Warner Bros.’ DCEU hasn’t exactly had an easy run. Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad have all been met with wildly varied opinions, many of them leaning decidedly into the negative spectrum. The films may have their fans, but there’s no denying how polarising the pics have been so far. So, it’s understandable that many have been placing their hopes on Wonder Woman, the first (!) big-screen feature focusing on the heroine introduced to the comic world in 1941, to correct the ship. Well, consider it corrected. Let’s get this out of the way now, shall we: Wonder Woman, the sophomore big-screen feature from Monster director Patty Jenkins, is the first great chapter in the DCEU.

This ambitious origin tale introduces us to a young Amazon Princess Diana, a sprightly, inquisitive little girl clearly passionate about the art of combat and already exhibiting a strong will. As she comes of age, she is trained to fight by her aunt, General Antiope (Robin Wright). Her talents rise to the surface, much to the concern of her mother, Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen). Their peaceful existence comes to an abrupt halt when the plane of US Army Air Service captain Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) breaks through the skies of Themyscira, crashing into the water before Diana’s eyes. Not only does he bring German soldiers on his tail, he carries news of the First World War raging in the outside world. Diana decides she will leave with Trevor on a mission to take down what she believes to be the source of the violence and destruction claiming so many lives.

Gal Gadot’s limited turn as Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman provided Zack Snyder’s film with one of its highlights, although the question remained as to whether the actress could hold a film of her own. It turns out that cameo was highly indicative: she’s very good. Gadot certainly looks the part, and her beauty is most definitely capitalised on, but more than her appearance and physical prowess, it’s the believable sense of idealism and innocence that she brings to the role that makes the heroine work. This isn’t the same Diana we met in BvS. She doesn’t believe mankind is capable of evil without tangible influence, a naïve ideology slowly broken down the more she witnesses some of the worst humanity has to offer. It’s a strong character arc, and Gadot hits the right notes almost all the way through.

Steve Trevor begins as the type of role Pine could sleepwalk through, yet he ends up delivering one of his best performances. Pine brings that familiar “charming hero” quality, something he can do effortlessly, but he’s given much more to work with here. Although Trevor is perhaps not as romantic as Diana (at least initially), he’s nevertheless determined to make a difference, even if only in a small way. Ultimately, it’s the chemistry between Gadot and Pine, between Diana and Trevor, that wins us over. It’s romantic, sweet, amusing, and most importantly, believable. It’s arguably one of the best relationships we’ve been given in a superhero film.

It’s this strong focus on narrative and character that makes Wonder Woman stand apart from its DCEU predecessors. Screenwriter Allan Heinberg, making quite the jump from TV outings such as Sex and the City, The O.C. and Grey’s Anatomy, keeps the focus on the individuals, using believable motivation to connect the dots rather than leaning on set pieces and tropes. It’s certainly a big, sprawling story, and while there do seem to be a few more characters than needed, Lucy Davis, great as Trevor’s secretary Etta Candy, is almost forgotten entirely. Even so, Heinberg’s script ensures nothing becomes needlessly complicated, keeping the audience attached to the emotional through-line right to the end.

Real-world issues such as racism and sexism are also nicely integrated, and while a few moments may be a touch too obvious, they’re never detrimentally heavy-handed. For the most part, the heartening messages are well handled, fitting the hopeful, optimistic spirit of Wonder Woman herself. A number of the war elements are unfortunately timely (particularly with the recent gas attacks overseas), adding even more resonance than you might expect.

Unfortunately, as with films in a certain other comic cinematic universe, the villains here simply aren’t fleshed out enough to provide much of a threat. War itself contains more than enough peril to put our heroes at risk, but we still need strong antagonists to drive a section of the narrative until it all comes together. Danny Huston is fine as General Erich Ludendorff, although he really doesn’t have enough to do apart from looking and sounding sinister. And Elena Anaya’s Maru, aka Doctor Poison, teeters on the edge of something more substantial but is ultimately underused.

The film’s length also proves to be a minor issue. It seems Jenkins and Heinberg want to include too much, from themes, to characters, to story beats, and while most of it works, it does feel a tad long. Jenkins has said the film has no deleted scenes. Perhaps a few trims here and there would have crafted a more taut picture. Many viewers likely won’t mind the length; I found it slightly elongated.

Back to the positives. There’s a ton to enjoy, and it would be remiss not to applaud the action. You’d be forgiven for thinking Jenkins has a résumé bursting with big action films. The set pieces are fantastic, with sequence after sequence of slick, clear combat that isn’t overly cut up or dragged out. The director brings to life some glorious visuals, evoking some of the picturesque, CG-boosted imagery Snyder delivered in films such as 300 and Watchmen, while balancing it all with a confident hand on geography and motivation. Whether in combat, drama or humour, the latter of which is very enjoyable, Jenkins demonstrates complete control. And just quickly, Rupert Gregson-Williams’ score, which on occasion uses Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL’s iconic Wonder Woman theme from BvS, is excellent, giving the film the quality of a classic epic.

There are many reasons why Wonder Woman is an important film for our times, not least because this is the first female-led film of the current superhero movie era and because Jenkins is one of the few female directors to helm a film with a budget over $US100 million (Wonder Woman is estimated to have cost $US120 million; Kathryn Bigelow, for comparison, reportedly had $US100 million for K-19: The Widowmaker fifteen years ago). More than the socio-political implications, Wonder Woman is a film that holds hope and even innocence, and touches on a number of issues that have long plagued humanity. Ultimately, Wonder Woman is simply great entertainment. It’s a lively, emotional, exciting superhero film carrying a level of optimism we could all use right now.