Fast forwarding to 1984 after years of keeping a low-profile working at the Smithsonian, Princess Diana finds herself defending against the Soviet Union and the power-hungry Maxwell Lord who hopes to take over the world. As if that weren't enough, a new enemy known as Cheetah is revealed and adds to the complications.
Gal Gadot (Diana), Chris Pine (Steve), Kristen Wiig (Minerva/Cheetah), Pedro Pascal (Maxwell), Robin Wright (Antiope), Connie Nielsen (Hippolyta), Lilly Aspell (Young Diana), Amr Waked (Emir), Natasha Rothwell (Carol).
Wonder Woman 1984 begins with a bit of catch-up and plot setup before going off the rails. Essentially, Diana has been working under the radar at the Smithsonian since we last left her. At work, she comes across an artifact with incredible power. The artifact is quickly taken by a power-hungry madman with hopes of taking over the world. In the process, a new super-villain named Cheetah is created and only adds to Wonder Woman's problems.
Acting was lacking energy and fit. Gadot and Pine both felt like they phoned this one in to a point. Wiig was interesting until her elevation to super-villain at which point, the role felt like more than she could manage. Pascal felt out of place with overacting and a poor fit for the role. The remainder of the cast was okay.
Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were okay but could have had more attention to detail and a realistic feel. The film felt like it tried too hard to mimic 1984 much of the time. Effects and CGI were disappointing with completely unrealistic scenes. Dialogue was another failure with several plot points not explained at all, or requiring us to extrapolate what might have happened after the last film. Plot and storyline continuity was a mess. Sound and soundtrack are lethargic.
Overall Wonder Woman 1984 was simply disappointing. Technical work was poor, acting was disappointing, and the storyline was almost rendered unintelligible by direction. Those hoping for a solid continuation of the franchise will likely be disappointed.
With mild sexuality, violence, and mild foul language, this should be fine for teens and above.
Released: 2020
Reviewed: 7.12.21
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Action & Adventure, Action Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Comic Books and Superheroes, Sci-Fi Action, Fantasy
copyright ©2021 Dave Riedel
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