Latest film in the DCEU is less than spectacular

The latest movie in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has been released. The sequel to 2017s ‘Wonder Woman’ ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ was less than spectacular and left many feeling disappointed.

Everyone returned for the second outing of Wonder Woman with some new faces in the mix. Gal Gadot and Chris Pine returned as their characters from the first and joining them is Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig with Patty Jenkins returning to direct.

The first ‘Wonder Woman’ took place during World War I and followed Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince as she entered the real world to stop the Greek god Aries. While ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ heads to the 80s where she must fight the villainous Maxwell Lord, played by Pedro Pascal.

Immediately the story feels much more formulaic than the first one. The first one felt like a war movie involving Wonder Woman, ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ felt much more like a campy superhero film.

The plot itself is pretty easy to follow. There is a magic stone called the wishing stone that grants someone whatever they wish while also taking something from them. Maxwell Lord seeks out this stone to become it and make all his dreams come true.

It seems like a silly premise compared to the first one, and it very much is. The plot is thin and if you look too hard at it you will find plot holes.

It may sound like this film is a horrible waste of time but that is not the truth. It is neither great nor bad, it is just decent and feels like a standard comic book film. It does not break new ground like ‘Joker’ or ‘The Avengers’ nor does it reach the heights of ‘Avengers Endgame’, but it is not void of entertainment.

The acting in ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ is pretty solid. It collects some A-list actors, and they do their best with the source material.

Pedro Pascal is great as Maxwell Lord. He is cunning and villainous with a heart. He is selfish and wants to be top of the world, but it will come at a cost. Pascal delivers on this villainous businessman and it is great to see Pascal get more roles after his stellar performance in ‘The Mandalorian.’

Gal Gadot once again shines as Diana Prince, better known as Wonder Woman. She is strong, heroic, and probably one of the best heroes the DCEU currently has. It feels like Gadot was born for this role and she continues to amaze.

Chris Pine returns as Steve Trevor who seemingly died at the end of ‘Wonder Woman’ but returns in ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ due to reasons you will have to learn about when you watch the film. He does a great job playing the fish out of water character but ultimately his inclusion does not do much for the overall plot and if you removed him from the film it would not lose much.

The other newcomer, Kristen Wiig, plays Barbara Minerva better known as Cheetah. She does a pretty good job in the role but some of the plot choices for this character were bland. What could have been a great antagonist to Wonder Woman, she instead felt very much like a corny comic book character.

Overall, this film is decent but not amazing and that makes it feel like a letdown. “Wonder Woman’ set a high bar for the sequel and sadly it did not deliver.

The film is still worth a watch if you are a fan of the character, the DCEU, or just need your comic book film fix after a year without a big Marvel release. The plot has some enjoyable bits, some questionable, and overall, just feels rather corny.

It felt like what ‘Iron Man 2’ felt like for the ‘Iron Man’ franchise. A disappointment after the first one but still a watchable and enjoyable film in parts.

After the release of ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ Warner Bros has decided to fast track a third entry with Patty Jenkins returning to direct alongside Gal Gadot. Here’s hoping that it can be as good or better than the first one and that it isn’t worse than ‘Wonder Woman 1984.’

‘Wonder Woman 1084’ is available on HBO Max or wherever theatres are open.