*comes out chamber* Ok, after a long months of hiatus, i finally decided its time to do a movie review...! Except i gotta going back in 2020 to see one film that i rent in digital download, i hope its gonna be a good one, right?
(two in a half hours later)
Uhhh... Right... Not a good way to coming back to my review...
(Review Starts)
Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my Movie Review.
And yes, its about time to finally going back to my business, since i pretty much being losing my passion of my review that i wrote a journal for my confession, but now, im now back in business to checking movies from the reopening theaters.
Anyway, from several years ago, i've talked about DCEU's take of Wonder Woman, it is a pretty good film i might say, even if it would've been perfect before we have Shazam. Though its about time to having her own sequel that it came out last year.
"Wonder Woman 1984" is a 2020 DCEU film that was directed/produced/written by Patty Jenkins, co-produced by Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Gal Gadot (Yup, the actress is also working as a producer) and Stephen Jones, then co-written by Geoff Johns and Dave Callaham.
After the success of her first film, its no secret there's gotta be a discussion of sequel that takes place in the 80's, though it was originally to be released in 2019, but they decided to push to adding some new elements and new shooting to summer of 2020. But of course, due to the virus that spread all over the world, it was pushed again to Christmas day of 2020 for not just a theater, but also in HBO Max. And no, i don't have HBO Max subscription to see this movie, so i had to going to the theater in my home land Canada, even though the movie's retail and digital download are coming in March 9th as im working this review.
So, with all that said, will Wonder Woman gets a second chance of success, or is this film's wish deserves to flipping upside down?
Well, lets find out.
The Story
For the return of Wonder Woman, i find the story of this movie is pretty cool, but if the execution could've worked.
The movie just strangely started on Diana's childhood competition of obstacle course, but ended up being disqualified for taking a shortcut. But she does got an advice from Hyppolyta in order to be honest with the truth. Fast forward to 1984 (hence the title of the movie), she lives as a crime fighter to save anybody in Washington DC. But outside of superhero, Diana is working on institution, not before she meets a newly hired Barbara Minerva to not only working together, but also as a friend. But after they met Maxwell Lorenzano and witnessing a valuable item what they called "Dreamstone" (which is a stone that if anybody holds it, it will granting one wish. Though it makes Barbara wishes to be like Diana, while Diana wishes to see Steve Trevor again), Maxwell secretly steals the stone from Barbara to granting his own wish to save his oil company, but he also wishes that he can granting anybody's wishes, making him as a super human with infinite of wish granting. Its up to Wonder Woman to stop Maxwell Lord without making the whole world changing into a huge mess from Max's wishing power.
I find the story of dealing with a man with granting wishing power is a pretty interesting idea whenever if it doesn't going on the way from anybody who wants to change the way it used to be or even wanting something to be real, but of course, the granting wish power could make a huge risking result based on acceptance of wishes.
But despite the story is pretty good idea, if the execution would've work. This movie is obviously about honesty and maybe "be yourself" elements that ended up becoming pretty cliché in this movie. Its always gotta learn if more granting power you get, the worse it gets. Not to mention they even including Diana's flashback, which we get its to learning the honesty, but i find it to be unnecessary to going back at her childhood in the opening in my opinion. But of course, there's the inclusion of Steve Trevor in the movie that im gonna make a big complaint, but il get to that in the characters section to pointing out.
The story is a pretty good concept, but the execution just comes off as an obvious cliché that its easy to predict from beginning to end.
The Presentation
Despite the writing problem, i think the budget goes for the presentation, for the most part.
With the film takes place in the 80's it looks pretty impressive, im sure some of you who're the 80's people have a nostalgia feel. Its colorful and cheesy.
Not to mention, some filming locations is quite nice to go, including Landmark Mall, which it looks pretty cool that it makes us wish to going there, but the place is closed since 2017. Even though they filmed this place one year after the mall's closing. But as im working this review, they're going to redeveloping new mixed-use development with a hospital, but only time will tell when its reopen in the future.
For the action scenes, its kinda minor in the movie, especially from the beginning to second act, mainly with the whole story development of Dreamstone and a build up from Max Lord's power. But some of action scenes are pretty cool. Especially with the aforementioned mall scene, the road and in the white house.
For the superhero/villains appearances, even though Wonder Woman is pretty much the same as before, but her color details are changed to make it a bit brighter for you know, 80's color style. But of course, the highlight of her outfit is she wears a golden armor that was found from Asteria, it looks amazing from its design. But like any superhero films the usage of powerful suit will never happen until the third act, despite her new armor was shown in numerous posters! Which isn't fair to keeping it at the near end...!
And yes, we always like to see Barbara Minerva turning to Cheetah, which i got scared if she ended up turning into an abomination like one of the worst movie ever called "Cats". But thank goodness, she looks surprisingly pretty good with fur textures and some makeup on her. Though yes, her early presentation looks awkwardly bad as early design of Sonic the Hedgehog movie, which i guess it explained that this is another film that it needs to be patched for the audience's criticisms.
