind them is a beautiful black haired Queen woman with a crown on her head. The Queen asks the female Pilot in Greek who she is. The female Pilot does not understand her ofcourse.

The Queen then takes her woman and leaves the room, and then locks the door behind her. The female Pilot then spends days in the tower, where she is routinely brought food. One day, the food does not arrive, and the female Pilot manages to escape the tower. She makes it down to the Island, and sees the Warrior woman fighting a giant Creature. she sees they need her help, and runs over and manages to distract the monster, giving the warrior woman time to kill it. After this the warrior woman considered the outworlder to be an honored hero for her bravery. It is from here that their Queen Hippolyta welcomed her among the Warrior woman-The Amazons. The pilot revealed her name to be Diana Trevor, and she spent months living among the Amazons learning all about them. Diana eventually managed to repair her plane, and left the Paradise Island with many tales of her Amazon friends. Before she Left, she was given a Amazon pendant by Hippolyta, which would guide her back to the mystical Island, should she ever choose to return.

Diana Trevor Returned to what the Amazons deemed "Mans world". She never got married, but she did get pregnant, but her childs father left before birth. Thus the male child was given Diana's Last name of Trevor, and he soon grew up and had a kid of his own. The kid would be called Steve Trevor. Diana told her adventurous grandson Steve Trevor stories of her time with the Amazons. Unlike his father, Steve Trevor never out grew Diana's epic tales of the Amazons. Now in the 21st century, world once now torn buy the war on Terror. 26 year old Steve Trevor is a accomplished Military Pilot himself. On her deathbed, his Grandmother Diana gives him the same pendant the Amazons gave her decades Ago. Telling her grandson those stories she told him were true. After Diana dies, Steve wonders if he should go find this mythic Paradise Island himself. His father tells him not to be foolish, and that Diana was just a "Imaginative woman". Despite his fathers harsh words, Steve gathered together his grandmothers pendant, and sets out to find the island of The Amazons for himself.

 

[Ceb-Man]

Wow, I've gotta say, that sounds pretty fantastic. Especially since I'm a big fan of both Greek culture and WW2 history.

I, like most, would've preferred, and expected, a Wonder Woman movie taking place in modern times, but, at the same time, there's a certain...majesty that goes with period pieces. While it hasn't happened yet, I'd go crazy for a Batman movie set in the Noir-ish '40s, a Spider-Man movie set in the '60s, etc.

There's just something special about the decades these great characters were created in, and this script seems to highlight all the great things about Wonder Woman, Greek Mythology, and the time period of the '40s.

From the sounds of that review, I would be perfectly happy if Silver left it exactly the way it was, went out and got a good director, and made a great movie out of it. It's made me more excited about a Wonder Woman movie than I've ever been.

I totally agree. I have got a feeling they may use thsi script. Why buy it?

 

[BrianWilly]

Well, I wouldn't say that she doesn't believe in humanity. I think she thinks that humanity has a great deal of potential. But she also thinks that humanity needs either a helping hand or a kick in the ass to reach that potential, because our society has become bogged down by corruption and greed.

Well, I guess I don't mean that she's literally nihilistic and thinks that normal people are beneath her or whatever. But I think an important core of the character is the Amazons were literally created because humanity screwed up and are going bad. She's here because we're doing things wrong, and she has to correct us. She was always incredibly preachy, even back in the 40s and during the TV show. But, y'know, she'd do it nicely. I think there's very interesting social/religious angles that could be played with that. Of course she herself doesn't have a mean bone and just wants the best for everyone and is filled with love for the people and stuff, but that doesn't mean everyone else thinks so. Look at how people respond to others telling them to "accept Christ," "renounce your former ways" and whatever. She's basically telling us, "accept Athena."

There are people who would accept her without question. And then there's people who would be like, "Who do you think you are? Who are you to judge us? You come from Paradise and criticize our way of life, who gave you the right? Your gods?" How would people today respond to a woman showing up, dressed like she does, preaching to people and acting like a religious savior? How would the men who lead the world respond to someone like her openly condemning their ways and saying "mine are better"? And then she'd have to find a way to balance that and respond to that without proving them right. And it would have been great under Whedon, since he's touched on similar themes dozens of times before.

Instead, people want Nazis.

Go figure.