“WW84” is now available for fan’s enjoyment on HBO Max and in some theaters across the nation. The cinematic film is packed full of heroism and action films that brought fans back to the beloved ‘80s and Diana’s story. (Photo courtesy of public domain)
The time has finally come where DC Comics fans can watch the highly anticipated Wonder Woman 1984 from the comfort of their own homes.
The producers decided after pushing back the release for the new action superhero film for almost a year, that fans would be able to stream the movie from their HBO Max server as early as December 25.
Considering the break from new superhero movie content this past year and the new filming techniques promised by the producers for the movie, everyone who saw the movie had a lot to say about it.
Wonder Woman 1984 starts with an opening scene that takes viewers back to Themyscira where young Diana competes with older Amazon’s in a series of games. The nostalgia fans feel from seeing Diana as a kid hooks them from the beginning scene of the movie.
The movie’s storyline is all about recreating the feeling fans once had when watching superhero movies many years ago. The movie takes place in the ‘80s and includes the popping colors, big hair, and fashion in the DC Universe. The movie doesn’t rely on it taking place in the ‘80s to sell itself but rather to look into the world of that time.
Wonder Woman 1984 uses the era it takes place in to reflect Wonder Woman’s courage and confidence while letting the audience have a very real idea of what the world would look like if this movie’s plot took place in real life.
Fans are also able to see clips of how Diana grew in strength and character. The movie referenced her past frequently with intentions of solving mysteries and fighting evil within the film. Viewers really got to experience the whole action-fantasy-adventure-drama while feeling all the emotions Wonder Woman usually unlocks.
The movie is about Diana living in Cairo among the destruction that evil Maxwell Lord creates. Maxwell brings the world to chaos through his promises that ensure the pursuit of happiness. The movie allows the audience to watch Diana build character as she faces Maxwell and all the destruction he causes.
The drive behind the acts of evil in the movie include the want for glory and ignorant wishes. The antagonist, Maxwell Lord, gains the possession of a wishing stone that he inevitably becomes a human version of. He uses commercialism to convince people that if they wish for something, he will be able to grant it if he can get in contact with them. The movie lets fans see how humans can wish for things selfishly and be completely unaware of their wishes’ consequences.
The world begins to break down in front of the viewers’ eyes as people say things like, ”I wish you were dead.” Only time can make people understand that wishes can’t just simply be granted, but instead they come with cost.
The movie introduces new antagonists and the anticipated DC Comics villain, Cheetah. Cheetah was once a friend of Diana, but her wish to be just like Wonder Woman results in her loss of kindness and care for others drives her to evilness. Cheetah is played by Kristin Wiig, formally known for being an American comedian, so watching such an enlightening soul play a character that turns to darkness emphasized what the movie was trying to teach about humanity.
The return of Steve Trevor, Diana’s past lover who died in World War I, was also a big selling point for the movie. Fans saw a glimpse of his return in the trailer, but it wasn’t until watching the film that his return made sense.
The anticipation the film built up from its trailer and continual delay for its release date made the audience’s hopes very high for the quality of the movie. In most ways, the movie was captivating and written to fit its genre well, but some critics explain that their anticipation wasn’t fulfilled in the actual film.
Roger Ebert wrote a review of the movie saying, “What’s disappointing about the WW84 screenplay is that it feels like it belongs to a movie that actually came out in the ‘80s.” Fans tended to get so wrapped in the glory of the beloved Diana that the strung-out depiction of the ‘80s got overlooked by fans.
Popular movie critics had a lot to say about the film in comparison to the audiences less harsh reviews. Rotten Tomatoes rated the movie a 61 percent in comparison to a 74 percent audience score; Empire rated it a 4 out of 5; and IMDb gave Wonder Woman 1984 a 5.5 out of 10.
The reviews include the incorporation of negative feedback ranging from “cheesy action scenes” to “over-the-top acting.”
2020 put immense pressure on the film, and the movie successfully met most of the desires of the audience. The movie showed an accurate replication of the ‘80s, love, and selfishness, but in some ways lacked in its action scenes. The movie’s attempt to build tension didn’t please critics the way they expected it to.
Wonder Woman 1984 successfully took fans out of reality for its two-hour runtime and while its plot may not have met fan’s expectations, the cinematic thriller gave a good glance into the DC Comics world and what Wonder Woman stands for.
Hi! I’m Alexis Mast, but I answer to Lex as well. I’m a year round and high school swimmer whose been in Newspaper class since sophomore year. I write about anything, everything, and trending Leesville news.