Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Patty Jenkins, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros, PG 151 Minutes.
The first ‘Wonder Woman’ movie in 2017 was brilliantly directed by Patty Jenkins it won many accolades as one of the best superhero films to have hit the big screen and made Israeli actress Gal Gadot an overnight star.
Regrettably this is not repeated in Jenkins’ sequel in spite of Gadot reprising her entertaining role as the superheroine in a flaw-filled storyline that has Wonder Woman/Diana Prince having to contend with a transformed businessman and a work colleague.
In this latest Wonder Woman adventure set in 1984 decades following the events of WW1 Diana is working as an anthropologist at Washington’s Smithsonian Museum where she specializes in ancient civilizations when she meets her apprehensive work colleague Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig – ‘Downsizing’).
It is during a study of some stolen ancient antiquities that both women come across a strange stone, a Dreamstone, which apparently grants the user any wish.
The stone is desperately wanted by the visiting businessman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal – TV’s ‘The Manalorian’).
As Diana gets her wish with the return of her lost-love Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), Barbara in time becomes like Diana’s alter ego while Maxwell hopes to save his oil company by gaining powers and granting wishes to everyone.
Diana then discovers that the special powers of the Dreamstone are mainly due to the mythical god of mischief and treachery as Steve attempts to persuade Diana to renounce her wish in order to regain all of her powers.
By so doing Diana would lose again the love of her life but also have her powers restored allowing her to confront the transformed Barbara/ Cheetah and the powerful Maxwell in his destruction of the world.
Although there are many enjoyable scenes, especially those that include Gadot both as Diana Prince and Wonder Woman there are a few disappointing and inconsistent sequences which may account for the movie’s overlong screening time of 151 minutes.
Despite a dubious plot Jenkins has still directed a pleasurable production by having the movie shot in a number of stunning locations namely at Washington’s Smithsonian and in Spain.
Not to mention Wonder Woman’s captivating costume in her confrontation with Cheetah.
Apart from the movie’s cinematic presentation the major highlight is Gadot’s perfectly-pitched performance as the Amazonian superheroine complemented by the portrayals of Wiig as Barbara and Pascal as Maxwell and including the original Wonder Woman portrayed by TV star Lynda Carter.
Vic’s Verdict: 3 Stars
