Wonder Woman 1984
Year: 2020
Rating: PG-13
Length: 151 minutes / 2.52 hours
1980s nostalgia is hot right now, which is likely why this movie exists. After all, most Millennials are now earning enough to be the target demographic for Hollywood. The success of Stranger Things and other ’80s throwbacks makes this decade overdone at this point. And while Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) doesn’t really lean in too much to the ’80s—other than some jokes and fashion choices—the fact that this movie could have taken place in any decade is testament to its generic feel.
When I saw the first trailers, I had no idea how they could bring back Chris Pine’s character, after his fate in Wonder Woman (2017) was pretty final. I didn’t particularly like how they brought him back in this film, other than to have him play off Gal Gadot’s titular superhero. In fact, I felt the whole “Diana is lonely” plotline was a bit overdramatic considering she had 40+ years to get over him. Then again, what woman wouldn’t “pine” for Chris Pine? At the very least, Diana got the closure she needed, even if it was all fake.
For a popcorn action flick, Wonder Woman 1984 certainly delivers. As is the case with most superhero sequels, the titular character is confident and shows new abilities that are fun to see in action. However, it was hard to tell just who the main villain of this film was. While there was a clear plotline for Kristen Wiig’s Barbara Minerva being the villain, she and Diana rarely shared enough screen time for the hero to realize that she had an antagonist to fight. Additionally, the “true” villain was technically just a magic rock that was out of control, which is why there wasn’t much personality to it other than what Pedro Pascal could provide.
A fairly standard superhero film that doesn’t lean into much of its era or characters, I give Wonder Woman 1984 3.0 stars out of 5.
