ReelBob: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ ★★½

By Bob Bloom

“Wonder Woman 1984” is a solid movie, but it lacks the awe and majesty of its 2017 predecessor.

Like that film, “WW84” was directed by Patty Jenkins and stars Gal Gadot reprising her role as Diana Prince, the Amazonian warrior who lives among us, secretly helping people in need.

Because it is set in 1984, a more glowing and vibrant era, “WW84” is more colorful — pastels and brighter costumes abound. And like its setting, “WW84” overflows with excess — from its 151-minute running time to its oversized storyline, centering on wanting and the dangers of overreach to satisfy it.

“WW84” is basically a multimillion-dollar update of the 1902 supernatural short story, “The Monkey’s Paw.” The moral of that tale is be careful what you wish for as it may come true.

And those who touch the movie’s MacGuffin, the dream stone, do learn the consequences of their actions.

The main problem with “WW84” is that the storyline seems so trivial — almost childish. In “Wonder Woman,” Diana defeated Ares, the god of war, to end World War I. This follow-up is more a tale about unbridled greed and ambition.

In “WW84,” she relies more heavily on her words and moral compass than her physical prowess to save the day. That may be refreshing, but many fans may feel let down.

Diana does have some wonderfully choreographed set pieces — the best involving a truck convoy and another featuring a one-on-one battle with Barbara Minerva, aka Cheetah (Kristen Wiig).

The movie’s main protagonist, Maxwell Lord — played by “The Mandalorian” Pedro Pascal — is its weakest link. Pascal’s performance is much too broad; nearly cartoonish as he illicitly amasses power through his manipulations of the dream stone.

He is not a real threat to Diana and does more harm to himself than others. His skewed view of success and power is his Achille’s heel.

One of the movie’s other drawbacks is the return of Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, who sacrificed himself at the end of “Wonder Woman.” Because Diana also held the dream stone, Trevor returns to aid his love in thwarting Lord’s megalomaniacal schemes.

Jenkins spends too much time on Diana and Steve walking around Washington, D.C., with him acting awestruck by all the advances made since 1917.

Such sequences make “WW84” appear as if Jenkins was possessed by the ghost of director Joel Schumacher, who never saw a sequin or spangle he didn’t like.

Keeping “WW84” grounded is the earnest performance of Gadot, who imbues Diana with a righteous sense of justice that allows her to make necessary sacrifices.

Wiig’s Barbara Minerva is a smart woman. Her character also is socially awkward and mostly overlooked by others. Wanting to model herself on Diana, her dream-stone wish even surprises her. Wiig’s gradual transformation is enjoyable, especially as her character slowly shifts from comedic to menacing.

I wish I could be more enthusiastic about “Wonder Woman 84.” But it lacks the heart and weight of the first movie. Instead, it panders with a threadbare plot and familiar superhero situations that are a disservice to this promising franchise.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

WONDER WOMAN 1984
2½ stars out of 4
(PG-13), action violence