Wonder Woman 1984 is a totally rad ’80s adventure, but not without faults

Director Patty Jenkins is back with a fun, sometimes rushed ’80s adventure for our titular hero in the DCEU movie Wonder Woman 1984.

After a grand crescendo in 2019, 2020 ended up being the quietest year for superhero movies in a long time. For those of us who anxiously waited as movie after movie was delayed, the announcement that Wonder Woman 1984 would release on both HBO Max and in theaters on December 25 was a welcomed surprise. And it’s just the superhero movie we could use right now.

It feels like the DCEU has finally found its footing after a string of quite enjoyable movies, including Aquaman (2018), Shazam (2019) and now Wonder Woman 1984, which has that distinctly “new DC” feel to it: it’s a little cheesy at times, maybe a little over-the-top, possibly cartoonish…but we can forgive that, because those things are the foundation of the superhero genre in the first place.

The (second) opening scene in the movie, for example, takes place in a Washington, D.C.-area shopping mall where a robbery is going down. Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) has it on her schedule to stop some mall crimes that day, and the sequence could have easily been ripped from an ’80s Saturday morning cartoon. This tone ebbs and flows throughout the movie — some moments more serious than others — but it doesn’t necessarily detract from the overall feel of the film.

Let me, then, discuss some of my favorite aspects of the movie. Gone is the “Zack Snyder”-cool, hard-contrast filter placed over the first Wonder Woman movie. Instead, the picture is beautifully vibrant in a way that reflects the feel of ’80s pop culture. There’s also big hair, chunky ’80s technology and those sporty-looking cars — all the little details that come together to create a convincing picture of the ’80s. (At least to this millennial.) Wonder Woman’s costumes in particular are absolutely stunning. Diana has some seriously drop-dead gorgeous pieces that anyone would kill to get their hands on right now.

The movie itself is all about this “bigger and better” and “more, more, more” generation of the ’80s. That’s reflected everywhere from the visuals to the plot. Now working at the Smithsonian in D.C., Diana and socially awkward coworker Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) find themselves in the possession of a special artifact. That’s when ’80s businessman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) comes into the picture, slyly taking the artifact in the hopes of gain unlimited money, power and influence, and it’s up to Diana to stop him.

PEDRO PASCAL as Max Lord in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “WONDER WOMAN 1984,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/ ™ & © DC Comics.

I appreciate that this movie scales down the villains while still providing our hero with a challenge. Most superhero movies always try to up the ante with progressively more powerful villains like Ares, Steppenwolf and Darkseid. Eventually, you get to a point where their power seems ridiculous compared to the hero’s very first foe. But Wonder Woman 1984 takes a step back, presenting Diana will a baddie who’s more smart (and lucky) than strong.

That said, the plot does get a little muddied towards the climax. Events begin to escalate at a rapid rate, leading you to wonder what you missed. Still, even though Max isn’t the toughest of villains, I appreciate his spirit, and you can tell that Pascal (fresh off of The Mandalorian season 2) had a blast playing him. Meanwhile, Kristen Wiig provides a lot of comic relief as Barbara/Cheetah, but she and Maxwell Lord don’t really gel as an evil duo.

Gal Gadot, of course, shines in the title role, although there are lulls in the plot where you forget that Wonder Woman is a superhero and not a spy. (On top of that, we have my new favorite trope, which appears twice in this movie for some reason: Diana sits on the floor defeated and talks villains down from a ledge.)

And ah yes, Chris Pine is back as Steve Trevor, brought back in a way that wasn’t on my “ways Steve Trevor will be brought back” bingo card. But it’s better not to spoil that mystery for anyone!

Overall, Wonder Woman 1984 is bright and shiny and should hold your attention. There are at least two satisfying fan service moments, and big comic book fans may find a lot more. And while it’s not the perfect superhero film (and the underlying message of the film might be a little messy), it’s still a fun superhero adventure that gives Wonder Woman fans reason to cheer.

Grade: B+

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels