Bill Goodykoontz|Arizona Republic
A lot of acclaim accompanied “Wonder Woman” when it premiered in 2017, and for good reason. Abig-budget film with a woman superhero was long overdue.
Breaking down the door of such a dug-in boys’ club was important. The movie itself, however, was just kind of good. Gal Gadot was terrific as Diana Prince and her alter ego, Wonder Woman. But a lot of promise eventually gave way to yet another generic chaotic battle-scene finale, as any DC or Marvel movie seemingly must. It felt like a good opportunity squandered, at least a little bit.
Good news: “Wonder Woman 1984,” director Patty Jenkins’ long-awaited sequel, is a much better film. It’s not that it’s lacking in chaos. (With a running time of 2 hours and 31 minutes, it's not lacking in much.) It just uses chaos more judiciously. That's fitting fora film about wretched excess, about getting what you want and realizing that maybe you were better off without it.
Steve Trevor's return fits the story (and Chris Pine has a blast)
As the title suggests, the film is set in 1984, and Jenkins goes all out to recreate the era, from the fashion to the music to the threats: the Soviet Union, nuclear war, etc. (There is an opening segment set during Diana's childhood in Themyscira, the island inhabited by women warriors where Diana grew up. She competes in a kind of “American Ninja Warrior” competition against older warriors in a defining race.)
Diana is working for the Smithsonian Institution. She’s still mourning Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), who — spoiler alert if you didn’t see “Wonder Woman,” though you should before you see this one — died at the end of the first film. That was several decades ago, but Diana is still single, dines alone, keeps to herself (and hasn’t aged a minute).
She also occasionally stops crime and prevents disaster, but on the sly. News reports talk about “a mysterious female savior.”
Mostly, though, she just goes about her day, missing Steve.
One day some artifacts arrive, including one especially mysterious piece. Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), a co-worker, identifies it as junk, something that’s supposed to grant whoever holds it a wish. But the wish comes with a price. (W.W. Jacobs’ short story “The Monkey’s Paw” is mentioned several times.)
This, of course, will prove crucial to the story, especially when Max Lord (Pedro Pascal) steals it.
Pascal is a hustler, a grifter with a vaguely orange-ish combover whowe see pitching a business idea from televisions all over the place.
“I’m not a con man!” he yells at one investor. “I’m a television personality and a respected businessman with a plan!”
Hmm. Sound like anyone we know?
Without giving too much away, Steve returns (as seen in the ubiquitous trailers), and it’s handled in a way that doesn’t stretch the premise of the film to the breaking point. Granted, the breaking point in a film where Diana can turn a plane invisible is pretty malleable. But there’s poignancy to his reappearance and his place in the story. Pine has a blast, as the curious Steve tries to figure out the new world around him. (Jenkins basically stages an ’80s fashion show as he and Diana try to figure out what he should wear to fit in.)
Gal Gadot's performance is muted, as Wonder Woman figures out her future
Barbara’s transformation from meek archeologist to Wonder Woman’s archenemy is similarly well-handled, particularly given the structure of the story — a change Wiig makes easily enough. Of course she’s good at the stumbling, bumbling Barbara. But Wiig is a gifted dramatic actor, as she’s shown in films like “The Skeleton Twins” and “Welcome to Me,” for example. Her story is shunted aside at times, but as with most movies like this, there’s a lot going on.
And a lot going on with Diana. This isn’t herorigin story — the original film was. We already have a pretty good idea of her powers and her commitment to truth. “No true hero is born of lies,” she’s told early on.
But this is Diana coming to terms with her past and what she can mean to the future, and the sacrifices she will have to make in order to fulfill her destiny. Gadot captures the emotions behind that sacrifice. It’s a somewhat muted performance, but that’s fitting, too. Diana is figuring things out, making tough choices, already affected by tragedy.
And pushing speeding tanks out of the way while she’s at it.
“This world is not yet ready for all that you will do,” the young Diana is told in the opening race. By the time “Wonder Woman 1984” is over, it is.
'Wonder Woman 1984,' 4 stars
Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★
Fair ★★★ Bad ★★Bomb★
Director: Patty Jenkins.
Cast: Gal Gadot, Steve Pine, Pedro Pascal.
Rating:PG-13 for sequences of action and violence.
Note: Opens in theaters and streams on HBO Max on Dec. 25.
Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk.
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