2020 has been quite a year to say the least, and we could really use something positive as it nears its end. Thankfully, we have a new Wonder Woman film to help with that. Her first film in 2017 was not only the first successful female lead superhero movie but also helped start the DCEU on a much needed winning streak (aside from that Whedon hiccup, but that will be rectified next year). With lead Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins guiding the ship again, they bring a film that delivers a message we could use heading into the new year.
For a film that was originally slated for a November 2019 release, the events that take place make it surprisingly more relevant now given all that has happened in 2020 as we see a world plunging further and further into chaos. Even Diana is affected by this, taking obvious physical damage compared to her other previous film appearances. The film shows that even someone like Wonder Woman can be vulnerable in more ways than one. And it ties in to the message of the film: life can't always be what we want it to be and shortcuts can have more consequences than we realize. To apply this to 2020, as much as we'd like things to go back to normal or just pretend like it is when it's not, it'll take time until we're truly there again.
As the trailers show, Chris Pine returns as Steve Trevor in a way more peculiar than how I thought it would happen. Nevertheless, it's great to see he and Diana reunited, with his future shock of being transported nearly 70 years entertaining and comparable to Diana's first visit to man's world. The two share some great heartfelt moments together, but from what we know in present day DCEU films, the borrowed time added to their story makes how it concludes all the more tragic.
Then we have our two main villains:
* I'm not that big of fan of Kristen Wiig, but she really surprised me as Barbara Minerva/Cheetah. Her transformation into the villain reminds me a lot of Michelle Pfiefer as Catwoman in "Batman Returns", going from meek to empowered with a touch of a psychotic break. In a moment where she first acts on her dark nature on someone who sexually harassed her earlier in the film, the score by Hans Zimmer accentuates it with a mix of triumph and terror.
* When it comes to Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord, Donald Trump was clear inspiration in his performance. And while it's not a bad performance, it honestly felt laid on a little too thick. Now, I'm all for a Trump lampooning as much as the next guy; I've even brought up comparisons before with Kingpin in "Daredevil" and Lex Luthor in "Young Justice". But those were more subtle jabs compared to how direct it got with Lord in this film. Lord does get some redemption by the end and it shows Diana's ability to bring out the good in people; whether it feels earned or if Diana could be able to do the same for Trump is a different story.
While I did enjoy 1984 as much as I did the first film, on an initial viewing, I think the original is still a little better. 1984 can get a little overboard with the "deus ex machina" moments that play out, but there's still some good in there. Along with the emotional moments between Steve and Diana, we also get the exciting action moments. The best examples are the car chase scene in Cairo and the battle between Diana in the Asteria armor and a full-blown Cheetah Barbara in the climax (though the CGI on Cheetah can get a little iffy in spots), which remind me a lot of the No Man's Land scene and the fight with Ares in the first film, respectively. All in all, Gadot and Jenkins have given us another enjoyable film in my eyes and I look forward to what they bring to the third one.
Whether you're able to safely view it in theaters or stream it on HBO Max, Wonder Woman 1984 is the blockbuster we've needed all year and one that should give us inspiration as we head into hopefully a better one.
