Director: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Lil Rel Howery, Algee Smith, Dominique Thorne, Martin Sheen
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 126 mins

Every Awards season, there is one undeserving film and this year, that honour goes to Judas And The Black Messiah. Directed by Shaka King, the film chronicles the story of Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) and his rise in the Illinois Black Panther chapter, culminating in his eventual betrayal by William O’Neale (Lakeith Stanfield), an FBI informant. The film is largely told from the perspective of O’Neale, who we meet at the beginning of the film as he raids a bar with a fake FBI licence and steals a car, only to then get arrested and inform for them by infiltrating the Black Panther party. Judas and the Black Messiah is one of the heavy hitters this Awards season and it has a star studded cast so why doesn’t the film work? 

The storytelling isn’t particularly coherent and King fails to capitalise on key moments. Plot points are glossed over throughout the film with no depth or meaningful character development. Most irritating is King’s glossing over of O’Neale’s betrayal at the end of the film and the results are emotionless, without consequence. The plot feels like a tick-box exercise. 

Much praise has been touted regarding Daniel Kaluuya’s performance, who looks almost certain to win, as the Black Panther leader. Kaluuya is good but the way the character is written is one-note and this is far from his career best performance. It’s a shame that certain actors get rewarded for work that isn’t their best. If anything, Lakeith Stanfield gives the better performance of the two as his character has more gravitas but not nearly enough emotional development to empathise with the sticky situation O’Neale finds himself intertwined in. 

The biggest mistake this film commits is it has an obnoxiously preachy tone, although luckily not to the extent of Selma, another Awards film that had received unanimous praise but I found it abhorrent. 

The film’s not without a handful of merits. There are some energetic moments here and there where it feels like the film is going to take off but then it never happens and these attempts are ultimately inert. The opening with O’Neale raiding a bar is well done, as is a pulse-raising shootout on a busy street against the police. The score by Mark Isham and Craig Harris is interesting at times and there is a good performance in a standout scene from Lil Rey Howery, a mirroring of an earlier scene. 

It’s a shame that with a cast and crew this good that the result is this inert. Whilst it has a couple of bright spots, for the most part, Judas And The Black Messiah is a slog of a biopic and a real disappointment. 

⭐⭐ (Poor)

Director: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto, Natalie Morales
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 128 mins

The Little Things is a neo-noir crime thriller that heavily wears its inspiration of David Fincher’s Se7en and Zodiac on its sleeve. Denzel Washington stars as a grizzled detective, Joe ‘Deke’ Deacon who crosses paths with recently appointed lead Detective Jimmy Baxter (Rami Malek). The two of the them team to investigate a string of serial murders and their search leads them to a strange loner (Jared Leto), who may or may not be the culprit. Director John Lee Hancock lends an assured hand to the material, allowing the film a familiar feel that revels in its atmosphere. His filmography is quite diverse from Saving Mr Banks and The Founder proving success but his most recent project for Netflix, The Highwaymen, was a howler.

Although familiar, for the majority of The Little Things, I was enamoured by the atmosphere, the development of the characters and the performances. Denzel Washington and Rami Malek make a great pair, Washington particularly convincing as the experienced but unorthodox sheriff. Jared Leto is suitably creepy as the suspect, although he has played this type of role before. The characters are all really well developed and Washington conveys his age and experience in his interactions with former acquaintances brilliantly. The interplay between Malek and his young family is also convincing. The central mystery is enticing as well. Thomas Newman’s score is excellent in being his signature but uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, the film runs into murky water in its final 15 minutes with its controversial ending. Granted, it is original but I found it very anti-climatic, abrupt and like a big nothing and more than a little underwhelming. Hancock justifies the decision to end the film in this way. The film could easily for me have gone on for longer to solve its central mystery, but the film isn’t really interested in this and is more focussed on character.

It is easy to understand the mixed reception to The Little Things but until its ending, I found it to be a riveting drama that is very cine-literate.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)

Director: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, KiKi Layne, Shari Headley, Teyana Taylor, Wesley Snipes, James Earl Jones 
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 110 mins

Coming 2 America is a competent and entertaining sequel, even if it is more family oriented and lacks the 1988 comedy classic’s edge. Eddie Murphy returns as the Zamundan Prince Akeem, the role that helped propel the actor to stardom after a string of hits, such as Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop. Set on the 30th anniversary of his wedding with Lisa McDowell (Shari Headley), Prince Akeem is summoned by his ailing father, King Jaffe Joffer (James Earl Jones), who reveals that Akeem had inadvertently fathered a son on his trip to New York in the first film. As it is tradition in Zamunda for the King’s successor to be a male, Prince Akeem is sent back to New York to retrieve his son. This causes a rift with the now Queen Lisa, who Akeem had fathered three girls with, and the notion of changing Zamundan politics ensues. The film is directed by Craig Brewer, replacing John Landis who helmed the first film, who most recently directed Dolemite Is My Name, a film that cemented Eddie Murphy’s comeback with a fantastic performance as the titular performer. 

