Wonder Woman.1984
Gracia Bradshaw
Clear messages about women's ability to be skilled warriors/fighters, the importance of empathy, compassion, courage, and teamwork. Shows various ways people can be heroes. Strong message about importance of truth and the pernicious nature of greed and excess. Encourages people to think carefully about their deepest wishes and desires -- whether they help or hurt ("be careful what you wish for"). Also some deeper messages about personal sacrifice, the nature of humanity, and sexism and how it can affect and impact women and girls. But Barbara's transformation can be seen as suggesting that tight/cool clothes and high heels are key parts of self-esteem and being admired and liked as a woman. Problematic messages around the idea of returning colonized land, the impact of domestic abuse, and lack of consent/agency.
Diana continues to be a brave, fierce, loyal warrior who's also selfless and kind. Steve is brave and selfless, too, willing once again to sacrifice himself for the greater good (though he and Diana also don't indicate any concern about him taking over someone else's body and using it without the owner's consent). Barbara is initially intelligent, warm, and kind, but she's also portrayed as insecure -- and later cruel and selfish. But (spoiler alert!) the villain redeems himself by realizing that power and influence come with a price he's ultimately unwilling to pay.
As Wonder Woman, Diana is an important example of a strong female superhero. Although, her likability relies on notions of traditional beauty and femininity. Barbara's transformation from a mousy geologist into a glamorous and powerful villain also plays into these standards. Most main characters are White, but another villain, Max, is Latino (Chilean American Pedro Pascal) and is given some depth in his backstory. Characters of color appear in minor roles, and some reinforce negative racial and cultural stereotypes: The only recurring Black character is unhoused, and the ruler of a fictional Middle Eastern nation uses his oil wealth to deal in nuclear arms.
Frequent peril and risk. Many people are injured, sometimes bloodily, but characters don't kill or die as often as in previous DC movies. Thieves brandish and fire guns in a mall heist; one grabs a child and holds her hostage, dangling her over a railing. A woman bloodily beats a man who had previously attempted to assault her. Mass worldwide chaos leads to mob-like protests and unrest. Diana and Steve fight armed security guards with heavy, war-level artillery. Diana is visibly injured. Nuclear weapons are wished for, and nuclear war breaks out between the United States and the USSR. A young child looks lost and disoriented and calls for his father; other scenes also show children in danger. A character's physical appearance deteriorates disturbingly, with blood dripping out of ears, nose, etc. The Amazons compete in a physically demanding, dangerous, Olympics-style game. A flashback reveals how Asteria wore special armor to keep male attackers away from the Amazons, sacrificing herself to keep her compatriots safe. Another flashback shows a child witnessing domestic abuse. Men often make unsolicited and unwanted comments to women. A man's body is used for sex without his consent (he's not occupying the body at the time).
Several passionate kisses/making out and a scene implying that a couple has had sex (they're in bed together; nothing graphic seen). Sight-gag joke with Steve eating crackers in bed. Diana wears a tight, short, form-hugging/revealing armored costume, as do the rest of the Amazon warriors. Another female character wears increasingly tight, body conscious outfits as well.
