“Wonder Woman 1984,” directed by Patty Jenkins, continues the long-anticipated story with Gal Gadot as the fierce Wonder Woman, Diana Prince. Gadot returns in this sequel to tackle new foes and face some old ones. Starring Chris Pine, Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig, “Wonder Woman 1984” was released Dec. 25, 2020, and captures the essence of love and a journey toward regaining strength.
The film starts off with a kick by highlighting the culture of the Amazons and Wonder Woman’s childhood as a prodigy. Beginning the same way as the original film, Gadot uses subtle narration to introduce the story. Jenkins uses clever similarities between the original film and the sequel to keep the marvelous storyline going.
The 1980s aesthetic is perfect in terms of set design and wardrobe, capturing the totally rad style of this time period. One disappointment is there was no interaction between Wonder Woman and her other hero counterparts that belong in the DC Universe, such as Bruce Wayne. Even though Batman was a child at this point in time, his family could have made a cameo. To make up for this loss, the film does introduce a couple of details some might recognize from the comics.
Lacking unique shots and attention to detail shown in different scenes makes the film feel especially drawn out. A major contribution to this is the so-called villain that appears in the film. Pascal has amazing skills as an actor as seen through his portrayal of a prince in the popular HBO show “Game of Thrones” and a bounty hunter in the recently released Disney+ series, “The Mandalorian”. In “Wonder Woman 1984,” he brings his character’s personality to the table, but as it is written, he is just a desperate, penniless man with selfish intentions, not a phenomenal villain for Wonder Woman to go up against.
After seeing Diana’s capabilities as Wonder Woman in the first film, “Wonder Woman 1984” diminished her strength both physically and mentally. That being said, the decision to bring back Pine’s character Steve Trevor can either make or break the film. Diana is one of the few female superhero figures to have a significant influence, and the whole film highlights her longing for a man. The relationship between Gadot and Pine on screen is phenomenal and can have some on the edge of their seat because of the chemistry these fantastic actors give us. However, the wow factor was lost through the film’s advertising technique. The film would have had a better outcome if Pine’s return was kept a secret.
The characters’ interactions are what make the film. Gadot’s relationship built with Wiig’s character makes for a unique bond that is especially interesting to watch play out throughout the film. When Diana and Wiig’s character, Barbara, first meet, there is major foreshadowing to the end of the film, which was a special moment for those who noticed it.
There are plenty of bittersweet moments and surprises throughout the film, which goes perfectly with Wonder Woman’s storyline. Aside from its disappointments, “Wonder Woman 1984” makes for a decent film and was worth watching to see where Wonder Woman’s future lies.