2017’s Wonder Woman remains one of the most memorable films of the past decade, having been a surprise hit with both audiences and critics (which was a breath of fresh air for the then-struggling DC Extended Universe), and was a cinematic milestone in terms of gender representation in cinema, both in front and behind the camera. It personally ranks as one of my favorite films of the past decade, and one of the best superhero films in recent memory.
That being said, all eyes were on star Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins to create a similarly spectacular film, while also upping the ante on their proceedings this time around. Well, they have returned with the much awaited sequel Wonder Woman 1984, but the resulting product is less than stellar.
Set in the titular year, the sequel follows the adventure of Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, as she battles the combined villainy of Maxwell Lord and The Cheetah, whilst also being reunited with her past love interest, Steve Trevor.
Right from the title card, Patty Jenkins seeks to evoke and capture the eclectic spirit of the 1980s. Owing to the period setting, Jenkins creates a light and nostalgic film that harkens back to the Superman and Spider-Man era of superhero films. However, the period setting paves the way for a highly dated premise and overarching story line that is too weak to warrant its existence in the sequel.
This brings me to the biggest drawback of Wonder Woman 1984 – the script.
The film kicks off with a promising and enthralling opening sequence involving the Amazonian Olympics, but seems to lose steam as the movie progresses. Running at two and a half hours, the film is plagued with pacing issues. The first half takes it’s time to build up the story and introduce the main players, and while it is easy to sit through, it ultimately results in a frantic latter half.
The script is furthermore messy and unfocused in the narrative aspect, and tries to juggle the tones of an action-adventure-fantasy, as well as a geopolitical commentary, but fails to acquire a strong footing and grip on either end.
Alongside being riddled with glossed over villain motivations and subplots, the script takes creative decisions that are either questionable, or ones that would have been interesting, were they explored more, but are rather not built upon and discarded altogether.
The underlying themes of love, justice, truth and humanity that were introduced in it’s predecessor, are greatly expanded upon here, but to the point of the film coming off as excessively preachy and often, at the cost of action scenes, that insist on not being too long, and prove to be quite disheartening and underwhelming, partly owing to the weak and obvious CGI.
The script however, does a great job of presenting an uncharted and human side to Diana’s character, that provides depth to her character, brought remarkably to life by Gal Gadot’s performance, in a way that makes the audience connect with the character.
The romantic subplot between Diana and Steve is similarly one of the heartfelt and emotional highlights of the film, and is greatly enlivened by Gadot and Chris Pine’s chemistry.
Apart from the opening sequence, the film boasts of Jenkins command over directing moments of inspiration and spectacle that have a certain childlike quality and awe-inspiring wonder behind them with one sequence almost rivaling the iconic “No Man’s Land” scene from the first film.
Coming to the acting side of things, Gal Gadot continues to prove her acting abilities in a role that she has come to make her own, and I cannot wait to see where her character is taken next.
Pedro Pascal as the evil businessman Max Lord, starts off on a promising note, but quickly descends into a cartoonish and over the top performance that ultimately sours the viewing experience, and might just give Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor a run for his money.
Kristen Wiig as Barbara Minerva/The Cheetah puts on a display of outstanding versatility that ranges from meek to fierce, and at times makes effective use of her comedic timing, although she is not provided with enough screen time to dissolve into her villainous alter-ego.
Chris Pine shines in his second outing as Steve Trevor, putting on a performance that brings life and charm to his character and the film as a whole, as he smoothly transitions between comedic and emotional delivery, that lends a naturalistic quality to his character, whilst also having a fun time essaying the role.
Hans Zimmer greatly compliments the imagery with his energetic and exhilarating musical score, combining elements that are both fresh and known, albeit taking time to grow on you when heard in isolation, but will ultimately prove to be a rewarding experience.
Wonder Woman 1984 works well just enough to satisfy and entertain casual audiences, but will prove to be a disappointing and divisive entry for far more demanding viewers and fans of the DC universe.
Texts of A Pop Culture Buff 