Sunday, December 27, 2020

Wonder Woman 1984 (spoiler free) review

You really thought the risk of hospitalization is going to stop me from enjoying a DCEU movie?





Wonder Woman 1984


Directed by - Patty Jenkins

Cast - Wonder Woman...oh sorry Gal Gadot...I can't honestly tell if she's actually a goddess in real life or not, Pedro Pascal, Kirsten Wig, Chris Pine and others. 


"Greed...for lack of a better word, is good." - Gordon Gekko

That's the famous line from the movie Wall Street (1987). Like every movie which is a product of its times, the line really captured the go-getting and 'ends justify the means' spirit of the 80's. Even though I might have been 2 when the 80's ended and far away from America to understand the decade, but when has USA ever let you forget their culture with regular doses of it in pop-media? The 80's are making a big comeback in modern media in the form of Nostalgia. - Stranger Things, the IT movie etc. being real proof of that. 

Before walking into Wonder Woman 1984, I honestly thought there was no reason story-wise to set the movie in the 80's other than marketable nostalgia. I mean after the first one set during the First World War (1918), the second one could easily have been set during Cuban missile crises or Vietnam or just plain old modern day. But its not just the nostalgia marketability, the 80's at least for this generation represents a decade of excess and growth of mass media, consumerism, private enterprise etc. It is in fact the perfect set up for a cautionary tale on the evils of wanting to 'achieve' everything. 

You really thought a DC comics movie is just about super-powered people beating the crap out of each other in a big special effects heavy fight, peppered with childish humor and saving the world at just the last moment? Yes it is about those things and so so much more. That's why I would risk a pandemic to go experience one. 

WW84 differs drastically in its tone from the first one, while still retaining some of its elements. Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) is a blonde scheming business-man who is a liar, manipulator and a TV personality (You could technically compare him to Trump, but Maxwell Lord is a comic book character). He comes across a mythical artifact which can fulfill all your wishes. His plan is to conquer the worl....wait no... its not that for a change. Its actually not exactly wanting to conquer the world. He is deeply emotional person with a troubled past who wants to make wishes come true for everyone. Wonder Woman learns the hard way that when our wish comes true but there's always a price to pay for it. Barbara Minerva (Kirsten Wig) shows the dangers of empowerment without wisdom. 

That's the thing, there are so many thematic and story elements in the movie worth analyzing and enjoying for someone with my bent of the mind, I can ignore some of the flaws. With the involvement of hacky comic book writer Geoff Johns, the movie is perhaps the last of the DCEU movies to try and pander to the critics complaints of not being 'bright' or 'cheerful' enough. The movie has more than necessary amount of cheese and campiness almost on a level comparable to the old Superman movies. (which are good but I was never a fan of) Maybe its a conscious tribute or Johns' hacky attempt at 'hope and optimism' but the mall fight after a fantastic opening sequence involving powerful Amazon warriors feels like it came from a different movie. 

Also, another glaring issue is the lack of energetic and memorable action scenes like the first one. The bell tower fight of the first movie or 'no-mans-land' scene are iconic. The stunt team in this movie is different and it shows. Some of the stunt work could have used improvement. (also, could've used the original Wonder Woman theme more, instead of a different more orchestral version)

However what shined in the movie is the story and the characters...which is what a movie is more or less supposed to be. Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman cannot get better in terms of portraying the character but she does a lot of improvement over the first one in terms of acting. She conveys the heartbreak, the pain, the fear of her character really well...a superpowered goddess who would have otherwise felt distant if not for her very human emotions. Kirsten Wig as Barbara Minerva/Cheetah was convincing in her journey but I believe she could have been given more to do. The two villain formula popularized since The Dark Knight can be a good formula if done well, its not that her character was forced into the story, it did have some relevance to the overall themes but still, somewhere it feels she could have been done better. 

But the absolute scene stealer, the man who makes the movie is Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord. Any movie, especially a action-adventure superhero movie is only as good as its villain. DC has a fantastic track record since Nolan's trilogy of delivering great villains who often steal the show. Maxwell Lord is almost Lex Luthor-ish at first but a more in-your-face and more relatable villain. The climactic 'fight' between him and Wonder Woman is also her realizing her own mistakes and making him realize his. Its such a personal and touching story...Maxwell Lord with his flaws and his wish to solve everything is inherently all of us when we are afraid and feeling empty from within.

Another aspect that I really loved about the movie is that even though its a bit hacky and melodramatic in parts, Patty Jenkins direction has a sincerity to it that feels genuine and heartfelt. It is not trying to mock anything about the 80's, neither breaking any fourth walls to make any meta-jokes, its merely presenting the story as the characters would live it and that's why the jokes land and make you chuckle when they have to. It gets emotional when it has to unashamedly and yet doesn't lose itself. Another great thing that it does, is use Hans Zimmer's heart wrenching 'A Beautiful Lie' from Batman V Superman at a crucial scene in the movie. There are some missed opportunities to connect it with the larger DCEU but I honestly think audiences and DC/WB have moved beyond trying to fit everything into a one-size fits all universe. 

The movie can come across as a mixed bag to many who loved the intensity of the first one and also to anyone who loved the unique action scenes of Aquaman. It is somewhere in the middle of those, yet it is a sort of easy watch. It does pose some interesting questions yet not even close to the philosophical intensity of the BvS or MoS level. However, to put it simply, if you were to put it on when a bunch of people gathered, it would be an easy and fun watch. It's almost got those Indiana Jones like feel to it in terms of re-watchability. (also has some similarly cool mythological/historical mystery aspects in it which I wish they would have explored more).


The movie is definitely TOTAL TIMEPASS!

PS- 

You know what's the next big DC movie coming out?????????? 

ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE!!!!

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