'Wonder Woman 1984'

Comic books are inherently goofy. A bunch of people dress up in costumes and fight bad guys; sometimes aliens and robots are involved.

Based on the initial response to Wonder Woman 1984, there’s a vocal subset of fans who want more of this. They desire zaniness. They want more rocks that grant wishes; they want more former SNL cast members to turn into human-animal hybrids.

At the same time, an equally loud bunch have been hastily disparaging this pivot to the peculiar. “More of the same!” they yell, ignoring that sameness in DC Films often means Zack Snyder-influenced, reheated garbage that — once upon a time — we all disliked for different reasons.

Where WW84 goes wrong is trying to saddle that line while also following the typically bloated sequel blueprint. Dead characters return; our protagonist makes big choices with power-sapping consequences; the dreaded two-villain setup weighs everything down, as it does in nearly every other second or third franchise entry that employs it.

What makes this movie different also makes it interesting. Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince resolves disputes with words as often as with her lasso. The central conflict has global consequences but isn't a big machine or monster that will obliterate us all. The MacGuffin is ridiculous in a simple way, one that somehow defies more logic than a whim-catering power glove. And Pedro Pascal is chewing a forest’s worth of scenery as a megalomaniacal faux business tycoon who doesn’t even pretend to be capable of a physical altercation.

Its problems, however, stem from a half-baked script that was probably rushed into readiness after the smash success of the 2017 original; it’s needlessly complex for what should be a straightforward story with literally four characters. And Diana Prince has yet to be defined; she seems to be a hero for the downtrodden, a hesitant savior, a god, and a fairly functional regular human being, all at the same time. After two feature films that bear her name, I couldn’t tell you exactly what she wants.

WW84 is best when Gadot takes on the bad guys in clear-cut action sequences; it’s also kinda good when our romantic leads are one on one, letting their surprising chemistry shine. But you can’t buck trends and be a unique comic book movie while also being a sprawling, poorly paced mess.

I don’t think writer/director Patty Jenkins has suddenly lost her fastball, and most of us will never know how WW84 would’ve looked on a big screen in front of a packed crowd. But in 2020, we all have to play the cards we’re dealt, and I suspect this departure from expectations will ironically end up spawning a lot more sameness under the already-meh DC banner.