Wonder Woman Evokes Another Superhero

The latest Wonder Woman film is a more lighthearted, campy version, Brian Truitt writes in USA Today, possibly because the Reagan years in Washington weren't quite as intense as the depths of World War I. But the franchise isn't at the height of its powers, he says, finding that Wonder Woman 1984 is generally fun but doesn't quite live up to the Wonder Woman of three years ago. Still, Truitt gives the film three stars out of four, calling it an "action-packed, heartwarming flick full of grace, goodness and a tank-flipping, whip-smacking, baddie-bashing" Gal Gadot, whose Diana Prince otherwise works quietly as a cultural anthropologist at the Smithsonian.

Many parts of the film work well, Truitt writes. The Gadot-Chris Pine chemistry and the Hans Zimmer score are highlights. The supervillains are better than last time. The result is an "earnest vibe that's the closest recent DC superhero projects have come to Christopher Reeve’s original 'Superman.'" Truitt says. On the down side, the film is overly packed, starts slowly, and is in no particular hurry—Wonder Woman 1984 clocks in at a full 2½ hours and does start to wear thin. Overall, Truitt decides, this version "hits more than it misses, especially for fans waiting through a year full of release delays." It reaches theaters and HBO Max on Dec. 25. You can read the full review here. (More Wonder Woman stories.)