'Wonder Woman: 1984' Review

**Note: This review contains some spoilers for Wonder Woman: 1984**

In 2017, DC Films released Wonder Woman, a film where titular heroine Diana Prince, AKA Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), saves the world in the midst of WWI. Directed by Patty Jenkins, the film quickly became a massive success amidst DC's slate of films both on critical and commercial fronts. The hype behind the Wonder Woman franchise only grew when DC announced the release of Wonder Woman: 1984 (2020). After suffering a series of delays due to the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic, the long–awaited sequel was released worldwide in theaters on Christmas Day. In the United States specifically, the film primarily debuted on WarnerMedia’s new streaming service, HBO Max.

I was a huge fan of the original Wonder Woman, and like millions of others, I was counting down the days until I could watch the sequel from the safety of my home. The film had everything going for it: After its predecessor served as a bright light in the gloomy landscape of DC films, everyone was waiting to see what surprises Patty Jenkins had in store for viewers with Diana's latest adventure. My short opinion after watching? What. A. Letdown. Nearly everything that dazzled audiences in the franchise debut is either reused or simply eradicated in the sequel. Despite excellent casting that shines in the film's captivating pair of villains, the poor script and bland spectacle serve as the catalyst for WW84's downfall.

Following an opening scene in Diana's home world of Themyscira, where she's taught a valuable lesson about truth and avoiding shortcuts in life, Wonder Woman: 1984 picks up 60 years after the first film in the candy–colored vibrancy of the '80s. Still mourning the loss of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), Diana has moved to Washington, D.C., where she lives a lonely and isolated lifestyle. The grief surrounding Steve's sacrifice in Wonder Woman weighs heavily on nearly every aspect of Diana's everyday routine. Working as an anthropologist and curator at the Smithsonian (A subtle yet creative homage to her immortality and how it can benefit her integration into the world of men), Diana eventually sparks a surprise friendship with her colleague, Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig). This expository sequence is the high point of the film's nearly three–hour plot. Diana stumbles upon the Dreamstone, an ancient artifact that grants any wish at a cost. In Diana's case, she chooses to resurrect Steve Trevor at the cost of gradually losing her powers. After the Dreamstone falls into the hands of Barbara and fame–hungry businessman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), Diana's world–saving abilities are required once again as the power of the Dreamstone eventually begins to drive mankind towards a greed–driven apocalypse.

"Sometimes you can't see what you're learning until you come out the other side" — Wonder Woman

The root of the problems with WW84 lies within the depth (or lack thereof) written into its plot. Wonder Woman is one of the most well–known and dynamic characters within DC Comics and superhero pop–culture as a whole, but no one would have ever guessed that watching this film. Diana Prince captured viewers' hearts through the emotional depth of Wonder Woman, and that emotional dazzle is missing in the sequel. Her grief and connection to Steve is a major plot point, but the level of emotion is at its best within the film's exposition. This flatlining also carries over into sequences where Diana transforms into Wonder Woman. There's no climactic act of heroism that cements Diana as a selfless heroine that fights "in the name of all that is good." No scene encapsulated that part of Diana's personality better than the famous "No Man's Land" scene in Wonder Woman, and a scene of similar valor is simply not present or even seemingly–attempted in this film. Overall, Gadot's performance is just okay, following a debut performance that was amazing. Initially introduced as a superhero that stands for what is right in any situation, Gal Gadot is deprived of any opportunities to match the depth of heroism that Diana displays in the 2017 film.

Steve Trevor's return is a double–edged sword in WW84. On a positive note, Chris Pine is able to showcase his comedic skills. Having been resurrected almost 70 years into the future, fans can genuinely enjoy the light–hearted scenes that show Steve acclimating to the '80s and learning to behave in the revolutionized society that he's now faced with. While Chris Pine still delivers a standout performance, there's nothing new added to his character beyond this new environment. Steve is a reliable companion and saves Diana in several action sequences, but he is given absolutely no character development. When the pair's connection is a crutch for the overarching plot, it doesn't make sense to keep Pine's character universally unchanged. Much like Diana, Steve Trevor loses his shine in his second appearance. The limited story within Trevor's plot points culminates in a blatant recycling of his death from the last movie: Steve sacrifices himself for the greater good—a replica of his martyr complex with no innovation just renders his character uninteresting by the film's third act.

