Wonder Woman 1984
dcServing as the sequel to the 2017 hit that introduced many within the zeitgeist to the character of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), including her backstory and fundamental identity, Wonder Woman 1984 finally nears its release following multiple delays and complications in release. Pushing the character of Diana Prince away from 1918 and into 1984, Diane is still suffering from the loss of her love Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), and is feeling quite lonely outside of a handful of friends and work. Things get serious quickly, however, as a mysterious stone known throughout history as the dreamstone is discovered which allows those who touch it to get any wish granted. The stone falls into the hands of a businessman named Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) and it is up to Diane to get the stone back from him before the consequences are too great to overcome.
The most striking thing to immediately stand out regarding the film is the core differences between it and the first film. Speaking to a larger evolution within the core of the DC Extended Universe as a whole, whilst the first film was a dark and gritty war period piece, Wonder Woman 1984 is largely a colorful and charismatic feature that skillfully balances legitimate stakes with an over the top energy. Outside from a handful of scenes, the cinematography from Matthew Jensen captures a world that feels alive and fun to be in. There are some truly stunning sequences within the film, using color and visual craft that stand as some of the most striking visuals from the entire DCEU up to this point and, largely, this more visually dynamic and inviting style helps keep the audience engaged for the film's 151-minute runtime. It also helps that the visual effects are largely improved within this film over the first. Where there still will be the occasionally awkward moment or weaker effect, the effects within the film are also some of the best the DCEU has seen with consistent quality and inspired feeling.
Whilst, on one hand, Wonder Woman 1984 is incredibly fun and personable because of these choices in tone and atmosphere, it is the thematic weight found within the feature that elevates the project to being something truly memorable. Without getting into spoilers, the conflict within the film is not just effective but also quite unique, which is beyond refreshing considering this is the area where the average comic book movie fails. The villains that Diana finds herself against are not just generic villains but rather curious individuals with fresh motives and mindsets that naturally put them in opposition to Diana. The plot itself also pushes each character in incredibly personal ways that add deep stakes to the film. On paper, the most concerning piece of the film was the decision to bring Diana's love from the first film, Steve, back from the dead but, surprisingly, it is able to completely justify his inclusion and use Diana's love for him as a natural way to give the film gravitas. It also is incredibly refreshing to see a comic book film that feels unpredictable for a large portion of the runtime; even though the options were obvious, it truly felt like the film could go in either direction and no matter what happened there would be a serious consequence. This is also where Kristen Wiig's character as the Cheetah comes into play, offering not just a physical opposition for Diana but also a moral weight to the actions that Diana has to take to save the world.
Both the fun and the tragedy of Wonder Woman 1984 are brought to life due to the performances throughout the film. From top to bottom, the cast within the film are genuinely stellar; Kristen Wiig gives the audience a haunting perspective that not only justifies her actions against Diana but also causes an incredible amount of empathy to be felt for her character. Pedro Pascal is over the top, almost to comedic levels, but is also tragic in his innocence that has led him down the wrong path. For the supposed villains of the film, both these performances demand empathy and understanding – again adding to the fresh experience which is this film's narrative. Chris Pine is effortlessly charismatic and, once again, his chemistry with Gal Gadot is natural and feels authentic, giving both characters a deeper emotional purpose. The one actor who sometimes feels a bit out of place is Gal Gadot herself. When compared to the first film, she is able to show much more personality and charm, she can sometimes get lost in the ensemble who largely are showing more emotion and over the top expressions than her, but the damage from this is incredibly minimal.
When it comes to negatives, Wonder Woman 1984 echoes the issues found within the first film but to a much lesser extent. Though there still are some crappy CGI battles that look bad and feel instantly forgettable, unlike the first film these are contested in the lead up to the finale rather than being the conclusion themselves. The film feels a bit bloated carrying the longer runtime that the first film established for the series but justifies it much more than the first attempt. The longer runtime allows the side characters, and especially the villains, to be fleshed out and it really feels like a matter of 10-20 minutes that could have been cleaned up – rather than an hour like the first film. The ending is also surely going to rub some the wrong way with how silly it seems but, again, the film has an over the top tone that makes this feel natural for the story it is telling and more distracting when it comes to looking at the modern comic book genre as a whole. Part of this arises from the film's use of mythology but, unlike the first film, the inclusion of this feels much more natural and understandable.
Despite not being a flawless film, Wonder Woman 1984 immediately rises to the top of the overall lackluster DCEU. This is not only an incredibly fun film that is easy to engage with and have fun with, but it is a film with real weight and purpose. If Patty Jenkins stays with the character and creativity continues to be used within the narratives of the films, the Wonder Woman franchise could easily become one of the best modern comic book franchises out there today. Whilst this potential remains to be unseen, Wonder Woman 1984 is at least a solid step in the right direction.
