After delaying its summer release (thanks Coronavirus), Wonder Woman 1984 dropped on Christmas Day streaming via HBO Max. We were following the #FilmTwitter controversy over who got screeners and when (with white critics appearing to have gotten much earlier access). But now that it’s out, what did Latinas think? Was this feminist icon’s sequel better than the original? Turns out our reviews were mixed as we tried to enjoy the DC Comic flick for what it is while also being disappointed in its worldview.
Wonder Woman 1984 Feels Like a White Feminist Exercise
We can always trust Yolanda Machado to call it like it is. For The Observer, she writes “Cheetah is the very embodiment of a white feminist, where the reason she feels she can do whatever she wants the second she gets a little bit of power is because she has been oppressed and terrified for her whole life. But much like reality, this is not the case, and if this is supposed to be the message, I have one big question: Where are the women of color? Where are the queer characters? Or better yet: Where is there any marginalized representation in this film?” Read her full review.
Wonder Woman 1984 Virtuously Wraps Up 2020
Diandra Rivera of Diandra Reviews It All has a different take, seeing Wonder Woman 1984 as a takedown of the Trump era. She writes, “‘You are going to get sick of winning.’ This was a Trump quote that permeated through the film’s theme as an ancient, citrine stone gives Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) the power to grant everyone’s wishes and, to no one’s shock, the world goes to hell. People’s insatiable appetite for more drives them mad, paranoid, and unable to fully invest in what they have, which is the story of every character in this film, including Diana.” Read her full review.
Wonder Woman 1984 Offers a Meh Film with a Powerful Theme
Kate Sánchez at But Why Tho? critiques the film’s politics and pacing before declaring it “not a dud.” No surprise here, she particularly likes Pedro Pascal: “With his rendition of Maxwell Lord, Pascal brings the charisma and charm of not only a playboy but also a charlatan. He oscillates between these two personas easily and it seals the deal on his character… Even stronger is how the film uses his Latinidad, while brief, to create a backstory that exists to draw empathy with the character and be a moment of reflection for him.” Read her full review.
Wonder Woman 1984 Is (Barely) Saved by Gal Gadot and Chris Pine’s Sizzling Chemistry
Daily Beast Entertainment Editor Melissa León gives the film a reluctant thumbs-up, writing “Though it never quite matches the heights its predecessor hit, WW1984 is a fun and often emotional experience, if a narratively and thematically confused one (especially in its latter half). It links our private fears to our desires to the seductive consumerist ethos of ‘Why not more?’ then takes a head-scratching turn into garbled geopolitics.” Read her full review.
Wonder Woman 1984
For her Cup of Soul Show, Kathia Woods reviews the latest DC installment with epic takedowns like, “This story is a mess, and it pains me to say it… The main reason why we enjoyed Wonder Woman is for the action and her bigger than life persona. This new Wonder Woman seems to have lost her way and is stuck in Business attire while trying to cultivate a friendship with her future nemesis.” Ouch. Read her full review.
