WW 84

Neon colors from the 80s.

The pandemic struck hard in the world. Not only in health terms but also in unemployment rates, businesses going out of business, and the industry of entertainment struggling to find new ways to deliver their products to a world that could no longer go out to concerts, cafe venues, and movie theaters. Moreover, global warming, nonsensical wars, dictatorships and sexism continued to hurt a planet that is running out of batteries long ago. Of course, my fellow reader, I have no intentions of waking up to this sick sad world, I'm sure you are well aware of it.

Wonder Woman 1984, AKA WW 84 was supposed to premier in theaters in 3 different dates that were delayed until it was decided the movie would premier in selected theaters in the USA & Canada, while also premiering at HBO Max streaming service on December 25th, yes, Christmas Day! A little ray of hope in such uncertain times is more than a welcomed gesture.

By the way, I stopped reviewing superhero films years ago due to an overwhelming exhaustion caused by lots of these films. However, I can make an exception since this is the only superhero film to ever premier during the pandemic.

 

Barbara Minerva.

Maxwell Lord.

Background

WW84 is a 2020 American  superhero film based on the DC Comics character Wonder Woman. It is the sequel to 2017's Wonder Woman and the ninth installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film is once again directed by Patty Jenkins from a script she wrote with Geoff Johns (a real comic book person) and Dave Callaham, based on a story by Johns and Jenkins. Gal Gadot returns as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman, alongside Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Robin Wright, and Connie Nielsen. Set in 1984 during the Cold War, the film follows Diana and her past love Steve Trevor as they face off against Max Lord and Cheetah.

Discussion of a sequel began shortly after the release of the first film in June 2017 and the decision to proceed was confirmed the following month. Principal photography began on June 13, 2018, with filming taking place at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in England, as well as the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia in the United States, London and Duxford in England, Tenerife and Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, and Almería in Andalusia, Spain. Production wrapped on December 22, 2018, after a six-month shoot, with additional filming in July 2019.

 

Wonder Woman 1984 premiered on December 15, 2020, via the DC FanDome virtual platform. It was theatrically released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on December 25, 2020, and also made available to be streamed digitally on HBO Max for a month before it will go to premium video on demand. In international markets that do not have HBO Max, the film was theatrically released beginning on December 16, 2020. It was praised for its "escapist qualities" and Jenkins' take on the 1980s, but many critics found it "overindulgent or cliché". A sequel is in development, with Jenkins and Gadot returning.

Steve Trevor and 80s fashion.

"Not a fan of your look Steve".

Plot

In her youth, Diana Prince participated in a multi-stage athletic competition on Themyscira against older Amazons overseen by Queen Hippolyta. After falling from her horse, Diana takes a shortcut to catch up to it and resumes the competition. Just before she wins, her aunt Antiope removes her from the competition, lecturing that "no true hero is born from lies".

In 1984, 66 years after the first film, Diana works as a senior anthropologist at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., specializing in ancient Mediterranean civilizations; Diana also secretly fights crime as Wonder Woman. At work, she meets new employee Barbara Ann Minerva, an insecure woman who comes to idolize and envy Diana. After Wonder Woman foils an attempted robbery, the FBI asks Barbara to identify a cache of stolen antiquities from the robbery. Both Barbara and Diana notice that one object — later revealed to be the "Dreamstone" — has a Latin inscription. 

Diana unknowingly uses the stone by wishing that her deceased lover Steve Trevor was alive; his soul then returns and inhabits another man's body. Later, after Diana saves her from an assault, Barbara wishes upon the stone to become like Diana, inadvertently attaining Diana's superpowers and godhood. Businessman Maxwell "Max Lord" Lorenzano visits the Smithsonian under the guise of a wealthy donor, secretly coveting the Dreamstone in hopes of saving his failing oil company. During a gala at the Smithsonian, Max seduces the unwitting Barbara, who is taken by his charm to gain access to her office and steal the Dreamstone. He later wishes to become the embodiment of the stone and gains its power to grant wishes while also having the ability to take whatever he desires from others.

Friend?

...Or foe?

Review

Superheroes are obviously still a trend in the film and TV industry. Despite a certain excessive amount of products related to them, audiences around the world are still craving for more, and that accurately connects with the "Be careful was you wish for" concept present in WW 84. 

Running two hours and 30 minutes WW 84 is a light hearted story that will surely appeal to the innocence of younger audiences looking forward for an adventure full of heroics and a simple plot with simpler antagonists. Grown ups, depending on which side of fandom you're standing on, will either enjoy it for its nostalgic approach, or hate it for its apparent lack of realistic drive which serious superhero  films have (?) But I'll leave that up to you, of course.

 

The opening scenes are all about WW saving the day. For some reason, this sequences strongly reminded me of the opening scenes from Superman IV The Quest For Peace. Anyway, after the nostalgic heroics we are taken back to Diana's childhood while slapped in the face with some ugly CGI. How can this be? I mean, aren't they resourceful enough to afford working with the best? Fortunately, things get way better in that department, as the movie moves on. 

