Wonder Woman 1984

When it comes DC's cinematic universe, which is almost defunct today as they opt for more standalone stories, Wonder Woman from 2017 as probably one of their best films since the end of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. Patty Jenkins directed a fun and engaging action adventure that neatly balanced comedy with drama while boasting a great performance from Gal Gadot as the leading lady. The film is still a lot of fun upon revisiting until that treacherous third act which saw DC fall back on its familiar bombastic explosions and almost derailed the overall experience but hopefully its 2021 sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, would find a way to improve on the flaws of its predecessor. 

Set many years after the events of the last film which saw Diana's lover, Steve Trevor, sacrifice himself in order to help defeat Aries, WW 1984 sees her fighting crime and enjoying life in Washington D.C. but she still misses him. It's here she makes friends with her colleague, Barbara (Kristen Wiig), and businessman, Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), who both wish for things outside of their mortal power but find an ancient artefact that can grant wishes. The saying "be careful what you wish for" becomes reality and soon Diana battle to undo everyone's wishes, including her own that brings Steve back to life, before something far worse happens. 

Jenkins returns to the direct again and keeps the vibe suitably light and entertaining. This is made possible thanks to another great performance from Gadot, and also from a very talented supporting cast, but despite it all, WW 1984 can't escape feeling somewhat forgettable and even shallow. The first film had many thrilling sequences and memorable moments, particularly the WW1 battle scene as Diana stepped foot into no man's land, but there is sadly nothing here that can really compare. 

Instead the film feels overly long with 151 minute running time that just felt excessive for the story here. This is made worse by an unnecessary flashback to Diana's childhood at the start when the original had already perfectly covered this part of her life. Cutting this would have helped the pacing and given the adequate story more time to develop but this one still makes the mistake of the original with another CGI throw down now between Diana and the put upon antagonist that goes through the motions of a typical superhero film. 

I wouldn't call Wonder Woman 1984 to be as terrible as others have said; it's just not very exciting and feels overly safe as these films go. Gadot is still terrific and I'm sure a third film is in development so hopefully that will deliver on the potential of her character. This is an easy one to watch in the background but a hard film to really engage with so I'd end by saying it's fine, a good film to switch your brain off when watching on a plane.