Wonder Woman (2017)

Somebody decided the last act of Wonder Woman needed fewer people and way more fireballs, and it almost sinks the whole thing. Up to then, it’s the best movie that era of DC made. Gal Gadot plays Diana with zero irony, wide-eyed about ice cream and furious about war, and it works. Chris Pine is a delight as Steve Trevor, a guy who keeps explaining the world and getting quietly outclassed. The No Man’s Land scene, with Diana climbing out of the trench and walking straight into gunfire, is the most purely heroic moment in the whole genre. Then the finale turns into a glowing CGI brawl in the dark, with two thin villains along for the ride. At 141 minutes, you feel that switch. It still made $412.8 million domestic and got an A CinemaScore, so crowds clearly forgave it. A 7.4 because the first two acts are great and the ending isn’t. $15.16 says your next ice cream cone gets the full Diana treatment, wide eyes and a big compliment for whoever is behind the counter.

What works: Gal Gadot’s sincere, fearless Diana, Chris Pine’s funny Steve Trevor, and the No Man’s Land sequence, an all-time superhero moment.

What doesn’t: The final battle is a murky CGI slugfest that ditches the human stakes, and Ludendorff and Doctor Poison are thin villains.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a superhero movie with an actual heart, especially kids who need a hero who never stops being kind.