Coming 2 America best succeeds with its returning characters from the first film and successfully introduces some compelling new faces. Leslie Jones has some of the film’s best lines as Mary, the woman who Akeem had fathered his son with and Wesley Snipes lends a surprising comedic touch as the dictator, General Izzi, of Zamunda’s neighbouring nation, Nexdoria. The relationship between Akeem and his three daughters is well explored, their roles reminiscent of a comedic Shakespearean parallel, with Akeem mirroring his father’s presence. This family oriented feel of the film is what allows it to succeed. It would have really benefitted the film if both Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall (who returns as Akeem’s aide and best friend, Semmi and also reprises his other roles from the first film) had more to do as both actors are the reason why audiences would want to invest in a sequel, but the film is more centred on the newer generation of characters. The film is well worth watching for their performances, even if they are more reserved and less raucous than the first film. 

It is this raucousness and bite that made the original film work so well that this sequel lacks. Arguably, Murphy and crew had more reason to take a risk with the first film with their edgy comedy as they were trying to establish their careers, rather than rock the boat on a sequel over thirty years later. The film wears a 12A / PG-13 rating rather than the 15 / R rating of the original, which is a shame as it limits the subject matter of the comedy and language of the script. 

Coming 2 America is a fun sequel that is worth watching if you are a fan of the original and successfully develops the characters and world that had been established. But if you are looking for an ambitious sequel that is not afraid to rock the boat, this is not it. This sequel deserves credit though for not trying to rehash the main plot elements of the first film and feel like a carbon copy, which many comedy sequels fall into this trap. Coming 2 America is good fun in the moment, even if it may not have the lasting quality of the original. 

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: Josh Trank
Starring: Tom Hardy, Linda Cardellini, Jack Lowden, Noel Fisher, Kyle MacLachlan, Matt Dillon 
Certificate: 18
Run Time: 104 mins

Capone (initially titled as Fonzo) is an unconventional biopic that centers on the infamous mobster’s last year of his life where he is suffering with the effects of syphilis and dementia. This is the first film by director Josh Trank after his time in director’s jail after seemingly being wiped off the face of Hollywood with Fantastic Four. I defended the film as I found that problems aside, there was still a good film in there which unfortunately had been tangled with by Fox’s executives. Sadly, most people didn’t see it this way and after Trank publicly disowned the film on the day of its release, it isn’t hard to imagine that most production companies wouldn’t want to take a chance with him. I would love to see what Trank had planned for that film one day in a director’s cut but there’s next to no chance of that ever happening.

Trank has written, directed and edited this biopic that was shot in early 2018 and was released in most territories last year but has only now found its way to a UK release, quietly and unceremeniously dumped on Netflix. Tom Hardy plays the ageing gangster under a lot of prosthetics having spent a long stint in prison. He now lives under the care of his family on house arrest and is still being closely monitored by the FBI, who are unsure if his illness is as authentic as it seems. We witness his decline in his last year, bookended by two Thanksgiving family dinners, where he loses awareness of reality, suffers hallucinations and battles incontinence. He is regularly seen to by a Doctor (Kyle MacLachlan) who faces a moral dilemma of assisting him with his health but is also under the pressure by the FBI to ‘coax’ him out of his illness and reveal where a vast amount of money that he had hidden before he was convicted is lurking.

Capone is a mixed bag. Thankfully, there is more good than bad though and it is always refreshing to see a filmmaker craft something original and defy convention rather than just churn out a generic biopic. The film hinges on the electric performance from Tom Hardy, who is terrific as the unhinged mobster and portrays his descent into insanity very convincingly. Hardy’s vocal mannerisms of Capone are brilliant, as is his feral, wide-eyed demeanour. There are some fine performances from the rest of the cast, such as Linda Cardellini as his wife and Kyle MacLachlan as Capone’s Doctor but this is very much Tom Hardy’s vehicle.

