“Wonder Woman 1984” was much less well received by fans and trade press than the critically acclaimed first part. Absolutely incomprehensible to me, because “Wonder Woman 2” is not a perfect, but coherent, action-packed and very emotional sequel.

“Wonder Woman 1984“ is one of the films most affected by the corona pandemic: Actually, the DC sequel was supposed to start before Corona, but was then pushed back to June 2020 – and then further and further back. In the end, “Wonder Woman 2” was released simultaneously in cinemas and on the US streaming service HBO Max in December 2020 and therefore quickly spread illegally on the Internet. I’m sure: that’s one of the reasons why “Wonder Woman 1984” was so surprisingly poorly received by the public.

If the DC blockbuster had hit theaters like “Wonder Woman”, the very meager response would have been at least a little more positive, I’m sure. If you haven’t seen “Wonder Woman 2” yet but want to give the DC sequel a shot, now you have the chance to do so again. Than “Wonder Woman 1984” is now available at Netflix are streamed.

» 4 out of 5 stars: The CELEBTAP review of “Wonder Woman 1984”

And I think it’s worth it – despite some weaknesses in the middle section and a generally too long playing time. Because “Wonder Woman 1984” differs pleasantly from its predecessor: Gone are the bleak trenches of World War I, instead the eighties come to life in all their posh glory – with bright colors, shoulder pads and blow-dried hairstyles.

At the same time developing director PattyJenkins and her co-writers Wonder Woman not so much Diana’s superhero skills as putting her strength of character to the test: can she resist the temptation that comes with the return of her beloved Steve Trevor? Or will she accept the high price she has to pay for it?

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This central dilemma proves to be the greatest strength of “Wonder Woman 1984” and ensures it two of the most moving and best scenes in superhero cinema in recent years, which of course I won’t anticipate here. Hans Zimmer’s fantastic score also proves to be a big plus, as he transforms the well-known “Wonder Woman” theme into more mature, melodic sounds that match the main character’s character development.

At the same time, “Wonder Woman 1984” builds on the strengths of the first film: The reverse romance between Steve and Diana remains as humorous as it is compelling, and Diana regains her triumphant superhero moments, whether she’s taking down thieves in a department store or taking down a military convoy.

The plot of “Wonder Woman 1984”

Washington, DC, 1984: After Diana, aka Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), stops an antique store robbery, the loot ends up with Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), whom Diana teams up with in her civic identity at the Smithsonian Museum . Among them is also a mysterious stone that can grant wishes:

The dream stone not only brings back Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), who died 70 years ago, but also gives the shy Barbara new confidence and superpowers similar to those of Wonder Woman. But when the stone falls into the hands of businessman Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), who is on the verge of bankruptcy, he threatens to plunge the whole world into chaos…

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