Wonder Christian Movie Review (2017)

Guidance: Talk Together

This superhero origin story blends heroic sacrifice and compassion with heavy war action and a mythological framework built around Greek gods. Many families will mainly want to weigh the battlefield violence, revenge themes, and the film’s spiritual backdrop before viewing.

Why This Guidance Level

The main concerns here are not crude content so much as sustained war violence and a worldview shaped by Greek mythology rather than Christian truth. The film also gives families worthwhile openings to discuss courage, evil, sacrifice, and why Christian hope rests in Jesus Christ rather than in human strength, revenge, or pagan gods.

Faith & Worldview Perspective

The film admires courage, mercy, and sacrificial love, and it clearly treats evil as real rather than imaginary. At the same time, it frames its story through Greek gods, destiny, and a hero figure whose identity and mission are rooted in myth rather than in the true God. It also leans toward the idea that humanity’s problem can be solved by defeating the right enemy, while Scripture teaches that sin runs through every human heart and that lasting hope comes through Jesus Christ. Parents may want to discuss the difference between noble heroism and the Christian gospel.

Truths Reflected

• Sacrificial love and protection of the vulnerable are treated as honorable.
• The film recognizes that evil causes real suffering and should be resisted.

Tensions to Discuss

• The story uses Greek gods and mythic origins as its spiritual framework, which conflicts with worship of the one true God.
• It can suggest that evil is mainly defeated by power and the right champion, while Christian hope centers on Christ’s victory over sin and death.

Content & Discernment Markers

Occult & Spiritual Content

• The story world is built around Greek mythology, including the Amazons, Zeus, Ares, and a divine origin for the heroine. This is fantasy rather than biblical spirituality, but it still presents pagan gods and mythic destiny as meaningful parts of the plot. Christian families may want to discuss why Jesus Christ is not one god among many, but Lord over all.

Sexuality & Relationships

• There is mild romantic tension between Diana and Steve, including flirtation and a few affectionate moments. Sexual material is not a driving concern, though some families may still note the costume design and brief suggestive humor around male-female differences.

Identity Themes

• Diana’s identity is tied to being uniquely chosen, powerful, and set apart from ordinary people. The film also highlights female strength in a way many viewers will appreciate, though some parents may want to talk about grounding identity in being made in God’s image rather than in exceptional ability.

Violence & Intensity

• The First World War setting brings repeated scenes of battlefield danger, gunfire, explosions, hand-to-hand combat, and soldiers under threat. The action is stylized in superhero fashion, but the war backdrop gives it more weight than a light comic adventure.
• Major confrontations involve swords, shields, bullets, and large-scale destruction, with characters fighting to injure or kill enemies. Parents may want to discuss the difference between justice, vengeance, and loving enemies in a fallen world.

Language & Humour

• Language does not stand out as a central issue, but families should still expect a little mild war-movie and action banter, including insults and occasional sharper expressions typical of a PG-13 superhero film.

Other Content Notes

• The film carries a serious tone around war, human cruelty, and the suffering of civilians. Younger viewers may be more affected by the sadness and moral anger in the story than by gore itself.
• Amazon armor and Wonder Woman’s outfit are form-fitting and may raise modesty questions for some families, even though the presentation is more action-oriented than sexualized in tone.

Notable Moments

• No Man’s Land charge: A signature action sequence places Diana in open battlefield danger as she advances through gunfire to protect others, highlighting both courage and the film’s intense war setting.
• Mythic origin conflict: The plot’s central conflict is tied to Greek gods and a cosmic struggle involving Ares, shaping the film’s spiritual framework.

Discussion Prompts

• Real evil and the human heart: Does the movie make evil seem like it comes from one villain, or from the brokenness inside all people too?
  • Biblical guidance: Scripture teaches that sin is not only outside us in the world but also inside the human heart, which is why we all need redemption in Christ.
  • Scripture: Mark 7:20-23, Romans 3:23
• Sacrifice and true salvation: What kind of sacrifice in the story feels noble, and how is that different from what Jesus Christ did for sinners?
  • Biblical guidance: Heroic sacrifice can reflect love, but only Christ’s sacrifice truly saves and reconciles us to God.
  • Scripture: John 15:13, Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 3:18
• Mythology versus truth: How does the movie use gods and destiny, and how is that different from what the Bible says about the one true God?
  • Biblical guidance: Christian faith is not built on rival gods or mythic powers, but on the Lord who made heaven and earth and revealed Himself fully in Jesus Christ.
  • Scripture: Exodus 20:3, Isaiah 45:5, John 14:6
• Justice, mercy, and revenge: When someone does evil, what is the difference between seeking justice and being consumed by revenge?
  • Biblical guidance: God cares about justice, but He calls His people away from personal vengeance and toward mercy, truth, and trust in His judgment.
  • Scripture: Micah 6:8, Romans 12:17-21, James 1:20