Image: DC AND WBEI
What: Wonder Woman 1984
Premiere date: December 25, 2020
Continuing on during the Cold War era, Wonder Woman 1984 sees heroine Diana (Gal Gadot) and her past love Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) reunite as they face off against new enemies in Max Lord (Pedro Pascal) and Cheetah (Kristen Wiig). The hotly anticipated sequel is louder and shinier than the first film, but still retains much of the goodness, light, and hope of the original.
In Wonder Woman 1984, Diana is living in Washington D.C., where she works as an archaeologist at the Smithsonian studying ancient artifacts. With the loss of her beloved and friends of the past, she is lonely in her new life. It doesn’t take long for chaos to ensue in this new world, with the evils of greed on full display.
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Thinking about catching up on our heroine’s story? Here’s what you need to know.
How can I watch Wonder Woman 1984?
Wonder Woman 1984 is available on Amazon Prime Video, VUDU, AppleTV (and more), and was the first new Warner Bros. movie to hit HBO Max. (It premiered simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max on Christmas Day 2020, after being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has since left the streaming service.)
I thought Steve Trevor died in the original film. How does he come back?
Steve Trevor’s return in Wonder Woman 1984 has been a major point of curiosity following his character’s demise in Wonder Woman, after he sacrifices himself to save the world. We won’t spoil his return here, but safe to say the lovebird’s charisma brings a lot to the film.
What are people saying about Wonder Woman 1984 so far?
Mashable entertainment reporter Brooke Bajgrowicz rounded up a list of critics’ initial impressions (which you can peruse here), noting that while “the film isn’t quite as perfect as the original due to some over-plotting, most critics still enjoyed it.” Some highlights:
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“Diana (Gal Gadot) may be blessed with super-strength and armed with magical artifacts, but her greatest gift as a hero remains her ability to love and inspire. Such is the power of her compassion that you might be moved to forgiveness while watching it — of yourself, of other people, of the movie’s own flaws. If WW84 can’t quite reach the heights of the first film, it still soars beautifully when it matters most.” — Angie Han, deputy entertainment editor at Mashable
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“Jenkins gives them space to grow together, never prioritising cheap spectacle over the chance to develop these characters. And Gadot and Pine do a fine job of selling their twinkly eyed romance, the unwritten chapters of their relationship hanging between each syllable.” — Clarisse Loughrey, film critic at The Independent
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“The biggest problem with “1984” is there’s just too much of, well, everything. An extended Amazons-centric opening featuring kid Diana is cool but takes too long to get the movie humming, and some iffy visual effects mar the more massive, blockbuster-ready scenes.” — Brian Truitt, entertainment writer and film critic at USA Today
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