Wonder Woman 1984

After many delays as a result of the pandemic, Gal Gadot is finally back on our screens as Wonder Woman in this superhero sequel.

As the title suggests, the action has moved from the First World War to the ’80s, and our hero Diana Prince (aka Wonder Woman) is now based in Washington D.C., where she works at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, with a side hustle of fighting crime around the city.

One day, her colleague Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) receives an ancient artefact recovered from a robbery – a stone which can make wishes come true. It may sound like an amazing gift, but the wishes come with a price, as Barbara, Diana, and oil businessman Max Lord (Pedro Pascal) come to discover.

Wonder Woman 1984 is entertaining, full of fun moments, and provides a much-needed slice of superhero escapism, but it’s also littered with flaws and is not as amazing as it should have been. This could be largely down to the huge runtime of two and a half hours, the significant amount of plot it needs to wade through (and sometimes in a muddled fashion), and the fact it fails to stick the landing and give the audience a show-stopping finale.

There's plenty to like about it though. Director Patty Jenkins has crafted some cool action setpieces, she spends time building the characters and the new world Diana lives in, and it's got a great message with some heartfelt moments.

Gadot’s performance is a step up from her previous turns as Wonder Woman. She is as physically impressive as ever, but this time around, she brings more emotion and humanity to the role. It was lovely to see her reunited with Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) - her late love interest from the original - as they have undeniable chemistry. The culture shock gags that result from his arrival in the '80s are great fun and he is easily the funniest member of the cast.

DC Comics movies often fail to satisfy with their villains but thankfully that wasn't the case in this sequel. Wiig and Pascal are formidable enemies, with Wiig being a particular standout. Diana meets her match with Barbara/Cheetah and Wiig proves why she should be playing more baddies. Pascal throws his all into the role but sadly hams it up a lot towards the end.

Wonder Woman 1984 isn't perfect but it's epic, stunning, and the escapism we all need right now. Try to see on a big screen if you can.