Trank intersperses the film with flashbacks to Capone’s prime and hallucinations, particularly one extended sequence where Capone regrets his past actions as he relives a torturing and murder of a character and then sings along at a dinner to Cowardly Lion’s If I Were King Of The Forest from The Wizard of Oz. This extended sequence is the first major hallucination we experience of Capone’s but it is overlong and doesn’t really have much of a point, other than to witness that despite Capone’s mental state, he still expresses regret. There are some outlandish scenes in the film but this first extended sequence undoes the desired effect as we wait to discover if what we have just witnessed is in Capone’s head or reality. There is also a character that features in the film, seemingly in reality, where it transpires that he has been dead for many years and it’s rather frustrating that Trank doesn’t make more of a statement with the character in some of the earlier scenes he features – it ends up being rather anti-climatic.

That said, there is a terrific sequence where Capone wields a gold Tommy gun and wreaks havoc on his estate before an encounter with a crocodile. It’s clearly obvious from the onset of this scene with the absurdity of the situation that this isn’t real and it is easier to relax into the film.

The film is scored by El-P and is atmospheric in places but surprisingly lacks substance. Capone would have been better served by a more pulsating score that was in keeping with the madness portrayed on-screen. Peter Deming’s cinematography is suitably arresting, the moments of strong bloody violence that earn Capone its 18-rating are well realised, as is the sequence with a crocodile, a rare moment of vivid, kaleidoscopic colour that juxtaposes from the rest of the film’s suitably murky colour palette.

Capone ultimately represents an interesting follow-up for director Josh Trank that is neither as great as it could have been to redeem his image nor the terrible and repugnant disaster that some reviews have made it out to be. Trank has crafted this film on his own terms and it’s not a film for everyone. This is a film that warrants rewatching to further unpack its meaning. I’m grateful that this film exists and that Trank has stuck to his vision without compromise, even if the end result is flawed.

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: J. Blakeson
Starring: Rosmaund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Eiza González, Dianne Wiest 
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 118 mins

I Care A Lot is a gripping and wild black comedy-thriller that keeps its audience on its toes throughout. Rosamund Pike plays Marla Grayson, a morally bankrupt but cool-as-a-cucumber con artist who preys and scams on the older generation by becoming their ‘legal guardian’ and sending them to a care home, whilst she profits from selling their property and assets. Marla is assisted by her lover and business partner, Fran (Eiza Gonzalez) who has an equal disregard for the ethics of her actions. After targeting what is defined early on in the film as a ‘cherry’ – a single lady called Jennifer Paterson (Dianne Wiest) who has no family but vast amounts of wealth, on paper this should be the perfect opportunity for them to profit. Jennifer is quickly whisked away into a care home, which is not too dissimilar to a prison in its construction. Marla faces a visit from a stash-carrying lawyer who warns her that Jennifer is ‘the worst mistake you will ever make’, a gripping game of cat-and-mouse ensues with elements of revenge, a no-nonsense, smoothie-drinking villain who is very much Marla’s match and ties to the Russian mafia.

Directed by J. Blakeson, I Care A Lot is directed with an improved and impressive assurance for only the directors third feature. Blakeson crafts some intense sequences which are really well developed in their Hitchockian construction. The performances are fantastic across the board. This is familiar territory for Rosamund Pike, Marla a character cut from the same cloth as her Oscar-nominated performance in Gone Girl. Eiza González is just as strong as her partner in crime. Peter Dinklage is clearly having fun as the villain and Dianne Wiest deftly manages to balance the hopelessness but hidden intelligence of Jennifer. Isaiah Whitlock Jr. has a small but humorous role as a Judge who is very much under the spell of Marla.

The film from start to finish is really excellent. Perhaps some of the twists the film takes in its third act aren’t quite as fresh as the beginning and it begins to move away from its smart commentary in the first two acts on the elderly generation. The notion that this could happen to you when you are older is genuinely frightening and really doesn’t feel that far removed from reality. I’m also not sure on the film’s ending and I felt that there was a clear end point which would have been more enigmatic for the audience, rather than there being an actual conclusion. The film features an interesting synth score which contrasts with the events unfolding on-screen but sometimes aggressively doesn’t fit.

Ultimately, I Care A Lot is a wild ride throughout and is thoroughly entertaining. This is not only J. Blakeson’s best work in his career, this is also one of the best films of the year so far.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)

Director: Paul Greengrass
Starring: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 118 mins

News of the World represents a different filmic venture for director Paul Greengrass, most notable for the Jason Bourne series and his dramatisations of original events with films such as United 93 and Captain Phillips. This is a quiet, contemplative Western that save for one stake-out on a hill mid-way through, is bereft of action. It couldn’t be more far removed from the rest of his filmography, also foregoing his signature twitchy handheld camera and docu-drama aesthetic. 

