Wonder Woman 1984: A not so wonderful sequel

BY SONIA NG

The highly anticipated sequel of Wonder Woman did not live up to the expectations of many viewers. Riddled with unnecessary scenes, the sequel told a bland and weak story that did not do justice to the original movie released in 2017.

The movie follows the life of Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) in the year 1984 as she continues to mourn the loss of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). Also introduced to audiences in this sequel are Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) and Max Lord (Pedro Pascal).

The movie opens with a mall fight scene that falls flat, like the robbers in said scene. The timing of the entire sequence is not quite right and viewers can find themselves yearning for more yet yearning for less. The final battle between Diana and Cheetah is not any better. Despite Diana donning a new suit, the CGI done on Cheetah was what stole the limelight. Resembling that of the cats from the infamous Cats movie, Cheetah was not given the best look and that was what stole the show for many viewers instead of the actual fight scene.

Via EW

The film is littered with scenes that are essentially filler scenes and does not progress the plot further at all. From the scene in Diana’s childhood to the unnecessarily long invisible jet ride with Steve, these scenes feel like they were put in the movie simply to extend the run time. Combine this with the bland storytelling, viewers may find themselves nodding off while watching the film.

Viewers may also find themselves questioning certain plotlines within the film. Within the film, we learn that in order for Steve to return to life, Diana must lose her powers and that is a price that she is willing to pay. However throughout certain instances, viewers may find themselves questioning the extent of her loss of powers. Before Diana and Steve steal a jet to escape, Diana can be seen losing her superstrength as she struggles to break a lock. But whilst on the jet, Diana has no problems turning it invisible for an extended amount of time. She is able to accomplish such a feat despite only being able to do it once in the last 50 years to a coffee cup and losing her powers.

Via EW

What does save the movie is the incredible performance from Pedro Pascal. His portrayal of Max Lord is truly extraordinary and his ability to convey the emotions within the scene is simply put, wonderful. Despite the bland storytelling and underdeveloped story arcs, Pascal is able to breathe life into the character in a refreshing and engaging way. Viewers can definitely look forward to his performance as one of the highlights of the film.

Via EW

Pascal’s performance might be one of the only good things about the film as all in all, the film lacks the essence that the first film had. Wonder Woman released in 2017 was truly a game changer for superhero movies. It explored the themes of loss and innocence whilst telling a beautiful story and starring a female lead. The sequel does not live up to its predecessor and feels like it is a film from a completely different franchise than the original.

The third Wonder Woman film has already been green lit by Warner Brothers and Gal Gadot will return as well as Patty Jenkins, the director of the first two Wonder Woman films. A spin-off based on the Amazons of Themyscira is also in development with Jenkins serving as an executive producer. One can only hope that the next sequel and the spin-off will tell a much better story and restore the Wonder Woman franchise to its former glory.

Stream Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max now.