By Patrick Bartlett (Twitter: @alleywaykrew)
Warner Bros.’ DC movies of the last several years (aka the DC Extended Universe, starting with “Man Of Steel”) have undeniably been a mixed bag. The aforementioned “Man Of Steel” and “Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice” have been lambasted for being too dark. While I more or less enjoy them on their own merits, I can’t deny the argument of them being not what I feel like Batman or Superman should be. That’s fine though. The people that love them REALLY love them. The one thing I think can’t be disputed though is that they got Wonder Woman about as perfect as one can hope for. That’s legitimately great for fans. I have a cinematic Batman I can point to as what I see in my head. I have something similar for Superman. Wonder Woman was left out of films for decades though. As good as her role in “Dawn Of Justice” was, it was continued with her solo film. Unlike the preceding DC films, the worst opinions I heard about “Wonder Woman” were damning it with faint praise. People enjoyed it, so the sequel was not only inevitable but anxiously awaited. Said sequel, “Wonder Woman 1984” seems like it’s going to be divisive like almost every piece of major art these days but it more than measures up as far I’m concerned.
“Wonder Woman” was set in 1918 during World War I. “Wonder Woman 1984” obviously takes place in 1984. It’s a massive time jump and makes me wonder why they didn’t do a World War II movie with the character or one of the many other eras that could have featured the title character. Having said that, setting it in 1984 turns out to be a fascinating opportunity to hold up a mirror to the era in comparison to present day. “Wonder Woman 1984” is to a large extent about how selfish people can be. It’s a film about individuals putting their desires above anyone and everyone else for most of its runtime. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world, this was easily evident as a problem that’s been a source of strain for not only America but for practically the entirety of civilization. Sure, all living beings want things but the human race has been a bottomless pit of endless need seemingly since the moment we found our way out of caves. That might be okay if it wasn’t for the growing fervency of that constant desire. Its toll is being felt by all of us and the Earth itself. We’ve been at a tipping point as a society for longer than any of us can probably remember and that’s why I appreciate a film like this offering the kind of larger than life illustration of this endless conflict in a way than no other genre can.
We pick up with the Diana decades after we left her in 1918, living a life of mostly solitude. She’s doing good work where she can in her Wonder Woman identity while offering her unique perspective on history as an anthropologist. She befriends Kristen Wiig’s character of Barbara Minerva, someone in a similar place in life to where Diana is. They end up discovering an artifact that can only really be described as a magical wishing stone. Now, yes, I know that sounds ridiculous. At first, I am willing to let you know that I was put off by it… and then I realized that magic has always been a big part of DC Comics. This is the universe of Zatanna and John Constantine and Doctor Fate along with countless other characters where magic is treated as both weird and commonplace simultaneously. Once you realize that, it’s a much easier pill to swallow. Even the characters believe the idea of the stone is outlandish. That doesn’t stop Barbara from making a wish to be “special” like Diana though. Anyway, wealthy businessman and infomercial superstar Maxwell Lord (played by Pedro Pascal) ingratiates himself to Barbara in a plot to get the stone for himself. It turns out that he’s not as successful as portrayed. He wants to not only use the stone but to actually become the stone itself. By granting wishes, the fine print is that there will always be a price for them to come true. Lord wants to reap the benefits of the prices people pay for the wishes they make.
It really does all sound crazy, I know, but if such a thing really existed… wouldn’t everyone look to get access to it? Isn’t there something that you want more than anything in life, no matter what it would cost you? Even Wonder Woman does. Diana wishes for the love of her life, Steve Trevor, to come back to her. She gets what she asked for and we as an audience get the majesty of Chris Pine back as the character. It seems fairly win-win, only for all the literal wish fulfillment to take darker and darker turns for the rest of the story. I’m not interested in spoiling things but honestly, despite how over the top things end up, the core human element of the story was never lost to me. I say that even with the knowledge that the character of Wonder Woman isn’t human. She’s essentially a god. However, one thing I’ve always thought was interesting about DC is that you have literal gods as characters, characters on par with gods, etc. and they’re made to be relatable on a human level. Wonder Woman fascinates for being Diana as much as for being Wonder Woman. The reason a character like Superman is interesting isn’t because of all he can do. It’s that he can do all that and have that ultimately not matter to the character. He’s a man that’s both an alien and almost a deity but the man is what matters to him and therefore what matters to us. That’s why these characters have lasted since our grandparents were children and will still have the same importance long after all of us are gone. They’ll always be what they’re needed to be.
Gal Gadot is even better than I ever thought the character of Wonder Woman could be in live-action. She brings the strength and the fierceness that the character needs to have. She brings the femininity. She also brings a warmth that breathes life to the character in a way that had never really occurred to me in all of my years as a fan of the comics. She’s a warrior, sure. She’s also undeniably lovable and someone that can be related to. It’s always obvious why that character does everything she can to stay off of a pedestal and it’s equally clear why everyone would put her there. Her journey in this film is beautiful and heartbreaking in a way that most turns for the character don’t get to be, or that most superhero movies get to be. Beyond Gadot’s performance, having Chris Pine back as Steve Trevor is wonderful. On paper, you think about why Wonder Woman and Superman wouldn’t be together, as they seem like such an epic match. However, I don’t know if you can look at Diana and Steve’s relationship and not realize they’re a perfect match. The characters complement each other beautifully and the same could be said of the actors. I don’t know if they can keep coming up with reasons why a man from the early 1900s can return but I’m here for it.
The villains’ parts are very much over the top but gleefully so. I don’t know if it’s spoiling anything since so much of the promotional material for the film has already given it away but while I was skeptical of Wiig playing the woman who would eventually become Cheetah, she knocked it out of the park. Her performance keeps what could be a really silly character grounded in reality. Anyone who’s been in the position that we meet that character in has be able to relate or at least understand why she ends up as she does. Pascal’s performance is definitely played bigger. It works for the character though. He’s not quite a buffoon. He’s a guy who’s trying to put forth an image of what he wants to while in actuality being about as far from that as one can imagine.
The reason I’ve really enjoyed the original “Wonder Woman” since its release is why I also enjoy this film as much as I do and that’s very much Patty Jenkins’ direction. This is only her second tentpole and she brings a unique quality that I find fascinating, especially in this day and age. As great as the character was in Zack Snyder’s hands, she’s improved that much more in Jenkins’. These two films themselves don’t feel like other films in the DCEU or even like the Marvel Studios movies currently capturing the zeitgeist. What both of the “Wonder Woman” films remind me of most is the adventure films of the ’90s. Movies like Stephen Herek’s “The Three Musketeers”, Joe Johnston’s “The Rocketeer”, etc. There’s a swashbuckling feeling to those that Jenkins brings here and as such, there’s an element of fun that can’t always be found in the DCEU or anything else being released today. She also keeps the humanity of the characters as a focus in a way that she has since she was doing awards darlings like “Monster” before her current blockbuster days. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
With all the positive that I’ve opined up to this point, I can’t say “Wonder Woman 1984” is without its flaws. There’s definitely a lot more going on here than in the first and one could say that the film is overstuffed. It’s hard to debate that. It’s definitely on the edge of having too much going on but it never goes as far as something like “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” or even “Batman Vs. Superman”. It definitely teeters precariously close to that territory but I never felt like there was more going on than the film and story could handle. It does suffer a bit in the way that basically almost all films of its kind with more than one villain do though. To some extent, to service the villain’s journeys, the title character is made slightly less focal than they probably should be but Diana’s journey was compelling to me nonetheless.
I’m certainly in the minority on “Wonder Woman 1984”. I’ve found something to enjoy in all of the DCEU films that Warner Bros. has created so far though. I will happily wear that like a badge of honor. It’s so easy to join the din of negativity created by people who don’t like them but that’s not particularly interesting to me. I just don’t see the point. They’re not without flaws and some would say that they’re not on par with other superhero stories being released. Fine. The fact that they’re doing work to set themselves apart is itself worthy of commendation. Moreover, the fact that the popularity of super cinema led to a live-action Wonder Woman on film means more than it may seem. The fact that this portrayal of the character can be pointed out as a shining example of how you can get it right almost makes everything else worthwhile. The kind of empowerment that comes with its very existence? Girls deserve that. Women deserve it. The character itself does as well. I have the Dark Knight trilogy to point to. My dad had Donner’s Superman. These films might be something as important for people in the future. That’s a beautiful idea. As for right now, anything that gives people any hope or joy at all is something to be appreciated. After the long road to its relase, I’m glad to finally have it.
To find out where this film is available to stream, click here: Just Watch