Tom Hanks plays Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a Confederate veteran who makes a living travelling from town to town in 1870’s America, reading the news to local populations for ten pence per person. Captain Kidd’s relatively simple life is overturned when he encounters an overturned cart where twice orphaned Johanna (Helena Zengel) is discovered after she runs past him terrified. Johanna has quite a back story – she came from a German farming community who were attacked by a Kiowa tribe, where they then made her part of her community and now the Kiowa’s have been cleared out by the American army. After trying to deliver her to the relevant authorities who can take her to safety, Kidd decides to take the task up himself to reunite her with her closest family, an aunt and uncle who live on a farm on the far side of the state. Along the way, he stops to read the news to various communities to finance the journey, one community in particular drawing parallels with modern day politics in how its dictator gives Kidd his approved news to read and he has an army to ‘cleanse’ the county of any outsiders.

Both performances by Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel are exemplary. Despite Hanks’ vast variety of roles, this his first official Western (although arguably, Woody in Toy Story is close!). The young Helena Zengel impresses and the two establish a convincing rapport. When the film reaches its action setpiece mid-way through, Greengrass has already more than allowed audiences to have an emotional investment in the duo Dariusz Wolski’s cinematography is terrific, with sweeping panoramic vistas with a gallery quality that draws parallels with The Searchers, one shot in particular harkens back to its ending.

However, News of the World is only good. The Western has had a resurgence in recent years with some outstanding additions to the genre such as The Hateful Eight, Bone Tomahawk and Hell Or High Water. As there have been so many examples of strong work that perhaps have established an unreasonably high bar, it’s disappointing that News of the World doesn’t come close. It’s perfectly acceptable that Greengrass’ film sticks to convention but there isn’t a great deal of substance here both in its narrative or tonal quality. Even James Newton Howard’s try-hard score doesn’t really stick.

Ultimately, News of the World is a modest and well-intentioned Western with strong performances but it doesn’t try to reinvent or progress the genre, is narratively thin and fails to leave a lasting impression.

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: Simon Stone
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, Johnny Flynn, Ben Chaplin, Ken Stott
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 112 mins

The Dig is a handsomely crafted biopic, with an earnest central performance from Ralph Fiennes, that chooses not to veer off the course of biopic convention.  It explores the story of the excavation of the Great Ship Burial at Sutton Hoo in 1939, on the eve of World War II. The landowner, Edith Petty (Carey Mulligan) hires local, self-taught archaeologist / excavator Basil Brown for the task, who has largely been forgotten in history, who made the important discovery only to be shadowed by a Cambridge archaeologist who brings in a large group to dig the site up, by order of the Office of Works.

Ralph Fiennes makes for a likeable lead as the honest yet unconventional Basil Brown and Carey Mulligan is also charismatic as the landowner with a secret. The film is at its best in its first half when the film is mainly focussed on the duo, with the second half starting to overshadow them with the arrival of Ken Stott’s chief archaeologist and his crew. There is a touching subplot with how Fiennes interacts with Mulligan’s young son and the initial excavation and discovery of the Anglo-Saxon ship and artefacts. The second half is less focussed, and Lily James’ awkward inclusion in the film as a gifted archaeologist is reduced somewhat in another romantic subplot and it is less intimate in its character development of the central duo.

The Dig is a handsomely crafted biopic with a fascinating story and sympathetic performances but unlike its characters who take courageous risks, this is a film that refuses to deviate from convention. There is a growing host of biopics out there and although the story is gripping, the film itself is likely not to be particularly well remembered in years to come.

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: Pete Docter 
Starring: (voices of) Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Questlove, Phylicia Rashad, Daveed Diggs, Angela Bassett, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Richard Ayoade, Alice Braga, Wes Studi 
Certificate: PG
Run Time: 100 mins

Soul is the second of two Pixar offerings this year, having meant to have originally release back in June but Disney witheld the film and have now chose to debut it on their Disney+ platform. Onward was their first and unfortunately set a new low for the studio. Pixar mastermind Pete Docter is in the director’s chair here, who has previously directed Monsters Inc and Up, two of Pixar’s top tier offerings, Up being my personal favourite out of all their films. He most recently was behind Inside Out which was also a very good effort and attracted unanimous critical acclaim, even if it’s not quite up there with his first two features.

