MOVIE REVIEW: WONDER WOMAN 1984

 

Diana Prince lives quietly among mortals in the vibrant, sleek 1980s -- an era of excess driven by the pursuit of having it all. Though she's come into her full powers, she maintains a low profile by curating ancient artifacts, and only performing heroic acts incognito. But soon, Diana will have to muster all of her strength, wisdom and courage as she finds herself squaring off against Maxwell Lord and the Cheetah, a villainess who possesses superhuman strength and agility.

Director: Patty Jenkins

Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen

Release Date: December 25, 2020

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for sequences of creature action and violence throughout

Runtime: 2 h 31 min

Review:

 Patty Jenkins follow up to the her wildly successful original is a film that has soaring ambitions but the execution doesn't land perfectly. That being said she accomplishes so much during her trek through the 80s.  She manages to hit on every 80s trope you can imagine while never losing focus on her characters.  It's a fun trek that's surprisingly light on actual superhero action outside of rousing action set pieces.  Jenkins focuses far more on the the characters as the work through living their wish fulfillment.  The trope that the script uses to bring back Pine is an interesting choice but it does sort of fit in with the goofy 80s vibe and it allows the film to explore more of the characters desires and wants.  In a weird way sort of plays out like a superhero version of the Last Temptation of Christ.  Kristen Wiig seemed like  a strange choice to play Barbara Minerva originally but it works as she plays the nerdy dork who turns into a fox of cheetah in this case.  Wiig and Gadot have great chemistry together which makes their friendship more believable and grounded.  Gadot at this point is just the walking embodiment of Diana Prince, she has the ability to pull off the mixture of grace, empathy and strength so effortlessly that you just have to sit back and appreciate it.   Pedro Pascal plays the primary villain and he does so with a crazy amount of gusto.  His turn as Lord has some overt Trumpian tones taken to the extreme which makes him more of a caricature than a fully realized character.  Its a shame since it would have have given the film's conflict a bit more heft than it has but you have to wonder if it's intentional since the overall theme is much more internal and personal.  The film was written and filmed more than a year ago but there is something in it's incredibly hopeful message about selflessness that seems incredibly precedent in 2020.  Once the required battle between Diana and Barbara's newly born Cheetah, the script sadly doesn't really explain this transformation so it feels like it's just checking a box, the story turns into one of the more interesting superhero finales.  Instead of a massive showdown it's more of a reflective message that grounds the story with its hopeful sense.  It's a lofty ambition which doesn't quite work as well as it should onscreen because the story has a hard time connecting it all together. Its easy to appreciate the intention but it doesn't quite stick the landing.  Still, Wonder Woman 1984 is very much on brand with ideal that they established in the original about what the character stands for.  Longtime fans will find plenty to love here like Diana sporting the Golden Eagle armor and other treats, be sure to stay through the credits for a fun surprise.   

B