Rating of
3/4
Idiosyncratic but still entertaining sequel
Indyfreak - wrote on 05/15/21
The eighties-obsessed sequel to the hit superhero movie Wonder Woman is a different animal. For better or worse. It’s much lighter in tone and the violence isn’t as gritty as the war epic vibe in the first movie. It’s an amusing contrast but there’s some moments that venture into sheer slapstick.
Gal Gadot remains as good as ever in the role of Diana Prince. Through supernatural means, we see the return of Chris Pine. Some of the best and most heartwarming moments occur between these two. Their chemistry is still great together.
The new villains consist of slimy businessman Maxwell Lord (Pascal) and Diana’s jealous friend Barbara Minerva (Wiig). Pedro Pascal is a major delight as Lord, who’s both menacing and funny as a self-promoter that obtains a wish-granting relic for his own agenda. His desperate plunge into megalomania is fascinating to watch.
Kristen Wiig isn’t as unconvincing as a physical threat as I feared. But her characterization is not that interesting and this type of character has been done before in other superhero movies.
The odd thing about this movie is that it clocks at 2.5 hours but there’s not that much action. There’s an opening Amazonian competition that’s imaginatively staged and a truck chase in the second half that’s exciting. The climax hammers home a recurring message in the movie that’s got good intentions. But it’s still pretty corny.
There’s a lot of great moments in Wonder Woman: 1984 and it’s aided by a more lighthearted tone. But there’s still a lot of fluff to get through to the good stuff.
