Wonder Years

I'm a little nervous about writing my post about Wonder Woman 1984 (2020). I've been ignoring reviews, but I can tell people didn't like this - and not just people who can't stand the idea of a woman like Patty Jenkins directing a superhero movie. But I thought it was great.

It starts on Themiscyra, with little Diana (Lilly Aspell) competing in a big Amazon decathlon/Gymkata with all the big girls. It's a great action scene with tons of practical stunts - and Aspell did a lot of her own. It really serves no point, except to give Robin Wright a chance to spout a Life Lesson. I didn't care - I enjoyed the spectacle.

Fast forward to 1984, a mall, filled with mallish stores, people in 80s fashion, women in leotards doing aerobics. I expected to see Beethoven trying out the keyboards at the organ store (Bogus Journey reference). Some bad men rob a jewelry store, going for the black market antiquities in the back room, like you find in most malls. Wonder Woman shows up to save the day, but disables the video cameras and tells one kid to keep it a secret, so nobody will ever figure it out. There's a funny scene where one of the robbers takes a little girl hostage, and even the other robbers are like, too much man.

Anyway, Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) has been lying low since she lost the love of her life 70 years ago. She works in the Smithsonian, where she meets new hire Kristen Wiig, a clumsy, unattractive, neurotic gemologist. She has been brought in to identify the black market stuff recovered from the mall robbery. One piece that she and Gadot dismiss as worthless is a big citrine crystal with some Latin on it's holder - something about wishes. A passing scientist touches it and wishes for some coffee, and someone brings him a cup. Thoughts pass through the minds of Gadot and Wiig. 

Not really believing it, Wiig wishes to be more like Gadot. Gadot wishes she had her Steve back. 

Then Pedro Pascal shows up at the Smithsonian - He's been on TV touting an oil-based Ponzi scheme. As a big donor, he gets a tour of the premises, where he chats up Wiig, and a big party that Wiig and Gadot attend. Wiig is getting her wish, and becoming glam, and guess who shows up at the party? Chris Pine.

So the stage is set. I'll skip over the rest of the plot and just hit some high points. First, obviously, Pascal is supposed to be Trump - big conman, fake rich guy, tells everyone he'll grant their wish. This is actually pretty insulting - to the people Trump has hurt or killed. But of course, that's also the 80s, Reagan era vibe, so maybe it's allowable. 

And of course, her final fight with him was her and a bland white guy in a CGI whirlwind, just like the last movie. But at least there's another villain.

Wiig starts out just getting a little too into being smart, strong and popular. Then she goes full-on psycho and wishes herself into the Cheetah (villain name never mentioned as is the custom in these movies), a Cats-level CGI monstrosity. In her final fight, she refuses to back down, and as far as I can tell, isn't killed, so she may get a sequel appearance. 

When I'm writing this all out, I am slowly losing enthusiasm for the movie - maybe I only really liked the first two big action set pieces. But, no, there was one more thing. Although WW is strong and forceful, she is also caring and sincere. She may resort to force, but only as a last resort. And she foils Pascal's plot by appealing to the good nature of basically everyone in the world. And it works. I like that idea.

Also, Gadot striking poses just looks right to me - epic in fact.

And Chris Pine was pretty lovable, all things considered. If you want to know how he comes back to life, remember that the 80s were a prime body swap movie decade. Ms. Spenser noted that the guy he swapped with is more or less dead for the duration, which nobody else seemed concerned about. At least, when WW met the guy after Pine had vacated the premises, she didn't try to date him. That would have been wrong.