Parents need to know that Wonder Woman 1984 is the sequel to 2017's Wonder Woman and takes place about 65 years after the events of the first film. Gal Gadot returns as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, who finds herself up against two new villains (Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal) who are motivated by envy and greed -- but she's also reunited with her long-lost love, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). There's more romance in Wonder Woman than most other superhero films: Diana and Steve embrace, kiss, and are shown in bed together (nothing graphic seen); another couple also makes out. While there's no world war (or war god) in this movie's story, it does have near-constant peril and risk, with much of the world devolving into mass chaos as the result of the villains' actions. Expect battle scenes, car chases, heavy artillery, gun use, references to nuclear weapons, children in danger, beatings, and hand-to-hand combat. Characters are injured, sometimes gravely, but not killed -- though there are a few sad plot twists. One character's physical appearance deteriorates disturbingly, with blood dripping out of his ears, nose, etc. Language is infrequent but includes "s--t," "bitch," and "hell"; adults drink socially. This sequel isn't as diverse as the original but does feature female leads, a woman writer-director, and Chilean American Pascal as the villain. That said, it also has stereotypical representations of Middle Eastern people and problematic messages around the idea of returning colonized land, the impact of domestic abuse, and the lack of consent/agency. But there are positive messages about women's ability to be skilled warriors/fighters, as well as the importance of compassion, courage, empathy, and teamwork. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
WONDER WOMAN 1984 takes place seven decades after the events of Wonder Woman, with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) now a curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Her new colleague/friend, shy gemologist Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), has been asked by the FBI to consult on a recovered stolen artifact: a citrine rock embedded in a base engraved with Latin words asking those who hold it to make a wish. Diana amuses Barbara by making a wish while holding it, and later Barbara wishes that she were as strong, confident, and sexy as Diana. After Barbara gives a private tour to museum donor and TV infomercial host/oil entrepreneur Max Lord (Pedro Pascal), he steals the stone. It quickly becomes clear that the stone really does grant wishes, because Barbara transforms into a superstrong, put-together, charming woman, and Diana meets a man who seems to be Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) resurrected (others see him in the new man's body, Quantum Leap-style, but Diana and the audience see the old Steve). Diana and Steve go on a mission to find the stone, not realizing that it's now inextricably linked to Max, who wants to be the most powerful and influential man on the planet.
Campier and less revolutionary than the original, this long but entertaining sequel still shows the many ways women can be strong, heroic, and smart. (Though it does suggest that some of that hinges on being able to pull off high heels.) Wonder Woman 1984 also highlights the dangers of greed and excess. Director Patty Jenkins seems to relish displaying the "me" decade in all its materialistic glory, with the big hair, the big malls, and the big desires to win at all costs. Working from a screenplay she co-wrote with Geoff Johns and David Callaham, Jenkins also features a more melancholic Diana this time around. She's spent 65 years missing her one true love, Steve, whom many fans will agree is worth a lifetime of "pining" for. When he reemerges, there's a sweet callback to the first movie's fashion show sequence. Now Steve is the one trying on different 1980s outfits to blend in with the times (get ready for Pine in a fanny pack and Members' Only-style jacket). There's also a lot of immediate romance, since they're lovers reuniting rather than strangers meeting-cute and getting to know each other. Once again, Diana and Steve are one of the most romantic superhero-partner couples.
Wiig is a precise choice for Barbara Minerva, who's described in DC Comics lore as ambitious, selfish, and neurotic -- although in this case, the selfishness only manifests after her wish is granted. Barbara's metamorphosis is well executed, as is the character's desire to be as beautiful and bold (not to mention strong) as Diana, even though that doesn't ultimately bring her happiness. Pascal is wonderfully smarmy and self-aggrandizing as Lord, the entrepreneur who wants it all. Diana's commitment to change hearts rather than break bodies (she refuses to use guns and only hurts people when she has no other choice) is a powerful reminder that protectors can use other skills besides their might to help defuse situations. Of course, she still has to knock out a bunch of evil-doers, but these aren't the death- and blood-filled battles of the Batman movies. Despite the performances of the supervillains, Wonder Woman 1984 is at its best when Gadot and Pine are together -- and not (just) because they're both disarmingly gorgeous, but because their chemistry and their connection are what drives the story forward. It's just too bad their reunion here comes with some tricky issues related to consent.
How do the characters demonstrate courage and teamwork? What about Diana's keen sense of compassion and empathy? Why are those all important character strengths? Why do you think she's unwilling to use guns and unnecessarily hurt people? How does that compare to other superheroes' attitude toward weapons?
What makes Diana a role model in Wonder Woman? Why does Barbara envy her? What message is the movie sending through Barbara's transformation? Does wearing tight dresses and high heels make her "better" in some way?
How did you feel about the way Steve came back for this movie? Spoiler alert: Is it OK that he and Diana treated the body he was using as if it really belonged to him? What message does that send about the importance of consent and agency?
Talk about how Middle Eastern characters are represented in the movie. Why do you think it's so common for Middle Eastern characters to be portrayed as villains? How does the movie's storyline perpetuate stereotypes about Middle Eastern men?
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