Wonder Woman 1984 tries to capture 80’s charm to mixed results
After a whole decade of being the dominant form of movie entertainment, 2020 is the first year since Iron Man and The Dark Knight came out in 2008 that no new major superhero movies have hit the market (with the exception, of course, being Vin Diesel’s Bloodshot but who watched that). You would think that would leave the public clamoring to watch a new big-budget superhero movie at the end of the year like Wonder Woman 1984 but instead, the excitement for this movie seemed pretty low even before its multiple delays.
The plot of WW84 is pretty basic. Wonder Woman comes across a magical item that allows the user whatever they wish with a catch. She accidentally wishes for her former love Steve Trevor to come back to life. But she’s not the only one interested in using the stone. It also falls into the hands of the piece's villains, Barbara Minerva, an awkward, nerdy gem expert who wishes to become like Wonder Woman herself played by Kristin Wiig, and failed oil tycoon Max Lord who uses the stone for his own personal wealth played by Pedro Pascal.
The way this movie plays out is very different from your average superhero movie. We’ve become accustomed to the typical formula of an intense superhero movie with an expensive action scene every 20 minutes and a plot that never stops moving at breakneck speeds. WW84 is not that. In fact, WW84 is barely a modern superhero movie. And it wasn’t created to be. Director Patty Jenkins made the bold choice not only to make a Wonder Woman movie set in the 1980s, she made a Wonder Woman movie that felt like an 80’s movie. From the way the script is written to the way the movie is shot and edited, the whole movie watches like it came out 40 years ago and it feels that way on purpose. In that context, the movie’s at times overbearing cheesiness and slower pace are far more bearable and its good qualities really shine.
The movie has a theme of accepting life as it is instead of how you wish it could be. It’s a very sobering lesson from a big-budget superhero movie and maaaybe not the most inspiring message at the end of a year like 2020. But I still found the way they develop and explore that theme to be interesting. Gal Godat continues to be an ok Wonder Woman. I’ve always found her acting to be a little weak, but she’s still good in the role. However, her chemistry with costar Chris Pine shined in the first movie and continues to be great here. In fact, Steve coming back to life is what I expected to be the worst thing about this movie when I saw him in the trailers, and it actually ended up being one of the best choices in the film. Their romance is the best-handled part of the movie and serves as a very important emotional crux for the story. Without it, this film would not work, which is not what I expected going in.
Unlike most, I also really enjoyed the villains, but they are only bearable if you view this movie under the lens of a cheesy 80’s movie. Kirsten Wiig and Pedro Pascal are both intentionally playing over the top but I thought both their character’s arcs were pretty good and when the script calls for them to pull off the emotional moments they nail it. Especially, Pascal whose breakdown throughout the movie is fascinating to watch even if some will find it hammy. The action scenes were also pretty good. Patty Jenkins has improved on directing big spectacle action scenes since the first movie. While the CGI is still a little dodgy in some scenes, it’s far better choreographed than other DC movies such as Batman V Superman or Justice League. Both of those films' had as much choreography as two action figures being smashed together.
The major issue people have with this movie is getting past how cheesy it is. Personally, this did not bother me. Especially since this movie is doing it on purpose. Contrast this with the first Wonder Woman movie which plenty of cheesy moments that were trying (and failing) to be taken seriously. If you can get on its wavelength, it’s an enjoyable ride. But it’s definitely not what most people want out of a superhero movie. Even if you can get past some of the cornier moments throughout the film as I did, the movie's last act was way too over the top even for me. I was cringing throughout its entirety, and I think the impact of the ending could’ve worked better if it was toned down. All that being said, I’ll take the controversial opinion of saying that WW84 is a good movie with a lot of ideas and a lot of flaws. It’s not really the superhero film anybody wants at the end of 2020 and I’m sure on another viewing I’ll encounter a lot more problems and plot issues. But if all you’re looking for is a disposable, fun distraction to eat some popcorn with, this isn’t the worst way to fill your time.
