"Wonder Woman walks with confidence because she believes that the world is kind. And when it’s revealed not to be, her body language changes. Now, her confidence is layered with sacrifice and resolve—emotions that Gadot thought a lot about before she shot each take so that when she was in the moment, she wouldn’t have to be consciously aware of them at all. She imagined herself wearing Wonder Woman’s qualities almost like a second costume. The character’s inner life told her how to move."

"“She’s not vicious,” says Jenkins. Watch closely and spot Gadot flipping her sword to whack Germans with the non-fatal handle. Audiences are used to blockbusters that pause the plot during action scenes so people can cheer. But study Gadot’s movements and see how Wonder Woman reveals dimensions of her personality even when she’s silently running across a field."

"I think she'd kick Thor's a**"

"Alex Cranz: You know what was really revelatory about Steve Trevor? The moment she saves him from the plane. Any other film it would have been his story from then on. It would have been about him using these women to win the war, and teaching them how everything was different. And the movie never ever ever went that direction."

"While having a female director perhaps gives Wonder Woman a subtly different perspective, the real strengths of this production are its lead actors, the period piece setting, and an unexpected emotional resonance that one doesn’t expect from a popcorn movie. … Wonder Woman’s central premise – that the main character, Diana (Gal Gadot), is the demigod daughter of the immortal Zeus and the amazon Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) – is absurd (although no more than Marvel’s Thor) but the screenplay, credited to Allan Heinberg, develops this fantasy-flavored alternate reality in such a way that we buy into it."

"While “Wonder Woman” is an overall light, humorous and hopeful movie, it isn’t afraid of touching on politics. The feminism of the film is sly. It’s seen in moments when characters of color comment on their station in life and Diana faces sexism from powerful men who doubt her intelligence. Of course, the feminism, charming performances, and delightful humor would be nothing without the direction by Patty Jenkins."

"Gadot wonderfully inhabits the mix of curiosity, sincerity, badassery, and compassion that has undergirded Wonder Woman since the beginning. Most importantly, she wears her suit, the suit doesn’t wear her. She evokes a classic heroism that is a breath of fresh air and nods to Christopher Reeve’s approach to Superman from the 1970s. Likewise, Pine matches her hopefulness with a world weariness and sharp sense of humor. He’s more than capable at bringing an emotional complexity to a character most aptly described as a dude-in-distress. There are particularly great scenes at the beginning, as Diana talks about men being unnecessary for female pleasure. Steve seems undone by her presence, which makes the development of their story authentic. Their chemistry is electrifying, making “Wonder Woman” a successful romance and superhero origin story set during one of the most brutal wars."

"Cinematographer Matthew Jensen, production designer Aline Bonetto, and costume designer Lindy Hemming form Themyscira into a gorgeous utopia that utilizes a variety of cultural touchstones. It’s free of the Hellenic influence you’d expect from a story that takes such inspiration from Greek myth with the Amazons creating their home in a way that respects the lush nature around them rather than destroying it. It isn’t sterile either. The scenes set in Themyscira have a dazzling array of colors including the gold of armor, the cerulean blue of the sea that surrounds them, warm creams, and deep browns. Jenkins films many of these scenes in wide shot, reveling in the majestic nature of this culture. Similarly, the history of the Amazons, told in a dense but beautifully rendered backstory by Hippolyta, evokes a painterly quality reminiscent of Caravaggio."

"As a longtime Wonder Woman fan, I worried her distinctive edges would be sanded off when it came time for her standalone film. It’s arguably easier to sell Wonder Woman as a vengeful heroine in the vein of countless others, but less distinctive. But early in the film I noticed the terrain that director Patty Jenkins turned to most often in order to create the emotional through-line. It wasn’t the glimmer of a blade or even the picturesque shores of Themyscira, the utopian paradise Wonder Woman calls home. Through moments of quiet verisimilitude and blistering action sequences, Jenkins’ gaze often wisely returns to the face of her lead heroine, Diana (Gal Gadot). At times, her face is inquisitive, morose, and marked by fury. But more often than not she wears a bright, open smile that carries the optimism and hope that is true to the character’s long history as well as a much-needed salve from what other blockbusters offer."

