Wonder Woman 1984: A Silly Sequel About Greed, Truth, And Being Careful What You Wish For
Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot return to take the 1st Lady of Justice to the era of excess in Wonder Woman 1984. Deeply flawed, yet entertaining, this bloated and silly sequel boasts a timely message that’s unsubtly pointed at the orange stain in the Oval Office.
Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) 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 (Pedro Pascal) and the Cheetah (Kristen Wiig), a villainess who possesses superhuman strength and agility.
Following up the success of 2017’s Wonder Woman is no small task, and while WW1984 lives squarely in its predecessor’s shadow, Jenkins and company succeed in creating a mostly fun, no-brains-required sequel that skirts the rehashing traps many follow-ups fall into. It’s no masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but its period setting, graceful glide, campy cheese, and absurdly bonkers antics make it a pretty entertaining time. Granted, its 2.5 hour runtime isn’t justified in the slightest — there’s many unnecessary frills and loads of trimmable fat — but just like its primary villain Maxwell Lord (fully embodied by a campy Pedro Pascal), WW1984 revels in the frivolous excess of its setting, for better or worse.
Following a fun opening flashback sequence on Themyscira, which sets the film’s theme of facing the truth, not cheating, and accepting defeat into motion, we find our titular heroine in the 1980s, working as a senior anthropologist at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. — when she’s not taking baddies out on the side. There, she quickly befriends Barbara Anne Minerva (played terrifically by Kirsten Wiig), a sweet, nerdy “loser” who low-key envies Diana for all her beauty, grace, and confidence. The pair bond over lunch, discussing their past and a phallic citrine stone inscribed in Latin, which we soon discover has the power to grant its beholder’s wishes. Barbara, in desperation, uses the “Dreamstone” to be more like Diana, a wish that grants her more than she initially realizes, and as she quickly morphs from “not” to “hot,” she tangles up with the smarmy businessman Maxwell Lord, who manipulates her into letting him borrow the stone, which he promptly absorbs in an attempt to save his failing business.
From here, the film’s wish fulfillment fantasy takes us on a somewhat intriguing globetrotting adventure, as Diana and her former flame, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), who was wished back using the stone, attempt to stop Lord, who’s aided by Barbara (AKA Cheetah), before his greed brings about worldwide ruin. The result is a lot of messy, long-winded and soft-boiled amusement, which is mainly bolstered by its performers. Namely, Gal Gadot’s radiant perfection and her palpably charming chemistry with heartthrob Chris Pine keep the picture afloat. Although, Wiig adds a refreshing element worth noting, shedding her comedic skin for some animal-print badassery (before morphing into a CGI monstrosity that feels more at home in last year’s cringeworthy rendition of Cats). Pascal infuses the film with some much needed hilarity, lathering a thick layer of 80s cheese and delivering the film’s funniest line, which absolutely will not be for everyone. However, the young actor who plays his son sleepwalks through all his scenes ,so much so that it’s easy to see why Lord wouldn’t want to have him around.
While WW1984’s moving pieces may sound complicated, its plot remains relatively straightforward. There’s nothing subtle about its message, which isn’t necessarily new but feels very much a product of the times. In fact, the film seems pointed directly at “President” Trump, so much so that it almost feels as though Jenkins and co-screenwriters Geoff Johns and David Callaham are begging him to face the truth and accept the defeat of this year’s election. Pascal’s Maxwell Lord is essentially a stand-in for him, albeit a far more human and sympathetic one. His increasingly frenzied behavior and sweaty, crumbling physique also noticeably resemble the cocaine-addled behavior that go hand-in-hand with the film’s setting.
Overall, there’s some silly fun to be had here, but it ultimately doesn’t add up to much. There’s a noticeable lack of quality action sequences though, and while there’s some cool additions (like the incorporation of the invisible plane) that are welcome, they don’t pay off or add much value to the narrative in the grand scheme, but whether intentional or not, it sure is amusing watching Gadot ride the lightning and fly like Superman (which Jenkins heavily taps into the vibe of here). Love it or leave it, WW1984 just can’t quite muster the strength to rise to the status of its first installment, but it sure does have a cool poster.
Recommendation: Like the period in which it’s set, WW1984 is mostly superficial and hollow, with minor moments of thrill. If you can get down with goofy absurdity, you’ll find something to appreciate here; if you can’t, you might want to resend your wish for wanting to see this.
Rating: 2.5 gold suits outta 5.
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