I love Gal Gadot as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman, and it is nice to see movies that feature females that are strong and smart as well as sexy (Gadot’s Diana is certainly all three). That’s why it’s such a shame that this new adventure is so old-fashioned and quaint. Setting it in 1984 is an intriguing choice, but one that probably backfires against its success. And that includes the title; onscreen it is WW84, not Wonder Woman 1984.

Patty Jenkins’ overlong superhero drama uncovers the Dreamstone, which allows its caretaker to bring wishes to fruition, trading them for power. Of course someone is hellbent on taking advantage of this arrangement, and Wonder Woman determines to stop him. Trouble is, she gets her own wish fulfilled, bringing back Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), which puts her in a tough position — if she renounces her own wish, she loses her love, again. Meanwhile another woman, Dr. Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), becomes everything she has always aspired to be by also using a wish, deciding to protect the greedy oil developer Max Lord (Pedro Pascal) against all enemies (including Wonder Woman).

There are a number of problematic issues arising from this premise, not the least of which is bringing back people from the dead (Steve Trevor). And don’t get me started on the mess that is created by all of these wishes, which disappear by the story’s conclusion, yet still leave physical consequences for the world which are not addressed at all. But for me the biggest problem is Wonder Woman’s universal call for everyone to renounce their wishes so that things can come back to normal. The film posits that entire previous civilizations have been felled by this Dreamstone and its effects, and that is exactly what would have occurred within hours of this day in 1984. There is simply no way that everybody would renounce their wishes. No way. Chaos would still be rampant and the world probably would have ended.

Apart from all that, the film is kinda fun, kinda depressing. The opening sequence of the Amazons competing is really cool; nothing else afterwards matches it. Hans Zimmer’s rousing score is tremendous; it’s the best work he’s done since Inception. Kristen Wiig is very good, at least until Barbara makes the ridiculous decision to become “an apex predator,” the Cheetah. Then it was like watching Cats again, without all the singing. All in all, this movie must be rated a disappointment. ☆ ☆. 31 December 2020.