Much thought went into what my first pandemic review from home would be. I needed something uplifting with a guaranteed good ending, I didn’t want to have to think hard about where the plot was going, and gosh with the addition of a “recommended beverage” no subtitles please!
It was decided the Christmas gift of “Wonder Woman 1984” fit the bill.
Now I must admit, I never saw the original Wonder Woman movie which came out in 2017. So, I did my research and watched the original on Christmas Eve, as “1984” was being released the next day. After seeing both the original and sequel, I highly recommend taking the time to watch the original if you haven’t already. The storyline can be a bit confusing if you don’t have the knowledge of the original movie.
Our sequel “1984” begins about 70 years after the original. Diana Prince (WW), is living quietly in Washington DC, working as an archaeologist/linguist in the Smithsonian. In her spare time, she is flying through the air, saving everyday people from traffic accidents, bank robberies and general mayhem, just your regular everyday superhero stuff.
Diana is beautiful (hasn’t aged a day in the past seventy years), glamorous, brilliant and painfully still grieving the death of her one true love, pilot Steve Trevor (played by Chris Pine). At the Smithsonian Diana befriends newly employed Dr. Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig).
Diana drops by Barbara’s office as she is unpacking an odd shaped gemstone. As Diana is a linguistic “savant”, she determines the writing on the stone suggests it will grant one wish to the holder. Unknown to each other, Diana later wishes she could be reunited with Steve, and Barbara wishes she could be more like Diana, confident, sexy and strong. Barbara is a goodhearted wallflower who gathers the strength to ask Diana to lunch. Diana is a bit shocked as she doesn’t do lunch with friends-- because she doesn’t have friends. However, she feels a kinship with the also friendless Barbara and off they go to a happy hour. This is a gorgeous scene, of the two ladies, drinking wine coolers on a terrace overlooking the Washington Monument. At this point, I’m thinking this could be a good gal version of a “buddy movie” as there is some nice chemistry between Diana and Barbara.
Well, you know what happens next….and this is one of my first pet peeves. Diana and Steve had great chemistry in the original movie, and it seems when something works, movie studios keep going back to the well. “Scene inside movie studio executives..Yes, he blew up in the original, but hey this is a sequel, let’s think of a work around this death thing”.
Soon, we are introduced to who will become our ‘villain” Maxwell Lord, played by Pedro Pascal. Honestly, this is where I started watching the clock, which is not a good sign, because this movie is 151 minutes long and we are maybe at the thirty-minute mark. But, the character of Maxwell is very timely in today’s politics. He is self described as a television personality and business man, not the con man others refer to him as. He first has his eyes on controlling the oil market, but then moves into the White House with the end game of total domination of the planet.
Another pet peeve, we have two brilliant women, but they don’t know about the origin of this artifact, but the slimy villain could of wrote an article on Wikipedia all about this crazy stone he has been tracking for decades?
As our plot meanders along, Maxwell Lord becomes an exaggerated over the top power crazed, sweaty, crazy eyed cartoon of a villain. Honestly, this is where they could have cut some time from the movie, how many times did he grant a wish and steal away a soul? I don’t remember, they all blurred together after the first doze
As this is set in 1984, we revisit the reality of the time which includes Ronald Reagan, the Star Wars defense system, the threat of nuclear war from Russia, conflict in the Middle East, not to mention shoulder pads, animal print clothing, parachute pants, fanny packs and “big” hair.
I enjoyed the first half of this movie, but, to me, the second half was just a bit too cartoonish. Pilot Steve, who last flew in 1920, has no problem flying a jet in 1984? The two children playing in the middle of the one road in the desert in the middle east? Then, the climatic turning of Maxwell Lord, which I will not spoil, was just a bit too over the top for me.
Kudos to the cinematographer, just beautiful filming in DC from the Washington Monument, the National Mall, Air & Space Museum, Georgetown and even a Metro Station.
Wonder Woman 1984, rated C does no harm, but it’s not a cinematic triumph by any stretch. But, at this point everyone needs a pick me up, and unfortunately Marvel isn’t releasing anything soon.
As for our new feature, our recommended beverage is a salute to Diana and Barbara’s 1984 happy hour by the Washington Monument, is a WINE COOLER. Hey if it’s good enough for Wonder Woman……..
Basic Wine Cooler:
2 ounces inexpensive wine (usually white)
2 ounces fruit juice
2-4 ounces clear soda (Sprite or 7-Up)
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