Here’s my Wonder Woman 1984 review which stars Gal Gadot, Pedro Pascal, Chris Pine and more; directed by Patty Jenkins and is out now in cinemas (depending on your area) and on HBO Max.

Don’t worry, I won’t spoil the film for you. But in case, I delve into spoiler territory, here’s my SPOILER ALERT.

The movie is set in 1984 and sees Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman, now working in the Smithsonian and crossing paths with millionaire Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) as well as her colleague Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) and a surprise return of her deceased lover Steve Trevor (Chris Pine).

I have to say the film is pretty much a 80s exposition, a homage to those campy films only with a multi-million dollar budget, a powerhouse cast and a big pedigree. the cheese factor including the dialogue may turn off some fans but if you lower your expectations and just enjoy the ride, you get your superhero fix right there.

In this film, we have two villains namely The Cheetah and Maxwell Lord…

In classic comic book films and TV series, they team up on the heroine and by the end of the movie, most of the things that have been set upon return to what they were. One of them worked and the other not so much. Pascal’s Maxwell Lord has a lot of baggage and has a nice backstory that gives him a reason to do what he did. Wiig’s Barbara Minerva’s character arc was so weak and so cliche that I’d like to think of her as being the physical counterpart and ONLY a physical counterpart for Wonder Woman. Can the story do without her? Yes. And that’s the sad thing.

Easter eggs are also abundant here whether its the mid-credit scene or even one of the supporting characters like Simon Stagg, who was also responsible for the DC Comics character Metamorpho. There’s also the appearance of another classic part of Wonder Woman’s arsenal, to which I say FINALLY! We’ll delve into that in another spoiler heavy post.

Humor here is hit or miss. I particularly had fun with the scene with Steve and Diana trying out clothes. The dialogue was campy yes, but it was fun for me. They also brought back the “fish out of water” trope and reversing it with Wonder Woman becoming the more knowledgeable between the two as opposed to the first movie with Gadot being the naive and innocent.

I also wish to commend the wardrobe department and production team for locking the look and vibe of the 80s in the film. I’d like to nominate Gadot and the surprise visitor in the film for fashion icon like right now. Hell, even Chris Pine looks great here.

… including the fanny pack.

For this Wonder Woman 1984 review, I’m going to be part of the people who liked the movie. Liked yes but I also acknowledge the HUGE plot holes. Like if you remove Barbara from the story, it wouldn’t change much. Or that controversial bit about Steve Trevor and the secret behind his return in 1984 to be with his lover Diana.

Major turnoff numero uno was the visuals in some scenes. There was one big “action” sequence here where I had to say OH MY GOD and wondered whether this was a Hollywood summer blockbuster or a TV movie because they were using styrofoam props and it SOOOO looked fake. Still on the subject of visuals, we’re doing Game of Thrones all over again with the climatic battle between Wonder Woman and Cheetah happening at night and it wasn’t as exciting as I had hoped it would be.

My second turn off for WW84 is how it panned out, the narrative I mean. It’s so preachy at the end, way worse than the first movie.

My third turn off the gratuitous fan-service they put here in the film. Yeah, we like classic Wonder Woman but crafting a character just to tie it up with the narrative. Hmmmm. But maybe thats just me nitpicking.

Wonder Woman 1984 Review – Verdict

7/10

Could have been better but the production team aren’t Greek gods so they have their limitations. If you’re a fan of the classic Wonder Woman TV show and loved all its elements then you’ll love this.

PROS

• Great opening scene featuring Baby Diana with really does seem to follow the opening of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
• Gal Gadot looks stunning and great as ever
• That mid-credit scene
• Those little easter eggs which could tie up with another upcoming anti-hero.
• Pedro Pascal’s performance in general
• The first half’s campiness

CONS

• Lackluster script and plot
• Shitty way they wrapped up Barbara Minerva’s story
• Some moments with crappy visuals including the White House fight and the Lasso of Truth
• The Cheetah’s appearance was very Game of Thrones-y (we’re talking about the war against the White Walkers)
• The generic pacing and predictable plot (not really a big problem as its already established that that was tone but still)

What do you think of Wonder Woman 1984? Need to add something to this? Leave a comment below and follow me on Twitter at @thefanboyseo!