Diana, who becomes Wonder Woman, is raised on an island created by Zeus after Ares, the god of war, has unleashed a war that threatened to be the end of humanity. Zeus also created a weapon, a sword, that can be used to kill Ares.

Ares is presented as a powerful male figure in the Greek tradition.

The inhabitants of the island are all Amazons, female warriors.

Diana is trained in their tradition. As she becomes a woman, it comes out that she has powers the other women do not.

Then an English pilot, Steve, crashes into the waves around the island. He's rescued by Diana, but he's followed by German soldiers. There's a terrific battle and some Amazon women die.

Steve brings the news that there's a world war happening, that a German general and a chemist known as Doctor Poison have created a terrible gas weapon that will kill millions and prolong WWI.

Diana believes this means that Ares is in reality the German general and he must be killed to stop the war. Her mother disagrees and doesn't want Diana to leave the protection of the island.

Diana takes the god killer sword and leaves the island with Steve. When they reach London, Steve turns over a book with the chemistry of the gas weapon to a general who refuses to try and shut down the German general and his planned gas attack. A mild-mannered leader, Sir Patrick, insists negotiating an armistice is all that is important over Diana's objections.

Steve and Diana reach the front. A woman begs Diana to save her village on the other side of no man's land. Diana leads an attack that drives the Germans from the village.

Steve is ordered not to interfere with the armistice talks, but he is determined to destroy the gas weapon and Diana is determined to kill Ares.

This sets up the climax of the film. Diana fights the German general who is empowered by a chemical that gives him super human strength, but Diana over powers him. Meanwhile, Steve is going to take off in a plane loaded with chemicals designed to gas London.

Now the misdirection comes into play.

The mild mannered English diplomat, Sir Patrick, is the real Ares.

He's the one who wants London to be destroyed to continue the war.

Because Sir Patrick is mild-mannered and looks nothing like Ares the Greek God, his true identity has been carefully hidden in plain sight.

He tells Diana she is the daughter of the Queen of the Amazons and Zeus, and it is her destiny to attempt to destroy him. But first he tries to recruit her to destroy humanity and return the Earth to a natural state.

She refuses, based on her experiences with Steve and other people.

This film is a wonderful example of misdirection that creates a powerful revelation.

Diana and Ares fight, and she over comes Ares. The German soldiers at the airfield become peaceful instead of militaristic.

But Steve has appeared to die when he destroys the plane loaded with gas bombs.

Now the war will be over.

Wonderful film. My favorite super hero movie.

It takes skill to hide a villain in plain sight, a skill that director Patty Jenkins has mastered.

©2020 Bill Johnson