Review: Wonder Woman 1984 - Escapism Meets Reality Check
- Details
- Category: New Series and Movie Reviews
- Published: Wednesday, 16 December 2020 15:52
- Written by Lupe R Haas
Is WONDER WOMAN 1984 a worthy follow-up? Gal Gadot and Chris Pine return in WONDER WOMAN 1984 with Patty Jenkins once again at the helm. Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig join the cast as the villains. The sequel may not have the same impact as the first film but the DC superhero still represents something special.
The WONDER WOMAN sequel doesn't seem as impactful as the first movie obviously because the novelty is gone. Gadot still brings all the qualities that makes this a great DC superhero but she's no longer the fish out of water in the human world. That job this time falls to Chris Pine's Steve Trevor who comes back to life in the 80s. The role reversal with Diana and Chris is one of the most endearing parts of the movie as well as their undeniable chemistry between the two.
In the script by Jenkins, Geoff Johns and Dave Callaham, the villains (Pascal, Wiig) motivations are overly explained to the point of annoyance. Rather than just letting the story play out, it seems the backstories are spelled out perhaps for a younger audience. WONDER WOMAN had quite the impact on little girls so it wouldn't be a surprise if they are directly talking to them by illustrating how good people become bad. It definitely feels like the movie is catering to a much younger crowd.
Wiig is amazing in her transformation from Barbara Minerva to Cheetah in terms of being able to sympathize with her wanting to be powerful and loved after feeling lonely and invisible to others. Those feelings are translated in her performance.
As Maxwell Lord, Pascal plays it over the top specifically when he's consumed with his special abilities by the end. He could've taken it down a notch or two.
While the film's setting is 1984, the height of the Cold War, the themes in WONDER WOMAN 1984 speak to today's chaos. It's clear some of the messaging behind the movie aims to remind people of their humanity. You get a bit of escapism with a reality check in this latest version of WONDER WOMAN.
WONDER WOMAN 1984 premieres in theaters (wherever open) on Christmas Day as well on HBO Max Christmas Day.