6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.3 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Fast forward to the 1980s as Wonder Woman's next big screen adventure finds her facing two all-new foes: Max Lord and The Cheetah.
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Robin WrightAction | 100% |
Adventure | 91% |
Comic book | 85% |
Fantasy | 73% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1, 1.90:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Italian: Dolby Atmos
Italian: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
German: Dolby Atmos
German: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, German SDH, Italian SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Easily the most bloated DC flick since almost all of them, Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 1984 is an exercise in patience that will test the Goddess of Truth's most forgiving fans. This long-awaited sequel to the director's 2017 film promises another epic adventure featuring Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) that's set roughly 66 years after the first one. Yet after its rousing but ultimately self-indulgent opening scene, modern-day Diana has hit a roadblock: still lamenting the death of her great love Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), she keeps a somewhat low profile working at Washington D.C.'s Smithsonian Institution while fighting crime as you-know-who on the side. (Way on the side. Like, six hours a week.)
That's the most efficient (and spoiler-light) summary I could muster for a film that has no interest in efficiency. It's a potentially slick and breezy adventure thwarted by its own running time, which has been padded to 151 slow-moving minutes and wears out its welcome with an hour to spare. Frustratingly, many of the first film's strengths are still here, but some are in very limited quantities: Gadot shines ever-brightly as Wonder Woman, who is clearly not the focus this time around, while its action scenes are still well-shot and, for the most part, thrilling. Hans Zimmer's score adds a lot too, although a handful of cues are eerily similar to his earlier work. Even the film's lightly pandering nostalgia charmed me a lot more than expected, which I blame on many a childhood trip to D.C. during that same era.
WW84's lack of focus begins and ends with the dreaded "two villain" syndrome that most comic film sequels succumb to and doesn't work here either. Not that its primary villain is especially great, mind you: Pedro Pascal's ultra-hammy performance is the film's most immediate weak point... aside from, of course, the much-maligned creep factor of Steve Trevor's out-of-body return. But even those don't hold a candle to what ultimately cripples Wonder Woman 1984: the gnawing sense of boredom that only comes from an 80-minute film being stretched to almost twice that.
I'd be guilty of the same self-indulgence by padding this review's word count, so I'll stop there. Needless to say, I'm not swimming against the
current with a lukewarm take, which was similarly expressed in Brian Orndorf's theatrical review and echoed by the majority of critics and fans. Wonder Woman 1984 is
now available for purchase after its pandemic-delayed theatrical launch, which eventually happened last Christmas; simultaneously, it was available
for streaming on HBO Max and watched by pretty much everyone. Fittingly, an almost embarrassing number of home video options have
been offered by Warner Bros., apart from of course the usual standard 4K and Blu-ray editions: these include separate
variants found at Best Buy (a 4K
Steelbook) and Target (an alternate
slipcover, Blu-ray only), the elusive rogue outsider 3D Blu-ray (!), and even condensed 4K and Blu-ray two-packs pairing WW84 with the superior first film.
Not surprisingly given its era, Wonder Woman 1984 takes on a mostly colorful palette and it's supported tremendously well on Warner Bros.' 2160p transfer, thanks of course to the format's built-in advantages including HDR10+ / Dolby Vision support. (I'm equipped with the latter, so your color mileage may vary slightly.) But any way you slice it, this 4K disc easily reaches visual perfection at just about every turn, from the earth-toned but enticing Themysciran opening act to neon-tinted establishing shots, colorful costumes, and of course Alexandia's bustling Landmark Mall where that fateful robbery sets everything in motion. Even sparsely lit nighttime scenes, such as Diana and Steve's romantic stroll by the Lincoln Memorial's Reflecting Pool, look terrific. Visual effects are integrated well into the picture, giving even its most superhuman moments a relatively seamless and grounded appearance, while this same sense of polish extends to fine detail and depth. Considering Wonder Woman 1984's native 4K roots (during both the 35mm and IMAX portions -- thanks to forum member Pieter V for the correction), it's no surprise that this 100GB disc handles all that weight with no apparent issues; even factoring in the film's excessive running time, everything has been compressed well and runs at a fairly strong bitrate during even the most visually complex stretches.
For my thoughts on the included Blu-ray's proportionately good 1080p presentation, see my separate review of that title. Also, please note that all screenshots included with both reviews have been sourced from that Blu-ray.
Wonder Woman 1984's Dolby Atmos audio mix is also mighty impressive, making its presence known from the very first scene and rarely letting up along the way. Highlights include that opening Themysciran athletic contest, the mall chase, Diana and Steve's plane takeoff and the subsequent July 4th fireworks flyover, their pursuit of Max through in Egypt, a battle at the White House, the Lasso of Truth, and of course the final showdown. Surround channels and low frequency effects are put to good use during these scenes and more, most of which also include strong panning effects and effective use of the height channel. Of course, those without an Atmos-enabled setup will be perfectly happy with the (automatically scaled-down) Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix, which sounds virtually identical to the Atmos track without the additional height. Dialogue is clean and crisp throughout, with very good placement during crowded scenes and more good use of the rear channels for echoes in larger locations and outdoor locales. Not surprisingly, Hans Zimmer's score sounds terrific as well, offering a mix of traditional orchestral cues and lightly 80s-centric instrumentals. Much like WW84's refusal to beat us over the head with "Remember that?" nostalgia, I appreciate the balance here.
For whatever reason, Warner Bros. has also included a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, as if receivers don't automatically scale down 7.1 tracks. At least it's not the default track, but I thought they stopped doing this a long time ago.
This two-disc combo pack ships in a dual-hubbed keepcase with attractive cover art and a Digital Copy redemption slip. The extras, which can only be found on the included Blu-ray, are decent in number but mostly surface-level.
Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 1984 is the padded sequel to her well-received 2017 film, guilty of the "more is more" trappings of almost every comic book movie follow-up. Much like Aquaman, it starts off strong but just refuses to end, asking viewers to sit through over two and a half hours for a showdown that could've easily arrived 45 minutes earlier. Although it certainly has its moments and Gal Gadot shines in the title role, her screen time is ironically diminished here and that doesn't help matters, either. Regardless, Wonder Woman 1984's simultaneous theatrical and streaming debut last year almost guarantees you've made up your mind already... and if you liked the movie more than I did, you'll love Warner Bros.' new 4K disc. Featuring a top-tier A/V presentation and a pretty enjoyable mixture of extras (most of which don't suffer from "Zoom Call Syndrome"), it's clearly Recommended to DC disciples.
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