Wonder Woman 1984 is an American action-adventure superhero film based on a character from DC Comics. It’s the sequel to 2017’s Wonder Woman.
Let me start by saying that Wonder Woman is my best DC Comics character and favourite superhero. She’s beautiful, mature, sexy, and powerful. I have loved the character ever since I was a child. I used to watch the old series when American actress, model and 1972’s Miss World USA, Lynda Carter played Wonder Woman (1976 - 1979). Looking back at those old episodes, there isn’t much to be said for the costume or even special effects; needless to say, they weren’t great. However we loved the programme just as it was. Now, thanks to modern day CGI and visual tech, the true beauty of Wonder Woman can really shine.
Diana King (Gal Gadot) is Wonder Woman. She’s an Amazonian princess from the paradise island of Themyscira - which was granted to them by the Greek gods. She’s also the daughter of Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen), the daughter of the Greek god ‘Ares’. According to Greek mythology, the Amazonians are a colony of female warriors and hunters. They can match and surpass any man in physical agility and strength, in archery, riding skills and arts of combat. They are meant to bring and maintain peace to the world of man. However, due to man’s wickedness and cruelty to one another, the Amazonians live secretly apart from them thereby creating a rich, magical, more advanced civilization and culture for themselves.
Following on from the previous story, it is 1984 and an ageless Diana is living a secluded, lonely life in Washington DC, working in the antiquities unit of a museum. Secretly, and sometimes not so secretly, as Wonder Woman, she performs heroic acts to save members of the public from all kinds of danger. By now, she’s even more in touch with her powers, though there’s still so much yet untapped, as you will discover in the film.
The main story begins when a shy and social misfit, Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) joins the museum as the new geologist and crypto-zoologist. She is given the assignment to identify artefacts that were recently recovered from a failed robbery. Diana is the only one who is nice to Barbara. Barbara envies beautiful, cool, self-confident, and sophisticated Diana. Diana feels sorry for the nerdy, unnoticed, self-doubting but kind Barbara, and so the two strike up an unlikely friendship. As it turns out, Barbara is unable to identify one of the relics and enlists the help of Diana. Diana later identifies it as the “Dreamstone”. According to the Latin inscription on it, a wish would be granted to anyone holding the stone. Unknowingly, and without much thought to it, Diana wishes for Captain Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) to be alive. He was a military pilot who Diana fell in love with but died sometime in 1941 in their quest to prevent World War 1. Later that day, Barbara also made her own wish whilst holding the stone – to be like Diana.
Meanwhile, Maxwell Lorenzano but known mostly as Max Lord (Pedro Pascal) is a business man whose oil company is going bankrupt. Desperate, he seeks to acquire the stone in order to use its powers to revive his business. To him, it wasn’t enough to simply wish upon the stone, he felt it would be more effective to become the “Dreamstone”. Unfortunately, the stone demands more than it gives; all the wishes come at a very dangerous and costly price – possibly the price of humanity. Diana Prince is forced to put honesty and integrity first as she literarily struggles to battle the villains in the midst of growing global chaos and destruction.
Like the prequel, Wonder Woman 1984 is packed with action and excitement, but sadly, much less. There’s some of the “wow” factor with regards to fight scenes, costumes, and special effects. I have to hand it to Director, Patty Jenkins, who also co-wrote the screenplay, there were some truly amazing scenes. Unlike the previous Wonder Woman, Jenkins was a little disappointing in her delivery of Wonder Woman 1984. I would have liked to see much more of Wonder Woman’s skills and powers on full display, but in line with the story and plot, that's probably why this wasn’t the case.
After Lynda Carter, I actually did not think anyone else could be found that was as suited for the role. Yet, Gal Gadot has proven herself time and time again as the best woman for this amazing job. She is definitely Wonder woman!
If you haven’t seen 2017’s Wonder Woman, I seriously recommend that you watch it first. It’s a truly awesome film. To be perfectly honest, I much prefer that one to the newly released sequel. Nevertheless, Wonder Woman 1984 has a good storyline and carries a lot of excitement... just not enough for me. Rating? 6.9 out of 10.
Available to rent or buy on Sky TV. or HBO Max
Further Information
Gal Gadot
An Israeli actress, producer, and model. Starred in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 American action-thrillers, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7 respectively, 2009’s American romantic crime-comedy, Date Night, 2015’s American action superhero DC Comics based film, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2016’s American action-comedy, Keeping Up with the Joneses, 2017’s American action superhero DC Comics based films, Wonder Woman and Justice League, 2020’s mystery thriller, Death on the Nile.
Chris Pine
American Actor. Starred in 2004’s American romantic-comedy, The Princess Dairies 2: Royal Engagement, 2006’s dark comedy action-thriller, Smokin’ Aces, as James Kirk in 2009, 2013 and 2016’s American sci-fi action film trilogy, Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond, voice of Jack Frost in 2012’s American 3D computer animated-action fantasy-comedy, Rise of the Guardians, 2014’s American action-thriller, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, 2014’s black comedy film, Horrible Bosses 2, 2017’s American action superhero DC Comics based film, Wonder Woman, voice of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in 2018’s American computer-animated superhero film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Pedro Pascal
Chilean-American actor. Starred in 2011’s American sci-fi romantic-thriller, The Adjustment Bureau, 2017’s action spy-comedy film, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, 2018’s American vigilante crime-action drama-thriller, Equalizer 2, as Oberyn Martell in 7 episodes of American action fantasy-drama TV series, Game of Thrones, as Javier Pena in Season 1,2 & 3 of 2015-2017’s American crime-drama TV series, Narcos, as the Mandalorian/Din Djarin in 2019 till present’s American space-western TV series, Mandalorian - a live action series in the Star Wars franchise.
Kristen Wiig
American actress, comedian, and writer. Starred in 2009’s American comedy, Extract, the voice of Ruffnut Thorston in 2010, 2014 and 2019’s computer-animated action fantasy-comedy films, How to Train Your Dragon 1, 2 and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World respectively, 2010’s American romantic crime-comedy, Date Night, 2011’s American comedy, Bridesmaid, 2013’s American sci-fi romantic drama film, Her, 2015’s sci-fi film, The Martian, 2016 American action-comedy, Zoolander 2, 2016’s supernatural-comedy film, Ghost Busters, 2017’s American sci-fi drama, Downsizing, 2017’s American psychological futuristic horror film, Mother.
Robin Wright
American actress and Director. Played Antiope, Amazonian Warrior General and sister to Hippolyta in 2017 and 2020’s American action superhero DC Comics based films, Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984, respectively. She also starred in 1987’s American fantasy adventure-comedy, The Princess Bride, 1994’s American romantic comedy-drama, Forrest Gump, 2000’s American superhero-thriller film, Unbreakable, 2001’s American action-drama film, The Last Castle, 2007’s 3D Computer animated fantasy action film, Beowulf, 2011’s psychological crime-thriller, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 2017’s American sci-fi film, Blade Runner 2049, 2017’s American action superhero DC Comics based film, Justice League, as Claire Underwood in 2013-2018 ‘s American political thriller-drama TV series, House of Cards.
Connie Nielsen
Danish actress. Starred in 1997’s American supernatural horror, The Devil’s Advocate, 1998’s American sci-fi action film, Soldier, 2000’s epic historical-drama, Gladiator, 2003’s American action-thriller, The Hunted, 2017’s American action superhero DC Comics based films, Wonder Woman and Justice League.
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