Plot wise, this ancient stone (Dreamstone) works as a wishing well and I for one, think it's a nice Mcguffin, I mean even Diana Prince, Wonder Woman! couldn't help to wish for the one thing she wanted most in the world. From there on, it's all about facing the consequences of the "be careful what you wish for" idiom which by definition is described as follows: 

 

If you get things that you desire, there may be unforeseen and unpleasant consequences.

And here's where the film actually starts. As above mentioned (in plot) The main character and her two antagonist, wish for a few changes in their lives, so consequences will arise ready or not.

Flyboy is back.

Useless man next to a Goddess.

80s wise, the setting isn't THAT 80s. There isn't a bunch of songs from the decade playing in the background, and honestly, the shopping mall scene (which also briefly features a video arcade) is the most 80s scene. On the other hand clothing, especially, Barbara's is definitely 80s. And last but not least, the Cold War. All these secret nukes and red buttons are there, and they are very 80s. I mean, a lot of movies and TV shows from the 80s focused on secret missiles, double agents and nuclear bomb fears all over, so that's definitely the other 80ish element present in the film, but then again I do wish there was more neon lights and an actual soundtrack with cool songs by Blondie, Duran Duran, A-Ha, Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, The Cure, etc.

Now, let's talk about those consequences above mentioned. While the film is directed by a woman, you can easily see the influence of men from the production desk all over.

On the one hand we have, Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) a professional woman who's not valued in her field because she isn't popular? because she doesn't have a perfect body? because she doesn't dress to kill? because she doesn't sleep with her colleagues? This is a big What the fucking fuck? moment in the movie. Moreover, Her overly anxious desire for popularity with men ultimately leads her to fight against WW, a woman that treated her kindly and befriended her! Oh, but women should hate the likes of Diana Prince! Smart, professional, independent and good looking! let's trash her! If this was a representation of women in the 80s, I'm not too sure the script had a lot of Patty Jenkins on it. it's more like it was 80% written by Geoff Johns and Dave Callaham and all Patty was left with, was to choose the dresses and hair styles.

 

Borrowing Saint Seiya's sagittarius armor.

Up up and away!

On the other hand Wonder Woman!, her movie is ruined as soon as Steve Trevor is back from the dead. Why? Well, because she becomes the good girl next to the "capable man". 

 

Look at her role as soon as Steve Trevor shows up. She helps him pick out clothes. She listens intently as he pontificates on flying. She risks herself to save children. And she appeals to the better nature of the power hungry man, to talk him off the ledge by reminding him that he has feelings... instead of snapping his damned neck like she does in the comics. 

 

You can like that. It's very likeable. That's the point. In the first film, she was defying femininity norms for the 1910s. In the sequel, Diana is embracing them: she's demure, humble, eventually selfless, supportive, but still emotionally and sexually available. She compliments men. She wants nothing for herself. How perfectly... traditional. 

 

This is no longer the woman who held the shield in No Man's Land, with the men following behind her. It's not that it's not, for the most part, an enjoyable movie. It is. I just feel guilty for liking it. Every good superhero movie has a "fuck you" quality about it. Something that uses inherent silliness to boost it. 

 

Superman was "fuck you I'm a guy in my underpants and a cape. I'm still cool. In fact, I'm cooler for making this work!"

 

Batman was "fuck you I can't even move my neck and I'm still taking dudes down."

 

Iron Man was "I'm Robert Downey Jr. and everyone said my career was dead! fuck you!"

 

Thor was "fuck you it's Shakespeare with muscles!"

 

The first Wonder Woman was a "fuck you I'm a woman in my metal underwear being scandalous". But in WW84 she spends more time getting effed than doing the effing. And if you were left feeling somewhat disappointed and can't put your finger on why, maybe that's it. 

 

It's not the plot holes. Superhero movies have those. It's not the required suspension of disbelief. It's that, in the scramble to SAY SOMETHING about the root causes of, among other things, Trumpism, everyone seemed to forget that it wasn't Maxwell Lord in superpowered Wall St. It's supposed to be a WONDER WOMAN movie. 

 

Now I'm worthy because men want to fuck me.

The Breakfast club.

Moving on to the good things about WW84 I can say, there were moments where Wonder Woman shows progress, evolution as a hero. This time her lasso of truth has become a much stronger weapon, and we get to see her cover big distances with it. I really liked that, and I liked it even more as later she learns to fly! because WW flies! In addition, I liked the fact she gets wounded and still continues to fight. The invisible plane nod was also nice. Moreover, the thing I liked the most is how she wins the big fight by not throwing a single punch to Maxwell Lord. What else? oh, the acting. We can't deny Kristen Wiig plays a convincing troubled woman. I can say the same thing about Pedro Pascal. He was good enough. Gal Gadot was also the best. that is,  when she had the chance.

Overall, an entertaining film that isn't good. it lacks most of the things it promised to be, considering WW should be an iconic feminist hero.

Here's the movie trailer: