WONDER WOMAN 1984 REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Following the release of Wonder Woman in 2017, it received a positive critical reception and was successful at the box office. This lead to a sequel being announced. Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, cinemas worldwide were forced to close and led to the majority of films, including Black Widow, A Quiet Place Part II and No Time To Die being postponed to next year. The follow-up to Wonder Woman was originally due for release in 2019 but was delayed to June this year. Like a lot of highly anticipated films, Wonder Woman 1984 was postponed several times. For a while, it seemed like it wasn’t going to be released until next year until last month when Warner Bros. announced that Wonder Woman 1984 would be released in select cinemas and on the streaming service, HBO Max, in the United States from Christmas Day. However, in the United Kingdom, it would be released in cinemas from December 16th. At first, I thought that this was a good idea until the UK government announced that most of England would go into Tier 3, which meant that the majority of cinemas would be forced to remain close until next year. This was disappointing as cinemas have been proven to be safer than most shops due to the new safety measures they’ve put in. I’ve been back to the cinema many times since they reopened in the summer and I’ve really enjoyed my visits. Not once did I feel anxious when I went to the cinema. One of the first films I saw was Christopher Nolan’s latest film, Tenet, and it went on to become my favourite film of this year. Just before the release of Wonder Woman 1984, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to see it due to most of my nearest cinemas being closed. Fortunately, I discovered a local independent cinema that was showing it. Because I really enjoyed its predecessor, my expectations were high for Wonder Woman 1984, however, did the sequel meet them?

Wonder Woman 1984 focuses on Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) as she tries to stop businessman and popular television personality, Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), from taking over the world after he steals a dream stone  that allows him to grant any wish. This leads to Diana having her wish come true in the form of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), who died after sacrificing himself in Wonder Woman. Diana’s geeky and and awkward friend, Barbara (Kristen Wiig), is envious of Diana’s confidence and strength and wishes to be more like her, unfortunately, she takes it too far and transforms into the Cheetah. This leads to Diana teaming up with the newly resurrected Steve to stop Max and Barbara: 

Featuring thrilling action sequences and great performances by the cast, Wonder Woman 1984 is a follow up that matches the quality of its predecessor. I can’t imagine anyone, who enjoyed the first film, being disappointed with what returning director Patty Jenkins has created. It is a shame that not everyone will be able to experience Wonder Woman 1984 on the big screen, due to the limit of cinemas being opened in the UK as it’s an exciting film that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible. I was very lucky to watch Wonder Woman 1984 at a local independent cinema and, despite my high expectations, it didn’t disappoint.

The opening sequence is a great start to Wonder Woman 1984 as it sees Diana as a child (Lilly Aspell) competing in a multi stage athletic competition on Themyscira against older Amazons. At first, she is winning, however, after falling from her horse and missing a stage, she takes a shortcut and is close to the finish line when she is stopped by her aunt, Antiope (Robin Wright) who tells her that she shouldn’t be allowed to win after cheating. This is an important message that plays out in the rest of Wonder Woman 1984 with Max lying in order to be more successful. Most villains in superhero films are one dimensional and predictable, however, that wasn’t the case with Max, who is portrayed more as a flawed character rather than someone who is simply evil. His actions are understandable as he wants to grant everyone’s wish through the dream stone but loses control of his new round power. Pascal, who is currently known to Disney+ subscribers for portraying the titular character in The Mandalorian, brings charisma to his performance as Max, however, after gaining the powers of the dream stone, he soon becomes a more maniacal and intimidating figure. I also was surprised by how Diana solved the situation as I thought it was going to end with her killing Max, however, I’m glad that it ended with him taking back everyone’s wishes as he’s not an evil villain that needed to be killed off. I was also pleasantly surprised by Wiig who leaves a lasting impression with her portrayal of Barbara. In the beginning, Barbara is awkward, with many of her scenes providing comic relief, however, her new found strength sees her transforming into the Cheetah. While it was refreshing to see Wiig take on a different role after appearing in several comedies, the computer generated imagery used to create the Cheetah looks artificial and, unfortunately, resembles something out of last year’s disastrous musical film, Cats. However, the Cheetah has very little screen time so it was only a minor issue.