While the effects and production are pretty good for 200 Million dollars of budget, but it doesn't mean its perfect, because there other times that some effects is kinda botchy, like one moment that one character got thrown in CG then it changes into real actor while landing, which really makes me wonder if they could've using either an invisible harness outside of studio, or the most obvious, using a green screen. Im just saying what i've noticed when i watched.
Even though the production isn't as 100% perfect, but it looks pretty good. But hey, at least they don't do something cringy like Superman's CG mouth.
The Characters
For the characters in this movie, i find many of them are quite fascinating, but of course, it also has some problems that i will get to Steve Trevor later.
First is Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman (reprised by Gal Gadot), of course, she's still being pretty badass as an Amazon who lives outside of her home island to doing her business in Washington DC. In this movie, despite that she has to accept to moving on from her ol friends and her late love, she became somewhat wiser, mature and of course, being fish out of water hero. As always, Gal did a great work as our favorite DC female hero.
Next is Barbara Minerva aka Cheetah (played by Kristen Wiig), she's a timid and somewhat clumsy geologist and gemologist when she's hired in institution. But of course, as the movie progress, you can probably feel she's gonna be the new villain to becoming Cheetah, but like Wonder Woman's golden armor, she only showed at the third act in her transformation. Im sorry for the spoiler, but its rather unfair that i really like to see her transforming in the second act. Im just saying. But i will give a credit that having her as a friend of Diana Prince before becoming villain is a fascinating development, sure its been done before, but i appreciated this version. Of course, Wiig did a good work of her role.
Speaking of villain, we have Maxwell Lorenzano aka Maxwell Lord (played by The Mandalorian himself, Pedro Pascal), man, i find him to be... A rather good villain, he has a fascinating motivation that despite his struggle of his business for money, but he has a power of granting wishes for anybody for acceptance. Despite of his life risking with nose bleed. Even though im aware he's pretty different than the comic version, but i find him pretty good, even though his origin is pretty cliché, just a person who got bullied pretty often that he wanted to becoming a billionaire owner of his oil company. Of course, Pedro did a pretty good on his role. And yes, i do watching some clips of The Mandalorian (especially when i finally got a subscription of Disney+, but i digress).
And them we're getting the one that i've been waiting to pointing out the movie's biggest problem, its mainly the use of Steve Trevor (reprised by Chris Pine, aka Captain Kirk in Cinematic Star Trek series), if anybody who haven't seen the first Wonder Woman movie, consider this a SPOILER WARNING.
In the third act, Steve had to sacrifice himself from a detonated bomb from the plane in order to not only saved her, but also convincing her to kill Ares the God of War. But for whatever reason, they decided to bring him, but instead of using him as a ghost or a resurrected being, they made him as a possession at some random strange on Diana's wishful vision. Not only there's no reason to bring him back, but its also creepy and disgusting when Diana is having a fair with a stranger who looks like a soldier who sacrificed from God of F***ing War in WWI!! And yes, it probably spawning controversy about this scene is so wrong, but director Patty Jenkins that despite she's aware of the controversy, but she defended it that this isn't the only film has that element like "Big" (a 1988 comedy film with Tom Hanks) and "Freaky Friday" (a 1976 live action Disney film with Jodie foster), its understandable, sure, but not with the inclusion of Wonder Woman, it just comes off as creepy and completely unnecessary...!!
The rest of the characters aren't much else to say, Antiope and Hippolyta (played by Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen), which they're both used in Diana's flashback to be honest advice, Alistair (played by young Lucian Perez) who's Maxwell's sun who's concerned over his insane father, and the "Handsome Man" (played by Kristoffer Polaha) who's being used as a puppet by Steve Trevor for... Diana's wishful reason...!
While the characters are pretty good, but the usage of Steve Trevor is the easily the biggest weakness of this film.
And now for my final opinion of this film.
If this film is supposed to be my review comeback, this ain't give me a good start, its nothing but pretty average film. While the production is pretty good, but its just that this movie has so many problems like the cliché of "Be honest" and "Be yourself" elements. Not to mention, when you have a fascinating villain, but why he's just like another one of villains who got bullied to becoming evil? And of course, the biggest weakness point of this movie, its the inclusion of Steve Trevor appearing from stranger's body for no reason to reuniting Diana what so ever.
Despite the problems it has, but il give a credit that the settings and story of facing against the granting-wishing billionaire man is a unique idea, the action scenes are pretty good and Wonder Woman's golden armor is damn impressive.
This is the film that im not so sure if you wanna like this movie, it has some promising concept, but ended up with a poor execution. If you surely want, got get it in limited theaters or even renting it in digital download store like i did.
For that, im gonna give this one a 5/10.
So this ends of my movie review after my long hiatus, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.
Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.
(Review ends)
*sigh in relief* Im glad i finally got this out of way. Even though i've been focus on my drawing, maybe i wanna finish some reviews has hard as possible for my mood. I wonder how much movies i have on my shelf...
*Anthony goes back to the chamber to checking his cabinet that he has SO... MANY... DVD films...!*
Wow...! I've got plenty of movie reviews to do...! 0_0
