‘Wonder Woman 1984’ – Reviewing the Retrospective

This review does contain spoilers of ‘Wonder Woman 1984’, so if you have not seen the film, please go back and read this review after.

The film opens on a return to Diana’s youth and we are graced with the beautiful land of Themyscira, flourishing with every shot along with a soundtrack composed by Hans Zimmer. It culminates in Diana reaching the start of a triathlon of sorts, where the score begins to truly shine. How this course is moved about by Diana is incredibly depicted, shifting every which way and puts the audience at the edge of their seats. Diana completes the course with great agility and ingenuity, but when it comes to the Amazonians, what is valued most exceeds ingenuity. Taking a shortcut, although clever, is not as important as being honest. Lilly Aspell (young Diana), Robin Wright (Antiope) and Connie Nielsen (Hippolyta) all bring heart to this opening that, although brief, remains very true to their characters in this new lesson Diana learns. Overall, audiences feel Diana’s strife with everything she had just done being taken away from her, and so the theme of honesty strikes hard before we’re thrown into the film’s present day, 1984.

Once we jump into this neon-colored world, the aesthetic is immediately made clear. We a thrown into a Goonies-esque establishing of the landscape, showing plenty of cliché scenarios you’d find in the 80s. I have to think much inspiration is taken from the Wonder Woman television show of the late ’70s. All of this is rolled up into a vibe that I found quite alluring and made for a campy and pretty enjoyable feel that defines itself throughout the rest of the film. The score also shifts into this world seamlessly, and it exhilarates with anticipation for what’s to come. Gal Gadot is the cherry on top of it all, as she exhibits such grace and charm as not just Wonder Woman, but a hero for the age she finds herself in.

Diana, although set in her ways that make her the hero she is today, is also very human. She has devoted all her life to what she values, including Steve Trevor. It’s a layer to Diana that has manifested since she first met Steve and further defines itself as this film progresses. Barbara Minerva (Kristin Wiig) is someone new in Diana’s life who contrasts her. Diana, who is incredibly and eternally pure, treats Barbara with the respect she doesn’t get from others. It is these other characters that bring audiences to the Dream Stone, which falls into the hands of Barbara, who works alongside Diana at the Smithsonian, to analyze. The wishing concept in this film, to that end, fits in with the tone like a puzzle piece. It brings about plenty of chaos, and although it does get pretty muddled by the film’s end, it afflicts every single character and their own motivations which is indeed quite intriguing.

Diana’s opposition in this film, essentially, is Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal). He brings something quite sinister to the role, while also giving us a deep dive as to why. Walking this line makes him just as sympathetic as the characters we’ve already been introduced to, including Diana. Regardless, he embodies what contests the core value that is the foundation of this journey for her. A con artist that can grant wishes that take as much as they give is the ultimate threat to leading a life of honesty. Although the powers still remain godlike, it is a human that possesses them, differentiating from the villains we’ve already seen Diana face. Diana does wish Steve back to life prompting the return of Chris Pine. It was not exactly her intention to do so, but that in and of itself poses a threat to her values. What’s most interesting is that she is aware of what is going on, but chooses to stay in the illusion. As realistic as it is to remain lost in her human heart, it can also be construed as an odd step backward in character development. Additionally, Steve Trevor’s lost-in-time, Back to the Future-esque naivety makes for some incredibly comedic moments, also fitting in well with the tone.

As the wishes explode, Diana and Steve begin to investigate that what’s happening is tethered to the Gods, which unsurprisingly launches audiences into a thrill ride. Diana and Steve’s flight to Cairo (in a jet that’s rendered into what it is most famously known as), Barbara realizing the abilities that she shares with Diana yet abusing them without the values Diana possesses, and the epic chase after Max Lord all exhibit some amazing action and cinematography that plays well into the narrative. The duel between wants and needs becomes tumultuous with our characters and their world, and although the line is blurred, the reality and truth of it bring to the forefront some gratifying and developmental choices. Each character’s choice works in conjunction with another’s, including Barbara who joins Lord and levels the playing field against Diana at the White House making for probably the most engaging fight scene of the film. The world becomes rife with the sin of greed and brews an interesting end-times atmosphere that also fits in with the tone. It’s a world that Diana must restore, but she must restore the powers she needs by giving up what she wants with Steve.

The unfortunate aspects of this film stem largely from the wishing concept despite it being executed decently. Such a concept also comes with a slew of plot conveniences that can’t be avoided when watching. The campiness, beginning with Diana’s flight, convenient armor, and the reveal of Cheetah just become too far-fetched and, even if they played out better, were too short-lived given the film’s runtime. When Diana and Max Lord finally come face to face, Lord’s physical powers seem random. The meaningful conclusion backed by a score calling back to Dawn of Justice seemed very congested and I feel this conclusion could have been better understood if there was better writing.

Overall, Wonder Woman 1984 works well as a superhero film and is another solid installment in the vein of its predecessor, but it does get quite lost in its whimsical nature, especially when it comes to the narrative.

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