Member review

My expectations were low. That's not just because I'm a raging, cynical pessimist who derives his immense and sole pleasure from ridiculing everything in his path, especially sequels. No, infact it's because I adored the first Wonder Woman with such a vigore that I hail it as one of the truly greatest superhero movies in history. It out-does so many of it's peers in so many facets. It's by no means perfect but it's action sequence are the very best, on the same level as Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. From a technical standpoint it is a true marvel (the irony is not wasted on me there) however, I felt it never fully fulfilled it's emotional potential and fell into a rut of generic tropes in it's conclusion.

Going into it's sequel, after scrutinizing the trailers, I called it tacky, cringey, laughable, pathetic and ridiculous to my mates. However, I am a nerdy corporate sellout that will watch anything Marvel and DC will feed me, and given how dry film has been this year I at least expected a fair serving of momentary escapism. A moderately good time. Not a great time but a relatively well directed, fun superhero movie that packs the silly 80s ridiculousness. Swinging on lightning and fighting a human catperson.

Boy... was I wrong. While it certainly does not live up to the standard of it's predecessor in the same manner, certainly not from a tonal nor technical directing standpoint, it is in my eyes the best film 2020 has put out and improves on the criticism thrown at the first film.

Wonder Woman 1984 follows Diana Prince in a very different, more hopeful world than the blue-tinted, bleak wartime setting of Wonder Woman. A world saturated with homages to the kooky antics of a classic 70s silver age comic book. Beating up crooks in a "mall", pratically carrying money bags with a dollar symbol on the side, blushing in it's efforvescent colour scheme.

It sets itself up with a dizzylingly predictable plot, on the nose themes and a stereotypical villain in the form of sleezy businessman Max Lord. However, by the end I was thoroughly entertained and nothing less.

It's clear that Patty Jenkins learns from the mistakes of it's predecessor. The primary criticism of the first film was that it devolved into an unncessary CGI battle and removed any nuance the film had held prior, turning it's metaphorical theme of hope into a easy to digest, blandly directed fist fight... because it's a superhero movie so it has a legal obligation to do so. For a moment while watching WW84 I feared the same had come to pass, yet once again, I was proved wrong. I won't say much else as not to spoil it but once the physical fight was done, a thematically potent and emotionally empowering battle came into play. One more than needed this year. The pure heart in this film is the kind of charm abscent from superhero films since the bygone days of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man.

In the last few days this film has been lampooned with hate, with it going on record to become one of the lowest rated DC film on Rotten Tomatoes... now that's an achievement, allbeit, not necessarily one to be proud of. And one very much undeserved at that if you ask my opinion. I seem to be in a minority of superhero fans who actually loved it. The main criticism seems to be that it was far too corny and goofy, given how the first film was as gritty as superhero films come. WW84 pulled a reverse Winter Soldier, flaunting a world both as bright as it is fun and sprinkled with a delightful Silver Age sensibility; more campy than a tent. It harkens back to the classic Lynda Carter series. This clearly has not sat remotely well with everyone. On top of that it may have bitten off more than it could chew; there are plot points under-developed, then tossed away. But they are handled with a manageable level of care that it is a satisfying conclusion. Of course, I am merely a singular experience. Yet, I somehow cannot shake the feeling that people need to be reminded this is a family film based on comic books, written for children, created in the 50s, about an immortal demigod with an invisible jet and a pet kangaroo- for Zeus' sake! One thing I can praise this film for is that people have been through more than enough this year, with things getting worse in the foreseeable future. Jenkins handles the threat of nuclear war, excess and divide in a way apt for children, and that is perfect for the chaos that has been 2020. She keeps the tone light and fluffy with a fair dose of tough emotional beats, that's what people need this year, even though it may not be intentionally planned. I am begrudged to admit it... but it truly resonated with me in a way I did not at all expect.

Believe it or not, and I am weary to admit it yet proud to say it, WW84 was the first film in years... years... to make me cry. I don't mean water up or shed a slight tear. I mean full on wah-wah-wah like a little baby for roughly 5 minutes straight. While it's possible that it was my lack of sleep the night before or even on how hard this year has been, I truly believe it was on Patty Jenkin's standard of direction which is only strengthened by Hanz Zimmer's smashing score. Jenkins knows how to use the camera to pull on the heart strings. That is a Christmas miracle to say the least. If you thought the No Man's Land scene from the first movie was powerful, then you 'aint seen nothing yet.

Wonder Woman 1984 was a film that not only filled me with the most hope in not just DC movies, not just superhero films, but in life. In the world. A hope I've not felt in years, but it also reminded me why I have always really loved superheroes. What they've meant to me. Why they matter. Yes, it has it's flaws, and while it is my job as a reviewer to adress them, I'm choosing to ignore them because it did the impossible. It restored my faith and reignited my dwindling love of the oversaturated and fatigued superhero genre to such a fierce degree... that even I, Ebenizer-Joe-Scrooge, know it has to be doing something right. Very, very, very right. If you're looking for some daft and hopeful entertainment this Christmas then this is the film you need.