With possibly some judicious editing, Wonder Woman 1984
could have been a worthy fast-paced sequel to Wonder Woman, 2017's fun
and exciting adaptation of the DC Comics character. As is, WW '84 is a
bloated sequel that meanders too often but does have some sensational action
scenes.
Gal Gadot returns as Diana Prince, the warrior princess from
the Amazon. The Macguffin here is an ancient wishing stone, which transforms
the lives of meek archaeologist Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), wannabe oil
tycoon Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), and Diana herself, who wishes for her
long-lost love Steve Trevor (Chris Pine).
The 1984 setting isn't really utilized to its potential.
Yes, Trevor has a wardrobe montage, which is a movie in-joke because such
scenes were a staple of '80s comedies. That scene here falls flat, though.
The film runs two-and-a-half hours and takes far too long
setting up Diana's battle against Lord and Minerva, but once it finally does
get going, it's pretty entertaining. There is a giddy action sequence involving
a convoy of trucks in the desert that is probably inspired by the now-classic
similar sequence from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Also, the villains
here have a little more dimension than usual.
Bits and pieces of WW '84 do work.
Wonder Woman 1984 is now playing in theaters, as well
as streaming exclusively on HBO MAX.
