Today’s quick review: Wonder Woman 1984. When Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) stumbles on a wish-granting artifact known as the Dreamstone, she accidentally brings back Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), the pilot she loved during World War I. But when Diana and Steve learn the terrible price of using the stone, they must stop Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), a struggling oil tycoon, and Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), Diana’s shy colleague, from abusing its power.
Wonder Woman 1984 is a superhero action movie based on the DC Comics character. Wonder Woman 1984 picks up almost 70 years after the first film and follows Diana as she attempts to defend the mortal world from a dangerous artifact. The sequel opts for a lighter tone, a brighter color palette, and a story that’s less central to Diana’s character. Its characters and action make it a fun popcorn watch, but it’s missing the depth of the original.
Wonder Woman 1984 gets the basics right, beginning with its characters. Diana and Steve have the same easy chemistry as before, and while their arc is not as meaningful as in the first film, seeing Gal Gadot and Chris Pine together is a treat. Pedro Pascal holds up his end of the film as Maxwell Lord, whose lust for power can’t quite erase his underlying humanity. Kristen Wiig’s performance is less memorable but still satisfies the needs of the story.
Wonder Woman 1984 is effectively a standalone story. The only major connections to the first film are the return of Steve Trevor and Diana’s Amazonian background. The rest is cut from whole cloth. The advantage of this approach is that it taps into the type of adventure the superhero genre is known for: a larger-than-life conflict that only the hero can resolve. The disadvantage is that the weighty themes of the first film are nowhere to be seen.
In terms of craft, Wonder Woman 1984 lacks the subtle touch of its predecessor. The setting has the trappings of the 1980s but mostly comes across as artificial. The story takes a long time to get going, while the Dreamstone’s powers are not grounded enough to make for effective drama. Finally, the action scenes are few and far between, with airy combat that relies heavily on greenscreen and doesn’t show the full impact of Diana’s powers.
Wonder Woman 1984 is a fun movie that benefits from a skilled cast, decent character work, and the flexibility of the superhero genre. Fans of Wonder Woman specifically or action movies in general will get something out of it, even if its lengthy run time makes it a bit of an investment. However, anyone looking for the moral themes, tight action, and simple humanity should approach with caution.
For a more fulfilling take on the character, try the original Wonder Woman. For an animated version of Wonder Woman that adapts some of the same parts of her mythos, try Wonder Woman: Bloodlines. For an optimistic DC superhero movie with a better balance of humor and heart, try Shazam!. For a fantasy action adventure with better action and a similarly tenuous relationship with ancient mythology, try Gods of Egypt.
[5.4 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7126948/). I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for an enjoyable adventure with some notable rough spots.