“I’ll always love you, Diana, no matter where I am” — Steve Trevor

Contrary to definition, the villains end up being the hero of this film in terms of performances. Unfortunately, the stellar acting from the leading pair of adversaries is squandered by other aspects of the film. Kristen Wiig delivers a powerful performance as Barbara Minerva. Her character has gone through most of her life unseen, and Wiig convincingly portrays the persona of an individual who seeks the recognition they deserve. Barbara's desire to become like Diana take a devious turn when she makes another wish that turns her into Cheetah, one of Wonder Woman's arch nemeses in the comics. Wiig seamlessly transitions from filling the shoes of an innocent social outcast to a malicious and powerful villain. However, her transformation is quickly plagued by an overdose of CGI in the film's climactic sequences—visual effects that oddly resemble those used in Cats (2019).

"I don't want to be like anyone anymore. I want to be number one. An apex predator, like nothing there's ever been before." — Barbara Minerva AKA Cheetah

Pedro Pascal was WW84's best–kept secret, and his performance went above and beyond to try and save this film. Going into the film's release, Pascal's role was kept under heavy secrecy, with limited information about his character being highlighted in any of the promotions or trailers for WW84. However, it quickly became evident that Pascal assumes the role of DC Comics villain Maxwell Lord, a successful businessman that gains manipulation and telepathic powers. In WW84, Pascal's Max Lord is introduced as a wannabe oil tycoon and television personality. His failure and labeling as a conman is switched when he acquires the Dreamstone, where Max Lord to embody the magic of the stone itself. Lord then becomes an unstoppable master of persuasion, manipulating world leaders to tap into their desires and make wishes for his benefit. Pascal's natural charisma allows Max Lord to perfectly hone the Dreamstone's abusive power onscreen. Lord quickly starts to grow his fortune at an exponential rate, and his authority and fame only grows with the amounts of wishes that Lord grants. Pascal's raw emotions shine in his villainous portrayal, and Maxwell Lord honestly received the most character development due to Pascal's finesse. Unfortunately, the film's ending negates most of this development, with Jenkins opting for a cliche adversarial change–of–heart that ends Lord's reign. For such a dynamic character, this ending was very uncreative and failed to address crucial plot holes created by Lord's actions throughout the film. While the script inherently hindered the character of Maxwell Lord by the end, Pascal's star shines nevertheless. If the film achieved one thing, it proved that Pedro Pascal's acting prowess is something to be taken seriously. He's already gained considerable attention this year as the titular role in The Mandalorian, and Pascal's career is likely to grow from this adversarial role as well. Maxwell Lord and Pedro Pascal were my favorite part of this film, and the themes surrounding Max Lord's greed are a powerful message that can be applied to leaders in the real–world today.

“Welcome to the future. Life is good, but it can be better. And why shouldn’t it be? Everything we’ve ever dreamed about is right at our fingertips.“ — Maxwell Lord

Wonder Woman: 1984 was slated to be one of the year’s biggest releases. The film has performed well from a commercial standpoint, becoming the US’ largest–grossing theatrical release of 2020 despite theater closures across the country. While the box–office was promising for being released amidst the pandemic, this is still 84% lower than the opening weekend for the original film. Ignoring the pandemic as a confounding variable, this figure pretty much sums up the entire viewing experience of WW84, as the sequel simply fails to live up to the expectations set by the franchise debut in so many ways. The film is way too long, and introduces too many characters that are developed at a surface level. To make things worse, actors like Pascal and Wiig who go above and beyond to develop their characters are undermined by a film that matches each good execution with two bad ones to follow. In short, this film suffers from way too much plot (what is happening) and not enough story (WHY these things are happening).

Looking on a more general level, this subpar release indicates a potentially–troubling future for Warner Bros., who were banking on WW84's success to both boost their subscriber base on HBO Max, and justify their decision to release all 2021 films directly to the streaming platform. Already a controversial decision in Hollywood, the decision will likely be further contested after the heavily mixed–reactions garnished by this film. The disappointing sequel highlights the critical state of the live–action superhero genre, reinforcing questions about whether superhero movies are reaching their end.

The film was apparently not a complete failure, however, as a third Wonder Woman film has already received the greenlight, with Patty Jenkins returning to write and direct the final film in the franchise. The ambiguity surrounding Cheetah's defeat will likely feed into the main plot of the third film. While WW84 is miles away from its predecessor, it still delivers viewers a welcome escape from the dumpster fire that is 2020, and offers an underlying message of hope in its themes and critiques. It could've been great, but it's fine.