Directed again by Patty Jenkins (who shares script with DC veteran Geoff Johns and ‘The Expendables’ writer David Callaham). island in the stream.
But after that, the 2 ½ hour story spends way too long setting up the premise and bad guys, who sadly head towards the campy “Superman 3” quadrant of the DC / Warner Bros. filmography. (Those companies are units of WarnerMedia, just like CNN.)
The project finds a pretty clever way to include Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, who conspicuously died at the end of ‘Wonder Woman’. Still, this could be a case where it would have made more sense – for both the title character (Gal Gadot) and the movie – to keep going instead of looking back.
The timeless Diana previously carried a torch for over 65 years when we find her in 1984, hiding in plain sight at the Smithsonian. It’s there where she meets a mouse-like, self-aware new colleague (Kristen Wiig) and encounters a mysterious artifact that sets the plot in motion, including the means for Steve’s unlikely return.
This object is also sought by an oil speculator, Max Lord (Pedro Pascal), who has his own nefarious goals in mind. The underlying warning – beware of power-hungry con artists – is one of the messages that seem to seem woven into the film.
The plot bites off more than the movie can chew enough, at first a little too much like an individual comic that is beyond its weight to live up to the demands of a blockbuster movie.
The stakes are high enough, but the antagonists represent a massive comedown from the God of War and the German military, and despite the best efforts of Gadot and Pine – who made the most of his anachronistic ’80s presence – film can overcome those hurdles. not overcome.
“Wonder Woman 1984” falls victim to a common sequel flick, straining to fill the void left by an origin story. While there are some visually striking action sequences where Diana and her new super-powered enemy face off – and Gadot remains extremely engaging in humanizing the character – the final act turns into a bit of a mess.
Still, that lasso lets you tell the truth, and put it bluntly, “Wonder Woman 1984” feels disappointing. That verdict doesn’t detract from the first film, but in franchise terms, it takes away the enthusiasm for the prospect of “Wonder Woman 3,” whatever year it – and she – turns up.
Wonder Woman 1984 premieres December 25 on HBO Max and in theaters. It’s rated PG-13.