Director Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman” casts Gal Gadot in the leading role, a mythical heroine who fights for America.

After a brief prologue* in modern-day Paris, the action takes us to the island of Themyscira, home to the all-female society of the Amazons*. The island is a sanctuary* for the tribe, sheltered by Zeus, whom they helped in fighting off a coup* from the war god Ares. On guard against Ares’ possible return, the Amazons have all devoted themselves to the arts of combat*.

All, that is, except young princess Diana (Lilly Aspell at age 8, Emily Carey at 12), who’s the only child on the island. Wanting to learn the ways of her fellow Amazons, Diana is kept away from combat training by her mother Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen). Her aunt Antiope (Robin Wright) is the tribe’s chief field general, and she agrees to train the girl in secret.

By the time she’s reached adulthood*, Diana (Gadot) is ready to take on all comers, her traditional battle skills augmented* by supernatural abilities.

Themyscira seems a place outside of time, but then a crippled WWI German warplane crash-lands in the ocean just beyond the island’s shores. Diana comes to rescue* the pilot, an American soldier named Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). Trevor reveals he was undercover* with the Germans as a double agent, dispatched to collect intel on their experimental new weapon: a powerful poison gas developed by general Ludendorff (Danny Huston) and his chemist nicknamed Dr. Poison (Elena Anaya).

Diana immediately suspects Ares has returned, and decides to head to the front lines to fight against him.

They sail to London, and the film takes a detour* into light comedy. The plot snaps back into focus when Trevor and Diana learn Dr. Poison’s gas will soon be ready to launch at soldiers and civilians, and finding little help from military brass, they take off to the Western front themselves to intervene.

Pine plays second banana* with a great deal of good humor: he appears as a noble yet sometimes stupid jarhead*, and it’s clear why Diana might find him attractive while also failing to be particularly impressed by him.

(SD-Agencies)