Review of Wonder (2017) by Hunter B — 26 Nov 2017

The child actors are under the loose and lazy direction of Stephen Chbosky, a not very experienced director at that. Wonder also, instead of taking advantage of some of the novel's originality, resorts to cheap cliches, plot conveniences, and irrelevant scenes that development neither plot nor character.

It doesn't use the cast to their full potential, and there were even some problems with casting (small, weak Millie Davis as Summer, the girl who is supposed to befriend Auggie earlier in the story and is supposed to be a more powerful character).

It is also barely held together by a predictable script and meaningless ending. The only thing that gave the film a little boost was Owen WIlson's fine, likable performance. Other than that, it was a complete mess.

Trying to be inventive with its style of filmmaking and storytelling, dividing it into chapters based on different characters' point of views, which they don't. The last chapter, which was supposed to be seen by a somewhat irrelevant character, having almost nothing to do with the plot, was dragged on into other scenes that had no connection with this character, until the movie ended.

This was almost as if the filmmakers forgot that they were supposed to be through her point of view. Like the other chapters, the "focus" character, which is still Auggie in every chapter for some reason, narrates the first minute or so and then the story continues on as if this chapter wasn't focusing on the character's point of view it's titled.

The chapters are almost completely useless. They should have kept it consistent if they were going to be so lazy with it. There was also nothing surprising about this movie. It tried to force you to feel bad and feel all of these emotions for the kid, but it's too forced.

A lot of the kids' behaviors would never happen in a real school. It was so cliche, like the typical school bully who makes fun of the kid, and the young cool teacher who's "there for him" and the kid who feels bad for him, and random plot points that have nothing do to with the plot, and set up something that we later finds out doesn't happen.

The movie doesn't explore very many angles and it's basically told through the same perspective the whole time, an omnipotent audience viewer, and yet the chapters are supposed to be through different characters' point of views.

And I was surprised. I usually agree with the critics, but I really don't see much in this movie. There was nothing special about it. The only cool thing they did with it was make a reference to the ice cream shop where R.

J. Palacio, author of the novel, got inspiration for Wonder when she saw a child with facial differences at an ice cream shop. Other than that, it was disappointing.