The Most Offensive Part of ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ Isn’t Even Addressed in the Movie
The sequel to the critically-acclaimed Wonder Woman film was much anticipated, but many fans have been disappointed since its delayed release finally came to fruition.
Ever since Gal Gadot took on the part of Wonder Woman in the 2017 film, fans have been clamoring for more. Teasers for Wonder Woman 1984 left them expecting more of the thrilling, well-written action they had found in the original, but many reviews show that a lot of viewers feel it fell short of that goal.
It turns out that complaints over a convoluted plot and poor special effects may have distracted viewers from the film’s biggest flaw.
‘Wonder Woman 1984’ was heavily anticipated
Wonder Woman 1984 had a lot of hype around it, and perhaps that anticipation was part of its ultimate lackluster premiere. It certainly didn’t help that the film was delayed and did not get a full box office release. Because of the pandemic, the film did not get the normal theatrical treatment.
While some people were able to see it in the theater, the impact was definitely muted by restrictions on crowd sizes and the fact that many people are not comfortable being in crowds during the Covid-19 crisis.
Instead, Wonder Woman 1984 hit both theaters and HBO Max. Even with those hurdles, however, the film did surprisingly well at the box office and certainly brought in millions of viewers over the streaming service as well.
Many viewers were disappointed in ‘Wonder Woman 1984’
While losing the ability to see the film on the big screen might have hurt its reception some, there’s no denying that the sequel did not live up to its hype. Critics were quick to point out its flaws, and it has only a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (compared to the stunning 93% for the original).
Some have deemed it “over the top” and “hammy.” Many point to the “bloated” nature of the plot, pointing out that the efforts to toggle between two potential antagonists does justice to neither.
Several comments have been pointed at the cheesy special effects, especially those for Cheetah — a villain played by Kristen Wiig who had tremendous potential but seemed to fall flat. Over all, many viewers were left with the impression of a second-rate action flick and not the premium piece of art they were expecting.
Viewers overlooked the biggest flaw in ‘Wonder Woman 1984’
Amidst the many complaints about the film, however, not that many people are pointing out the problems with a major plot point in the sequel. When it was announced that Chris Pine would be returning to his role as Steve Trevor, many were scratching their heads about how the creators would pull it off. After all, Steve had clearly died at the end of Wonder Woman. It turns out that his return is a bit of dark magic tied to an ancient artifact at the center of the show’s premise.
As Screen Rant explains, there’s one troubling element of Steve’s return that is “egregiously unaddressed.” Steve returns not as himself — though it is Pine that viewers see throughout most of the film.
Instead, he’s returned in the body of another man. With Pine playing the part and Diana barely making mention of the fact that he’s in another person’s body, the return is more than a little creepy.
Screen Rant points out that the man has a home, hobbies, and a career — in other words, a full life he was living before being displaced. “Frustratingly, this fact was never fully explored or addressed – to the point that the film’s protagonists seemed generally uncaring,” writer John Atkinson explains.