"It says quite a lot about the general tenor of the DC cinematic universe that a film set in the trenches of WWI, with a plot revolving around the development of chemical warfare, is nonetheless its most cheerful and kid-friendly entry. But while “Wonder Woman” may dabble in moments of horror, it never revels in the vicissitudes of human depravity quite like its predecessors. A huge factor in its ability to convey a note of inherent goodness lies in Gadot, whose visage radiates dewy-eyed empathy and determination — and whose response to the iniquity of human nature isn’t withdrawn cynicism but rather outrage."

"I have nowhere else. The last war took everything from my people. We have nothing left. At least here, I'm free."

"Maybe you're better off without me, yeah?"

"Everyone is fighting their own battle, Diana. Just as you're fighting yours."

"Really, specs? And suddenly she's not the most beautiful woman you've ever seen?"

"Something did come to me last night. A different type of gas, for you. To restore your strength."

"You will train her harder than any Amazon before her. Five times harder, ten times harder, until she is better than even you. But she must never know the truth, about what she is and how she came to be."

"Look at her, and tell me I'm wrong. She is the perfect example of these humans, and unworthy of your sympathy in every way! Destroy her, Diana. You know that she deserves it, they all do!"

"Yes, Diana! Take them all! Finally, you see. Look at this world. Mankind did this, not me!"

"You will help me destroy them, Diana. Or you will die."

"Let's see what kind of god you really are!"

"I am not the god of war, Diana, I am the god of truth. Mankind stole this world from us. They ruined it, day by day. And I, the only one wise enough to see it, was left too weak to stop them. All these years, I have struggled alone, whispering into their ears. Ideas, inspiration for formulas, weapons... but I don't make them use them. They start these wars on their own. All I do is orchestrate an armistice I know they cannot keep, in the hope they will destroy themselves. But it has never been enough... until you. When you first arrived, I was going to crush you. But I knew that if only you could see what the other gods could not, then you would join me, and with our powers combined, we could finally end all the pain, all the suffering, the destruction they bring. And we could return this world to the paradise it was before them, forever."

"I am not your enemy, Diana. I am the only one who truly knows you, and who truly knows them, as you now do. They have always been and will always be weak, cruel, selfish and capable of the greatest horrors. All I ever wanted was for the gods to see how evil my father's creation was. But they refused. So I destroyed them."

"You were right, Diana, they don't deserve our help. They only deserve destruction."

"Ah, you know your ancient Greeks. They understood... That war is a god. A god who requires human sacrifice. In exchange, war gives man purpose. Meaning. A chance to rise above his petty mortal little self and be courageous. Noble. Better."

"NEVER let your guard down! You expect a battle to be fair! A battle will NEVER be fair!"

"It has to be me. I can save today. You can save the world. I wish we had more time. [backing way from Diana] I love you!"

"[wrapping the Lasso around his arm and painfully forcing himself to tell Diana the truth] I am taking you to the front. We are probably gonna die. This is a terrible idea!"

"[with a German accent] I love fire, don't you? It is like a living act of entropy. The ultimate weapon of destruction. Reminding us that in the end everything eventually returns to the ash it came from."

"My father told me once, he said, "If you see something wrong happening in the world, you can do nothing or you can do something." And I already tried nothing."

"I used to want to save the world. To end war and bring peace to mankind; but then I glimpsed the darkness that lives within their light. I learnt that inside every one of them there will always be both. The choice each must make for themselves – something no hero will ever defeat. And now I know ... that only Love can truly save the world. So now I stay, I fight, and I give – for the world I know can be. This is my mission now. Forever."

"It's not about "deserve". It's about what you believe. And I believe in Love."