In Wonder Woman, Gadot captured Diana’s sweet personality but also her strength, making her a inspiring figure to young girls. Because the sequel is set over six decades after the first film, Diana has settled into her new life and works as a senior anthropologist at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., specialising in the culture of ancient Mediterranean civilisations. She continues to fight crime as Wonder Woman, whilst trying to maintain some anonymity. Gadot continues to impress with her portrayal of Diana and develops her into a true heroine. At first, Diana is delighted to be reunited with her one and only true love, Steve, unfortunately, she knows that he’s too good to be true and must give him up in order to save the world from Max. Pine returns as the charming Steve and shares chemistry with Gadot. Most of the humour comes from Diana showing Steve around a new world he doesn’t recognise. An amusing scene sees Steve trying on clothes that were popular in the 1980s. Overall, Gadot, Pine, Wiig and Pascal are great in their roles, with their performances adding to the enjoyment of Wonder Woman 1984.

Jenkins returns to direct the sequel and, with Wonder Woman 1984, she further establishes herself as a talented filmmaker. She knows how to create an exciting, action packed film that can be enjoyed by anyone. You don’t necessarily need to have seen the previous film or read the comic books in order to enjoy Wonder Woman 1984. While there have been a lot of superhero films released in the last few years, Wonder Woman 1984 reminds viewers why they are so popular as it provides them with over two hours of escapism and entertainment. The plot, while fairly predictable, is easy to follow. Although I really enjoyed Tenet, I can understand why a lot of viewers were left scratching their heads as its plot was very complex. That’s not the case with Wonder Woman 1984 which can be enjoyed by anyone. As well as creating an exciting, action-packed film, Jenkins success in capturing the 1980s through the clothes and technology. It’s clearly a decade she has fond memories of and I can imagine many viewers, who grew up in the 1980s, feeling very nostalgic whilst watching Wonder Woman 1984. Jenkins stated that she chose the 1980s as the setting for the Wonder Woman sequel because she saw it as the “height of Western civilisation and society and so it offers the opportunity to explore how Wonder Woman would deal with the types of villains from that era.” Earlier this month, Disney announced that Jenkins will direct Rogue Squadron, an upcoming Star Wars film which will be released in 2023. I’m really interested in seeing this as Jenkins has proven herself to be a skilful filmmaker who can make an exciting, action packed film. 

Those who read the comic books will be happy to see Wonder Woman in action using her lasso of truth. She also uses her tiara as a boomerang to fight off bad guys and is briefly seen flying in her new Invisible Jet with Steve. 

The action sequences are where Wonder Woman 1984 is at its most exciting. It was great seeing Wonder Woman in action and, although there are several points when she becomes weaker, she never gives up. After losing Steve once more, Diana becomes even more determined to stop Max. One of the best action sequences sees Diana trying to stop Max following a car chase in Egypt. Unfortunately, she is shot in the shoulder and struggles to stop Max. It’s surprising seeing Diana in a weakened state as it’s hard to believe this was the same woman who fought off the evil God of War, Ares, in the first film. Following a fight against Max and Barbara, Diana learns that, the longer Steve exists in the present, the weaker she becomes. This leads to her, once more, saying a heartbreaking goodbye to Steve, the only man she has ever truly loved. This is also another reason why Diana is inspiring as, despite this heartbreaking loss, she becomes stronger and is finally able to take on Max. While many superhero films end following an action packed battle between the hero and villain, Wonder Woman 1984 avoids this cliche and ends with Diana convincing Max and the rest of the world to take back their wish and reversing the chaotic impact their wishes had on the world. Diana’s monologue is surprisingly moving and heartfelt and proves that we all have the power to save the world. I quite liked this ending as it made a change after seeing countless climatic battle sequences, however, I can understand why people will find it anticlimactic. 

While Wonder Woman 1984 is a great sequel, filled with exciting action sequences and a strong performance by Gal Gadot as the heroic Diana, it is a shame it’s not getting the wide release in cinemas in the UK it deserves. I do understand that, because we are still in a deadly pandemic, people aren’t interested in visiting the cinema. Whether you watch it at your local cinema or at home, Wonder Woman 1984 is a fun sequel that can be enjoyed by anyone.

8/10