Wonder Woman 1984

My satellite provider started showing the much delayed (and much maligned) Wonder Woman 1984 this week. The film seems to contradict much of Superman V. Batman and Justice League, as we were lead to believe that Diana Prince stayed out of the limelight after her time at the end of World War I. But that's not quite the case. 

In 1984 Washington, D.C., Wonder Woman saves the innocent. But the Amazonian princess does her best to stay anonymous, often telling those few who do spot her to keep mum about her. Her muted presence will be tested when megalomaniac Maxwell Lord comes into contact with a cursed gem that can grant wishes. As Lord uses the wishes of others to become more and more powerful, Diana unknowingly revives her long dead only love, Steve Trevor. But her wish comes at a cost, as her desires result in Wonder Woman's loss of invulnerability. 

Also making wishes for herself is the wallflower, Barbara Minerva. Now blessed with strength and confidence, Barbara finally starts to stand-up for herself. But it is at the cost of her humanity and good will towards others. As both Maxwell Lord and Minerva gain in power, Diana falters in her attempts to stop the pair. But in order to do so, Wonder Woman will once again have to sacrifice her happiness. 

I liked WW84 a lot more than I liked the first film. Maybe it's because 1984 is a year smack dab in my childhood. So possibly there's more nostalgia than actual enjoyment here. Clocking in a 2.5 plus hours, this is a lengthy film. There are several scenes that I don't think we needed, like an opening scene from Diana's childhood trials on Themyscira. But the extra scene in the middle of the credits- that was a surprise that was coming for a very, very long time!

There were quite a few humorous elements to this movie. Gal Gadot and Chris Pine have great chemistry together; much to comedic effect. Gadot's interactions with Kristen Wiig as Barbara Minerva, before her fall from grace, were rather good too. And Pedro Pascal's role as conman businessman Maxwell Lord is very good. He's slimy just like in the comics.  Although, I've never pictured Lord as a Latin Lothario. Max's creators have always aimed at him being a trumped up, um well, Trump. And while Pedro Pascal does seem to have the hair down pat- this guy just isn't a native New Yorker.

As I said earlier, this film has had it's haters. I'm not one of them. But I feel that this film had it's flaws. Along with being about 25 minutes too long, director Patty Jenkins falls into that trap once again of using slow motion during the fight scenes. Now, that super slo-mo isn't as frequently used as in the first movie. But the directors of the DC live action movies have got to say enough's enough with this oft used (and now worn-out) visual trope. 

I also felt that the awesome concept of having wishes come true but with negative consequences was a very good way to use Maxwell Lord in this movie without him becoming Lord Havok. But the way things wrap up with an impassioned speech by Wonder Woman that inspires the world to renounce their wishes, it felt like a remake of The Wizard of Oz. And I hated that part. 

Lastly, the ending itself. This has got to be the first super hero movie I've seen in which the baddies don't get what's coming to them. Lord seems to get a happy ending. And who knows where Barbara Minerva wound up. But it wasn't dead or in jail, I can tell you that. And not having justice served made the conclusion of this film seem unfinished.

We're supposed to have a third Wonder Woman film. The pandemic and the critics didn't seem to do too much to keep Warner Bros. from declaring a hit on their hands. But hopefully, the crew behind this film can learn from it's mistakes to make the third installment a flawless hit. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Wonder Woman (2017)

Well it took a while but I finally got to see Wonder Woman in theatres. I had every intention of going sooner than I did. But this quarter of teaching has been a little more busier than I expected. We've got this new online teaching system that means we're having to transfer over stuff from the old system to the new. Things that are supposed to only take an hour to do are taking me three or four. But my wife thought it was time for me to get out of the house some, so she took me to see Wonder Woman.

The film starts off after the events of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. We see Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) working at a museum in Paris when she accepts a package from Bruce Wayne. The package is the old photograph that Diana was trying to steal back from Lex Luthor. Wayne kept his promise from the first movie and recovered the item and had it sent back to her. At which point, Diana reflects on her life on Themyscira and decision to join the world of men.

(Spoilers Below...)

On Themyscira, Diana is the crown princess. She longs to train as the other warriors among her do. But her mother Queen Hippolyta forbids it. See, during the final war of the gods between Zeus and Ares, in his last act before dying, Zeus created a powerful god killing weapon to stop Ares should he ever return. Diana thinks that the God Killer is a sword that she steals from the Themyscira armory. In reality, the God Killer is her.

When Steve Trevor (Star Trek's Chris Pine) crash lands on Themyscira, Diana is alerted to the horrors of the first World War. She believes that Ares is behind the destruction and secrets herself and Trevor on a ship in order to stop him. When she learns of a German General, played by Danny Huston, who has perfected a lethal gas that even gas masks cannot prevent, the warrior princess is convinced that he is Ares. Thus, Diana leads a team of mercenaries, along with Trevor, behind enemy lines to stop him from carrying out his master plan.

(Okay, you can stop covering your eyes...)

Wonder Woman was a good movie. Yes, I think in some ways, it was quite superior to Batman V. Superman. But there were a few things about the film that got on my nerves. The biggest annoyance is not just Wonder Woman's fault but something that I am getting tired with the superhero genre as a whole- the use of slow motion during fight scenes. While this looks impressive on video games, I think it ruins the fast pace flow of an action scene. I'm also getting sick of repeats- that's when say a building explodes and they show the same explosion from multiple angles. It's just not needed.

I think Patty Jenkins did a very go job directing the film. She managed to bring out an array of emotions and qualities from the actors to a point that I felt that they all had an amazing chemistry with each other. Jenkins didn't allow Wonder Woman to fall into a trap of being classified as a sexpot or overly Amazon. Diana was allowed to be sensitive while vulnerable- a sort of Sgt. York in that she's a pacifist but willing to fight for justice when diplomacy cannot be attained. Plus her fish out of water approach to 1918 England was very well played by Israeli actress Gadot. 

Jenkins also did a great job keeping the true of identity of Ares secret. As a former film studies minor, I've gotten really good at figuring mysteries out. But I was completely shocked when I found out who the villain really was. And excellent job on the social media community keeping their mouths closed on the reveal as well!

I'm very glad my wife made me get out of the house and go see Wonder Woman. I am really glad that my bride decided to go with me. For the most part, with exception of not knowing who a few characters were, she followed it very well. Having not seen Batman V. Superman didn't hurt her either. 

One thing I was on the fence about was the decision NOT to include Lynda Carter in the film. The actress played Wonder Woman on TV from 1976-1979 and it's her most iconic role. I was first disappointed to her that she wouldn't make some sort of cameo in the film. But now, I only think it would have cheapened the continuity and feel of the film adding that little bit of nostalgia. Besides, I think Supergirl is doing a great job of honoring Carter's contribution to the role by having the actress play the President of the United States on the CW series. 

Overall, Wonder Woman was a spectacular film that firmly establishes something comic book aficionados have known for decades- Wonder Woman is a flagship member of the DC Universe and is here to stay. Sadly, it took over 75 years for studios to realize this and give her a much due solo action film.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.