“Wonder Woman 1984,” (WW84) released Dec. 25, 2020, showcases a mediocre plotline and convoluted, unexplained scenes, leaving an overall sense of discontent among fans of the original film.

“WW84” is the sequel to the film “Wonder Woman,” a tale of female empowerment that introduces Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) to the DC universe as she leaves her state of seclusion on the mystical island Themyscira. Wonder Woman strays from the original “Wonder Woman” TV series from 1975 that sexualizes the female body, overlooking Wonder Woman’s valid heroism. The original movie with Gal Gadot set a clear precedent of a strong and powerful woman lead that single-handedly stops World War II. The sequel abandons this model as the directors strip all of the admirable qualities of Wonder Woman in hopes of making money, sticking to a formulaic plotline that can be found in countless other action movies. 

“WW84” is set in the 1980s, where Prince has a steady career at the Smithsonian until a stone believed to be cursed by Dolos, the god of lies, treachery, deception, and mischief arrives at her feet. The stone attracts failing entrepreneur Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), as he heard a myth of a stone that could make your wishes come true. This leads Prince on a journey around the globe in hopes to put an end to Lord’s greed before it dismantles the delicate balance of the world. Overall, the lack of significance in the plot hinders the movie and leaves it comparable to almost any other action movie.  

The film’s production had a budget of 200 million dollars, giving the creators (mostly)unlimited creative freedom. However, the film’s special effects were lackluster, with nothing more than arbitrary explosions and gunfire. Furthermore, the creators try to fit too much into most scenes. In most instances when Prince has a conversation that is prevalent to the plot, there is something insignificant taking the viewers’ attention to the background. The scenes are fast-paced and occur at drastically different locations with no reasoning as to why they are there. At one point, as featured in many of the DC comics, they show Wonder Woman turning her plane invisible. The movie gives no explanation or build-up to show that she’s able to produce this invisibility shield. Viewers are ultimately left with deep plot holes. 

The only admirable aspect of “WW84” is the filming. The movie displays intricate angles that add depth to otherwise dull scenes. Unlike most movies in the DC universe, this film does not feature a mind-boggling switching of angles every few seconds. This unheard-of feature almost makes a few scenes enjoyable. 

Unfortunately, the filming alone could not save the film. Another bland aspect of  “WW84” is the soundtrack. The film followed the precedent for most action movies, fast-paced original tracks. Something that made the original “Wonder Woman” so exceptional was the music choice. It felt like all of the tracks were similar. Whether the piece was fast-paced with a high tempo or low fi, listeners found something that they enjoyed. However, in the sequel, the familiar and welcome beats are abandoned and replaced with redundant tracks, with no significant beat. Overall, the choice of music fit the scenes but it could have been more unique to the film. 

Though it might have let down viewers compared to the first original “Wonder Woman,” “Wonder Woman 1984” is a mediocre movie. The unexplained scenes, average music and formulaic plot leave this movie with a two out of five rating.