When it comes to female superheroes, Wonder Woman certainly knows how to make a bold impact. This past weekend, the latest film in the DC Comics Extended Universe smashed previously held box office records by snatching the title for the largest opening weekend for a film with a female director. Directed by Patty Jenkins, Wonder Woman has booted out Fifty Shades of Grey, which actually has held the title since 2015. When compared to Marvel, DC Comics has had a bumpy road when it comes to their film adaptations of major comic book characters. Despite all of their previous challenges, critics have lauded the latest DC Extended Universe film, giving it the highest ratings out of the last three releases. According to Box Office Mojo, Wonder Woman opened with over $100 million during this past weekend. We can only hope that Hollywood execs can take note of Wonder Woman’s success, and start to change the game with more diverse storytelling.

While the former DCEU films have suffered from becoming too bloated with unnecessary extras, Wonder Woman casts a captivating spell as an origin story. The film follows young Diana of Themyscira, bright eyed and bushy tailed, and eager to join the ranks of Amazon warriors. Quickly running away from her caretaker, Diana eagerly gazes at the fearsome warriors and their intense training. Interestingly enough, the film employs actual real-life athletes, including a roster of professional fighters and CrossFit champs. Nearly past the two hour mark, the film has a fairly long run time of 2 hour and 21 minutes, but dire fans will be keen to see more backstory development about the Amazons, including Diana’s mother, Hippolyta and her aunt, Antiope. The Amazon warriors will supposedly have a prominent role in the upcoming Justice League film, set for a release in November this year. Although Wonder Woman was certainly action-packed, director Patty Jenkins was able to successfully spin the tale in a refreshing way that’s filled with hope.

With her undeniable charisma and onscreen presence, Israeli actress Gal Gadot is the heart and soul of the film. Gadot first got her started with acting by appearing in the television series Bubot as Miriam Elkayam. Two years later, Gadot starred in her breakout role as Gisele in Fast & Furious. She later reprised her role in Fast Five (2011), Fast & Furious 6 (2013), and Furious 7 (2015). After taking on several television roles for series like The Beautiful Life: TBL, Asfur and Kathmandu, Gadot eventually made the jump to film and hasn't looked back. After filming Furious 7, Gadot starred in Triple 9 as Elena Vlaslov. Gadot first starred as Diana Prince in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film received poor reviews from critics, although many lauded Gadot for her performance as Wonder Woman. She also starred as Jill Pope in Criminal and Natalie Jones in Keeping Up with the Joneses last year. Next up, she's slated to reprise her role as Diana for the upcoming Justice League film. It was also announced that she will continue on her role for Justice League Part Two, with a release date to be determined.

Actor Chris Pine stars as her supporting love interest, Steve Trevor. Pine is best known for his role of Kirk in the recent Star Trek reboots, including Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond from last year. Pine is set to appear in an untitled Star Trek sequel and the upcoming film adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time. Connie Nielsen stars as Diana's mother, Hippolyta, while Robin Wright plays Antiope, her doting aunt. The film also includes a charming performance by Steve Trevor's crew, comprised of Saïd Taghmaoui as Sameer, Ewen Bremner as Charlie and Eugene Brave Rock as The Chief. On the other side of the spectrum, Danny Huston appears as the film's main antagonist Lundendorff, alongside Elena Anaya as the villainous Dr. Maru. Harry Potter fans will remember David Thewlis for his performance as Remus Lupin in the beloved Wizarding World. In the film, Thewlis stars as Sir Patrick. Many have praised the film for it’s notable No Man’s Land sequence, but surprisingly enough, director Patty Jenkins has said that the scene almost never happened.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, Wonder Woman has earned a Certified Fresh rating of 93% on the Tomatometer, with critics hailing it for being thrilling and an overall spectacular success. Although Wonder Woman didn’t offer fans any new post-credit teasers, fans can look forward to the Justice League film, which hits theaters November 17.

Written by Jade Nicolette

Twitter: @nicolette_style