'Wonder Woman 1984' Early Buzz: Patty Jenkins And Gal Gadot Deliver The Aspirational Blockbuster We Need
Wonder Woman 1984 will be released in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously on Christmas Day. But the first round of press screenings happened just before the weekend, and the initial wave of social media reactions has already hit the web.
Thankfully, it sounds like director Patty Jenkins has knocked Wonder Woman 1984 out of the park with superhero spectacle that brings some much needed movie magic and positivity that we can all use after this terrible year. Plus, Gal Gadot continues to shine as the DC Comics superhero, and Chris Pine, Pedro Pascal, and Kristen Wiig all get to showcase outstanding supporting performances too. Get the round-up of the first Wonder Woman 1984 reactions below.
Let's start with our own Hoai-Tran Bui, who offered up this take on social media:
WONDER WOMAN 1984 is — forgive the term — wonderful. It doubles down on the compassion and cheese that made the first so great, as well as its tenacious belief in the best of humanity. A magical, sorely needed beacon of hope in this year
— Hoai-Tran Bui (@htranbui) December 5, 2020
It's definitely on the long side, and sometimes slathers on so much cheese that it might be a health hazard, but it's the kind of aspirational superhero blockbuster that we need more of
— Hoai-Tran Bui (@htranbui) December 5, 2020
Our old pal Germain Lussier also walked away feeling more than satisfied with the DC Comics sequel:
Yesterday I saw Wonder Woman 1984 at home & it was everything I needed & more. The movie is hugely ambitious, incredibly exciting, and full of much needed hope. It's also very long, to a fault at times, but mostly it reminded me how wonderful a big blockbuster can make you feel. pic.twitter.com/6rYbHEzI7E
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) December 5, 2020
In his reaction, Eric Goldman made an interesting comparison to this year's Bill and Ted Face the Music:
The cast is all terrific and Jenkins continues to be a perfect match as director. I do think one villain gets a much stronger third act than the other and wanted more for the other character in a couple of respects but overall the movie works really well. #WonderWoman1984
— Eric Goldman (@TheEricGoldman) December 5, 2020
Brandon Davis pointed out that the sequel not only takes place in 1984, but if feels like an 1980s movie too:
I've seen #WonderWoman1984!@PattyJenks literally made an 80s movie in every way, making it so unique for today. It feels both bigger than the first WW while simultaneously more contained.
Lots of Diana Prince and some epic Wonder Woman moments as @GalGadot literally soars! pic.twitter.com/QluelKwYly
— Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) December 5, 2020
Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig are the highlights of #WonderWoman1984 for me.
Pascal goes ALL IN on a wild portrayal of Max Lord, a conflicted but vile villain.
Wiig's Cheetah evolution throughout the movie is heartbreaking yet epic. We need more! #WW84 pic.twitter.com/hBIUDkXCFN
— Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) December 5, 2020
I think what surprised me most was that the message #WW84 leaves you with feels even more important to hear at the end of this year in a way @PattyJenks couldn't have predicted when she made it. Also, it just is so exciting to have big, joyful, blockbuster movies coming out again
— Terri Schwartz (@Terri_Schwartz) December 5, 2020
Had the great fortune to see #WW84 recently. Get excited for your Xmas present people! That's all I'm gonna say!
-Mike @WonderWomanFilm @GalGadot @PattyJenks #WonderWoman1984 pic.twitter.com/nXEaSxq7np
— The Nerds of Color (@TheNerdsofColor) December 5, 2020
Erik Davis makes it sounds like Wonder Woman 1984 has everything you'd want from a blockbuster:
I'm so happy to report that #WW84 is an absolute blast from start to finish. An exceptional compliment to the first film, it's stuffed w/ heart, hope, love, action, romance & humor. @PattyJenks, @GalGadot & team delivered one of DC's best sequels. I was in tears when it ended. pic.twitter.com/ivPkBFmehd
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) December 5, 2020
Add to that a terrific ensemble cast; Pedro Pascal & Kristen Wiig were complex & unexpected foes. I was also lucky enough to watch #WW84 safely on the big screen, and it was just everything. I didn't expect the experience to make me so emotional, but it did. I miss it so much. pic.twitter.com/mVq5zRadhX
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) December 5, 2020
Our own @JimmytotheO rode the lightning for a WONDER of a movie! @PattyJenks and @GalGadot have done it again! @WonderWomanFilm #WW84 is a glorious success! From it's breathtaking opening sequence to the refreshingly original final act, there is much to rejoice in. pic.twitter.com/JXwRf9n3yV
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) December 5, 2020
Wonder Woman 1984 is a joyful, thrilling and engaging sequel, one that manages to connect to what worked the first time around, yet it's still uniquely its own thing. Emotional, hilarious and exciting, perhaps even better than the first. @WonderWomanFilm pic.twitter.com/dvsu6fpJRX
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) December 5, 2020
With a little bit more reservation, Perri Nemiroff didn't like the sequel as much as the first Wonder Woman:
I prefer Wonder Woman to Wonder Woman 1984. But I also much prefer seeing filmmakers take new, big swings with sequels and that's definitely what Patty Jenkins and co. do here. Not everything adds up, but the value of selflessness, love and compassion do shine through. #WW84 pic.twitter.com/xG4JS0NVbv
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) December 5, 2020
So there you have it. Wonder Woman 1984 sounds like it's going to be extremely satisfying when it arrives in theaters and on HBO Max on Christmas Day. Obviously this is just a handful of reactions from the first wave of press, but there will be more soon enough, along with full reviews before the movie arrives, including our own here at SlashFilm. So stay tuned for more.