“No true hero is born from lies”
As WW84 opens, we see young Diana participate in an exciting Amazonian Gladiator Event for the ages. As all the adult women follow the laid-out path before them, Diana cleverly thinks outside the box at every step gaining a sizable lead. Worried about her competitors, Diana missteps falling off her horse only to think outside the box again on how to regain her lead – take a shortcut that causes her to miss all the important markers along the way. As Diana is on the cusp of winning, Antiope snatches her like a bad kid in church lecturing her on cheating and how there are no shortcuts in life setting up the moral of the story.
WW84 What To Expect
WW84 is based in my favorite era full of crimped hair, neon clothes, parachute pants, and hairbands. Diana is now a senior anthropologist at the Smithsonian in Washington DC where the FBI brings in a few artifacts to be identified, one of which is a very special Citrine Talisman created by the God of Lies that grants anyone who touches it one wish. As we know, the Gods like to create chaos for humans and so the saga begins.
As superhero sequels go, WW84 outstanding from beginning to end! I really enjoyed watching Diana grow more into her powers while learning more along the way. As well as, continuing to figure out who she is and wants to be as a woman and a heroine. On top of that, the fight sequences are so much more than just brutal, they are action pack and inventive. We see Diana take down bad guys with creative uses of her tiara and the lasso of truth, as well as her new fancy armor – and all with no crude panty peek under her skirt. Thank you, Patty Jenkins. However, I do kind of miss hearing the Wonder Woman theme music every 10 mins.
The Villains
The script also does a wonderful job of handling the multiple villains, Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) and Cheetah (Kristen Wig), without feeling bogged down and muddled which happens more often than not in superhero films. As the outcast, always forgotten, woman filled with self-doubt Barbara Minerva aka Cheetah, Kristen Wig shines bright like a diamond! From her mannerisms to the costume changes, we see the shy bookworm transform into a ferocious predator with great emotional depths we have come to expect from Wig – who tends to lean towards characters who smile on the outside but are dying on the inside.
Steve Trevor Is Back!
The biggest surprise to fans from the trailer is the return of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). WW84 does a nice job of explaining the return while keeping it light and campy until it turns into heart-wrenching pain. I would really love it if the Gods would throw Diana and Steve a bone eventually in the films the way they have in the comics. I don’t want his “return” to be a recurring theme in the Wonder Woman films; either Trevor is gone forever and Diana moves on or he comes back permanently. At this point in time, the answer is unclear which direction they will go.
WW84 runs 2:35mins, but the film flies by due to fantastic storytelling, compelling characters, and exhilarating fight sequences. Make sure to stay tuned for the end credits scene. You won’t want to miss it!
