Look... I'm not going to go into a full traditional review here since everyone has now had a chance to watch WONDER WOMAN 1984 starting on Christmas Day. It's not the same as when I get to see a press screener a week, or a few days, before a new film hits theaters. So here are my likes and dislikes from the WONDER WOMAN sequel movie.
Liked: Gal Gadot
It is not hard to fall in love with her both physically and emotionally because Gadot is a great Wonder Woman. You can really tell she loves this character and embraces the role.
Disliked: Continuity disconnect with Wonder Woman's new ability to "fly"
Where was this when she fought Doomsday in BATMAN V. SUPERMAN? Or in JUSTICE LEAGUE? This sequel takes place before those events and there is a big continuity issue here that bothers me. Attention to these types of continuity details are very important.
Liked: Barbara Minerva / Cheetah
At first I thought this character was going to be very cheesy and a lame duck because actress Kristen Wiig is not a favorite of mine since her type of comedy never resonated with me. But it really worked for this character and props to her for showing that she can set into the ring when it comes to action and fighting scenes. I honestly wanted more of Minerva/Cheetah than what we got.
Disliked: Too few characters
Maybe I'm nitpicking this one, but I felt like there weren't enough characters in this movie and having four main characters without any minor character interactions helped make this sequel fall flat.
Liked: Pedro Pescal going full campy
He was feeling it and you could tell he was loving every moment with his over-the-top performance as the out-of-his mind villain, Maxwell Lord. Pascal's campiness is honestly the biggest thing that kept me engaged in this sequel more than anything else.
Disliked: The pacing
This sequel felt like it could have been a much better film had it been more like two hours in length instead of over two and a half hours long.
Liked: That RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK homage chase
I definitely got some Indiana Jones vibes during the big chase scene, especially when Wonder Woman was underneath the vehicle.
Disliked: That feeling of more studio executive meddlingThis is no surprise as the sequel felt like more of the same with past DC movies in that studio executives were meddling during its production. It is hard to explain in words here but something felt flat and off with many parts of the movie. And let me remind everyone that director Patty Jenkins has been very vocal about this film production as of late. She has complaining about fighting to get a fair paycheck for the sequel, her disdain for it going to streaming instead of being a theatrical release only, and she's mentioned how she might not be locked in to complete a trilogy for another Wonder Woman film. Seems clear that she is not happy with Warner Media and executives there and it could be why she's already signed on with the big competitor, Disney, to helm STAR WARS: ROGUE SQUADRON in 2023.
Liked: Credits scene
How could you not smile and like that cameo?!?!
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