WONDER-FUL
Wonder Woman 1984: Gal Gadot’s action set-pieces are exciting but the storylines often feel bloated
GAL Gadot is back on heroic form in this 1980s-set sequel to 2017’s Wonder Woman — but while the film is heavy on the CGI action, it’s pretty light on plot.
The year is 1984, and the Amazonian princess has been working at the Smithsonian museum in Washington DC. She discovers an artefact that has the ability to grant a person’s deepest wish.
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But when it falls into the hands of oil salesman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), Wonder Woman has to discover the truth before it devastates civilisation as she knows it.
The action set-pieces are exciting but the storylines often feel bloated as director Patty Jenkins tries to resolve a positive universal message.
A somewhat clichéd sequel and not as wonderful as her original outing.
And here's what other critics think...
A YEAR after its supposed release date, fans of the DC Universe will be thrilled to see Wonder Woman 1984 has hit the cinemas.
The nostalgic superhero film, a sequel to Wonder Woman's origin story that hit screens in 2017, sees Gal Gadot play Diana Prince, saving the world from nuclear annihilation.
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Set decades after her first standalone film, movie goers meet Wonder Woman as an archivist working in a museum.
While still pining following the death of her American pilot lover Steve Trevor, the heroine keeps a low profile dealing with low-level neighbourhood crime.
But - spoiler alert! - she's forced to leave the quiet life behind when her colleague Barbara Minerva, played by Kristen Wiig, finds an unusual artefact that gives the bearer anything they wish for.
The prized possession catches the eyes of oil baron Max Lord - depicted by Pedro Pascal - who will stop at nothing to get his hands on it.
Set in the 1980s, bubbling with leg warmers and pinstripe suits, it's left to Wonder Woman to stand in his way and protect the world from annihilation, while also following her heart to reunite with her beau.
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The superhero film has been met with positive reviews in their droves, dubbing the comic-book based extravaganza "cheesy fun" that reflects well on the difficulties of 2020.
"WW84 is one of the most enjoyable blockbusters to be released since 1984," noted . "[It's a] funny, sweet-natured, brightly-coloured adventure."
"Wonder Woman 1984 feels like it's arrived to pulverise this miserable year into dust," writes , noting the poignant "comfort" of a superhero saving a fear-ridden world which may relate to audiences this year.
Further likening it to the events of recent history, noted: "The villain of this blockbuster sequel is a sleazy, cheesy, power-hungry American tycoon called Maxwell Lord. Is he or is he not Trump?"
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, who gave the film three out of five golden stars, added: "This is an epically long and epically brash film."
Nonetheless, despite the love at the hands of critics, it couldn't be ignored that it could be "doomed" to flop due to Covid-19 restrictions on cinemas.
"Wonder Woman 1984 is cheesy, fun and utterly doomed," writes . "The timing could not have been worse.
"The new UK release date, December 16, coincides with millions of people moving back into Tier 3 restrictions, which will force the closure of cinemas and massively reduce the potential audience. It leaves WW84 trapped in a strange no-man’s land."
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"[The sequel highlights] the dire state of Hollywood filmmaking as a whole," concurs , noting that while the film can be streamed from home in the US, there is no such luck for UK fans.
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The UK Government pushed much more of the UK into Tier 3 restrictions from Wednesday morning, including London, due to a surge in positive cases.
Seeing around 100 cinemas close in the capital alone, the UK Cinema Association said they were "devastated" by the news and felt they were being treated harshly compared to other businesses.
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