Anthony's Film Review - Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Director Patty Jenkins and actress Gal Gadot once again deliver an exciting Wonder Woman adventure...

It was bound to happen: a sequel to the 2017 hit superhero action movie Wonder Woman. They practically announced the sequel right after the release of the first. It's no surprise at all, given how the first Wonder Woman movie delivers what you'd expect in a superhero movie. In addition, a Wonder Woman sequel should be in good hands, because director Patty Jenkins and actress Gal Gadot were instrumental in the success of the 2017 film.

I also find it interesting that the second Wonder Woman adventure would take place decades after the first film. Previously, we saw Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman during World War I, along with Chris Pine as American soldier Steve Trevor. Now, it is the year 1984, when America is in another kind of war, the Cold War. Given Diana's origin, she is essentially an immortal person who doesn't age. This allows the same superwoman we've come to appreciate to save the day in another time and place. The first present-day scene in Wonder Woman 1984 features the titular hero foiling a band of robbers in a shopping mall, and it's a nice treat to have after a three-year wait.

The story of Wonder Woman 1984 centers on an ancient artifact called the Dreamstone. It looks like an ordinary crystal dug from the ground, but in reality, it has mysterious magical powers. Two characters undergo transformations as they come into contact with it. One of them is Barbara Minerva (played by Kristin Wiig), a gemologist who gradually goes from being plain and insecure to ravishing and overly confident. The other is Maxwell Lord (played by Pedro Pascal), a Donald Trump-like businessman who is desperately finding ways to save his oil empire, before growing in power thanks to the Dreamstone. Diana finds herself on a quest to stop the threats stemming from the Dreamstone.

Although it has been a long time since the events of the previous Wonder Woman, Chris Pine reprises his role as Steve Trevor. This film explains a resurrection process that places him in this new setting. All of a sudden, Diana's love returns, and the two rekindle their romance. It's also fun to see Steve experience the joys of this new decade of America. For example, he discovers the wonder of space travel, something unimaginable in his previous life.

Just so I don't risk boring you, let me jump straight to my commentary on the last part of the movie (without spoiling the details, of course). I liked how the climax mixes conventions of action movies with something unconventional. The result is an ending that satisfying for being familiar as well as fresh. I also thought about how Patty Jenkins is also one of the writers for this film, and how a female perspective was a factor in how this part of the story was written.

Bottom line: Wonder Woman 1984 is fun like its predecessor. Go ahead and bring on a third Wonder Woman movie. (In fact, I just noticed on IMDb that Wonder Woman 3 has been announced, so there you go.) I also want to say that it's nice to finally see this one after some delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether one watches it on a big screen or streams it at home, Wonder Woman 1984 is another blockbuster hit in the franchise.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Wonder Woman 1984, visit the Internet Movie Database.

In addition, check out my review of Wonder Woman.