Wonder Woman 1984

 

In 1984, Amazonian Diana of Themyscira (Gal Gadot) works as an anthropologist for the Smithsonian as Diana Prince while covertly fighting crime as Wonder Woman. She is idolized by her new coworker, Barbara Ann Minerva (Kristen Wiig), an awkward and insecure scientist. While examining a cache of stolen antiquities, the two come across a Dreamstone supposedly capable of granting any wish. For Diana, this means a chance to reunite with lost love Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), who sacrificed himself more than sixty years ago. For Barbara, it means newfound power and confidence. And for beleaguered businessman Max Lord (Pedro Pascal), it means gaining the success and prestige he only pretends that he has. Whatever the Dreamstone grants, however, comes at a great cost.

 

2017’s Wonder Woman remains the high water mark of the DC Extended Universe, and so writer-director Patty Jenkins would have had difficulty surpassing it even if the film’s buzz wasn’t killed by repeated delays. As it stands, Wonder Woman 1984 is cliché-ridden and overstuffed yet redeemed, in part, by its stylistic prowess.

 

If Stranger Things is an 80s homage, then Wonder Woman 1984 is an overly broad pastiche. It takes copious shots at the fashion, the unnamed president is a Ronald Reagan caricature, and a blond-coiffed, fancy-suited Max Lord is a more chipper and charismatic take on retro Donald Trump. Unfortunately, the shallowness of these references undercut the propriety of the setting. Late Cold War tensions and conspicuous consumption were both present at the time, but they are less explored than they are tossed haphazardly like kindling to fuel the film’s conflicts. Despite having nothing novel to say, the film lays on its platitudes – truth is good, greed is bad – rather thick, with the Dreamstone a particularly hackneyed symbol of the dangers of excess.

 

Cursed as they sometimes are with insipid dialogue, the performers otherwise acquit themselves well. Gadot’s take on Wonder Woman – a warrior with a moral center who inspires others – continues to do the character justice. Wiig, best known for her comedy work, defies casting skeptics and is equally credible as dorky (early film) and fearsome (latter film). The nobody-to-nemesis transformation is a minor superhero film tradition, and while Wiig doesn’t reach the rarefied air of Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman in Batman Returns, she soars above Jamie Foxx’s Electro in The Amazing Spiderman 2. Lord is a character with a complicated history, spending years as a morally ambiguous presence before jumping off the deep end. Adaptations usually treat him as a boilerplate corrupt corporate executive, a Lex Luther Lite, and while there are shadings of that here, he’s also given some sympathetic edges. Pascal’s performance is, admittedly, hammy, but after seeing him stoically occupy the Mandalorian armor for so long, it’s a nice change of pace for him to let loose.

 

As with the first Wonder Woman film, this installment benefits from well-choreographed action. From the opening’s pseudo-Olympics to a highway chase scene, Jenkins and co. handle key sequences with thrilling aplomb. Hans Zimmer came out of self-imposed superhero film retirement to provide the score though sadly, it is not one of his more memorable works.

 

Warner Brothers’ big-screen comic book fiefdom has acquired a style-over-substance reputation, and Wonder Woman 1984 does nothing to challenge it. Ask little of this film, and you can be entertained. Come expecting more, and you will be disappointed.