Vox: Wonder Woman’s ‘No Man’s Land’ was the best superhero moment of 2017.

Vox is correct, and yet wrong. I teared up for women watching this scene; I can understand the visceral power.

BUT. WW tracked the plot of Captain America: The First Avenger so closely, I could barely suspend disbelief. This No Man's Land walk would, I believe, parallel Steve's first public attempt at heroism - the bad CGI I call "rubber Steve" running around NYC. There's no question No Man's Land is better. But if you include the Erskine transformation reveal as the lead-in to the 'rubber Steve' scene, I'd rate them similarly (reveal of superheroeness, then testing their superpowers). Of course, CA:TFA is not 2017. But that transform was pretty dramatic at the time - I recall a similar thrill.

Yet I think this WW scene missed on three points. One, Chris Pine overemphasizing the "No Man" dialogue. I immediately tensed up, sensing an upcoming cheese-fest. "We got it the first time you said it, Chris." Second, the outfit Gal Gadot is wearing makes her look terribly knock-kneed after she climbs out of the trench. I had a similar problem when old films tried to make Michael Caine look cool. His knees rubbed so close, he looked like an "X' from the front. Not a power pose. She needed more quad work, or a better camera angle for this. I would have tried a profile shot; perhaps they feared comparison with 300 if they did so. Third, WW is ultimately pinned down by the machine gun, needing aforementioned 'men' to help her; good thing there were a few men in No Man's Land. I expect this was planned as a testing of her abilities, doubt overcoming her at this first challenge. But still. I would have liked to see her blow through this entirely on her own - face her doubt, push through without male help. Would have been more empowering, much better than the self-realization crapfest last battle with Ares (completely overblown - and hey, big scary airplane with lethal bombs like Captain America!). After the film was over, and I thought about that scene, I couldn't help but think, "What would Antiope (Robin Wright) have done?!!" Self-doubt and wait for the guys? HELL NO.

So in my view yes, GREAT, but could have been MUCH BETTER.

And I want an Antiope standalone film, a prequel of sorts.