A different kind of Wonder Woman

I just want to start out by saying that I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS MOVIE!!

From the very beginning I had planned on reviewing it. However, after the amount of online hate by both critics and audience, I decided to wait a bit and see if any of it had any merit. I now feel compelled to try and explain why this film is undeserving of such criticism and how it works as both an awards and a superhero film.

To be honest, I believe that most of the negativity surrounding the movie is due to the lack of understanding its artistic ambition, which was spearheaded by director Patty Jenkins. The advertisement and marketing, along with its successful and beloved predecessor, and its superhero genre, made audiences expect something very different to what they got.

I do sympathize with them, but can we seriously ask ourselves, aren’t we bored of seeing the same kind of superhero film over and over? Hero versus villain, insert cgi action, the end. Isn’t it nice to get something different for a change? A superhero who empathizes with its nemesis and who strongly believes there is good in everyone and uses her powers as defense instead of offense. I know the film isn’t perfect but I do enjoy seeing something different for a change whilst showcasing a side of wonder woman most people aren’t familiar with.

Let’s dive deep into this bad boy and explain the reasons why I think this movie deserves more credit and respect than what it’s currently getting.

Different version of Wonder Woman

WW84 is a sequel to 2017’s Wonder Woman which was also directed by Patty Jenkins. This one however takes place in a new timeline (1980s) along with a slightly different, but not new, version of the Wonder Woman.

At first this seems like a complete 180 from its predecessor, which had a strong grasp on realism in a dark and gritty setting. Patty’s creative decisions make sense when considering the character’s mainstream television debut in the late 1970’s tv series to which she has repeatedly confirmed was an inspiration for WW84. This version of Wonder Woman is a pacifist, using defense instead of offense when battling bad guys, doesn’t have her sword and shield, and has a barbie look rather then that of a warrior.

To be honest I do prefer warrior wonder woman over this one. However, I do respect and admire Jenkins’ artistic choices in portraying a different version of the character whilst paying homage to the popular 1970s show which made the character mainstream and popular among non-comic book fans. The end credit scene also affirms Patty’s creative choice.

It is almost impossible to find a superhero whose moral compass is imbedded in empathy and love, making this version of wonder woman both compelling and unique.

Acting

Gal Gadot IS Wonder Woman. There has been some criticism regarding her acting ability and I do admit I did see valid reasons for it in some of her scenes in the 2017 Wonder Woman film. However, i’ve always stuck by my belief that even though she wasn’t the best at delivering emotional scenes she is fantastic in her action sequences. She is an action star and with WW84 she has now proven that she can be just as good with dramatic delivery.

Once you’ve seen the film, it’s obvious that her acting skills have substantially improved with this new installment. Gadot’s overall performance was exceptional. Not once did I doubt Wonder Woman’s emotional depth and her struggle in choosing to do what is right over her own desires. The speech in the third act is top notch and one of the best examples of how one can be a hero without the need to throw punches. Gal’s line delivery and emotional acting made that scene and she deserves more credit for it.

Chris Pine reprises his role as Steve Trevor, showcasing his undeniable talent and on-screen chemistry with Gal. He also proves once again his ability make Steve Trevor an equal partner to Wonder Woman.

Kristen Wigg is also another great addition to the cast and also delivered an exceptional performance on her dramatic and action scenes. Coming from a strong comedic background can be hard when transitioning to dramatic roles. Wigg however uses both her comedic and dramatic skills in introducing a great character, Barbara Minerva aka Cheetah. In the midst of all the criticism, one of the elements everyone seems to agree on is Wigg’s compelling portrayal of Barbara along with a relentless desire to see more of the character in upcoming installments.

Pedro Pascal’s Maxwell Lord was the least compelling performance for me. Pascal is a great actor but his portrayal of the character seemed more like a caricature of the standard comic book villain.

Action

Although I do agree that some additional action scenes would have been beneficial, I don’t consider this to be a negative.

The film does have some great action scenes but I believe that the reason the audience is indifferent towards them has a lot to do with its practical effects over standard cgi. And also the fact that all of the action sequences were teased in the substantial number of trailers and teasers that were released prior to the film’s debut.

My belief is that practical effects were used to solidify its 1980s atmosphere making it feel like a superhero movie made in that era.

I do believe that more Cheetah screen time would have satisfied the fans. However, I still stand by my belief that the movie is perfect as is and leaves one excited for its artistic path moving forward.

Message

The movie has a lot of heart and at its central theme of greed makes for a very compelling and timely commentary on humanity.

Furthermore, the film makes it a point to identify greed as the cause for the destruction of the world. This is an issue that has plagued humanity since the beginning of time and considering this is a comic book movie makes this for a compelling and unique achievement. I can’t go too deep into it without spoilers.

Score

The score by Hans Zimmer is also a stand out and delivers exceptionally throughout every single scene.

Conclusion

Moving forward I do want to revisit the warrior version of Wonder Woman, back with her sword and shield. This was a great film and I thoroughly enjoyed it for everything it is but I do prefer the warrior wonder woman rather than the pacifist.

I do believe this film deserves nominations and wins but considering the hate from critics and audience the likelihood is slim. However, I do seem to remember another superhero movie which also received the same amount of criticism and hate but still managed to get many nominations and some wins (Joker, 2019).

Overall I highly recommend this film and do advise viewers to keep an open mind and love it for what it is and not by ones own expectations of a 2020 Hollywood comic book film.