Soul treads similar ground to Inside Out in that both explore cerebral concepts – this feature focusses on Joe Gardner (a passionate Jazz pianist voiced by Jamie Foxx) who needs to reunite his soul with his body after they are separated in a seemingly fatal incident. Joe cannot quite find his place in society and is always trying to get his big break, to fulfil his lifelong ambition of being a successful musician. Joe finds himself on an ominous escalator on the way to ‘The Great Beyond’ but deciding that he isn’t ready to accept his fate, manages to escape to ‘The Great Before’, a realm where souls create their personality before they are dispatched to Earth to live life. There, he meets an uproarious soul called 22 (Tina Fey) who has no desire to go to Earth (in many hilarious cutaways, we see her brush off famous historical figures who act as her mentor such as Mother Theresa and Albert Einstein) and Joe befriends her, seeing an opportunity to use her to return to Earth.

Soul is another winning original creation from Pixar and after a slightly shaky opening act on first viewing, finds its footing and often soars. Docter skilfully interrogates existential themes of what it means to be alive and all the emotions associated with it including anxiety and depression. This is a far more adult film than some of Pixar’s other offerings but the characters and gags here should still enthrall younger viewings, even if the loftier themes go over their heads.

Technically, as with most Pixar films, Soul continues to further the art of animation with some breathtaking sequences. Joe’s home city of New York appears startlingly life-like, particularly an establishing shot of the city towards the end of the film that is just mesmerising. The minute attention to detail in Joe’s numerous piano renditions is also awe-inspiring. Docter juxtaposes the beautiful real world animation with the ethereal ‘Great Before’ and ‘Great Beyond’ landscapes, which are more abstract and unsettling. Soul is beautifully complimented by an excellent score, Jon Batiste behind the original jazz arrangements and score of the real world and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross behind the more atmostpheric and celestial themes of ‘The Great Before’ and ‘The Great Beyond’.

Ultimately, Soul is another very strong addition to the Pixar canon. It’s a shame this film couldn’t make it to the big screen and whilst its release on Disney+ seems rather unceremonious, it’s just what audiences need this Christmas in the time of the coronavirus pandemic. This is another heady film by Pete Docter and whilst its somewhat scattershot structuring doesn’t quite reach Pixar’s very best work, this is still one of the best films of the year.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)

Director: Patty Jenkins
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 151 mins

Wonder Woman 1984 is the hotly anticipated sequel to the original 2017 film which proved a U-turn for the DCEU in that it was universally acclaimed after the divisive Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. Patty Jenkins is back in the director’s chair for this sequel and she proved an excellent choice the first time around, really taking her time to develop the characters and using action sequences sparingly and as a means to develop the story. Unfortunately, Jenkins couldn’t quite get past the third act curse that plauges many superhero films where they descend into a big overlong action sequence with lots of CGI where it’s difficult to care. It has since transpired that Jenkins’ third act was tampered with by Warner Bros and she had originally planned something different.

This sequel moves the story from the First World War to the height of the 1980s where Diana Prince / Wonder Woman attempts to remain incognito in society by curating ancient artefacts but she does get sidetracked into performing the odd heroic act. When a Dreamstone is uncovered during a robbery in a mall that Wonder Woman thwarts that grants its user one wish, this unleashes chaos when it gets into the wrong hands of Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), a struggling yet charismatic oil businessman and Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), one of Diana’s work colleagues who is timid and insecure and envies Diana’s qualities.

The reception to Wonder Woman 1984 has proven very interesting. Whilst first receiving unanimous praise amongst critics, the second wave of reviews and the audience reception have proven a divisive response with some viewers passionately disliking this sequel in the choices Jenkins makes.

I found Wonder Woman 1984 to be a very solid sequel that, save for a shaky beginning, tackles some thoughtful concepts and takes some brave risks. In many ways, this is a 180 on the first film in terms of Wonder Woman’s characterisation and the type of storyline that it follows. Wonder Woman was very much a fish-out-of-water in the first film and the interplay between her and Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor was authentic. In this sequel, she is a more confident individual that has world experience, less a warrior than the first film or BvS and more a superhero that only steps in if she really needs to.

Gal Gadot is very much the heart and soul of Wonder Woman 1984 again and turns in a terrific performance. Chris Pine also returns as Steve Trevor in a slightly baffling method considering that he gave up his life at the end of the first film and without heading into spoiler territory, is actually a plot hole. If you look past the slightly hokey set-up, both Gadot and Pine share an excellent chemistry again.

Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig are the villains of the film. Pedro Pascal fares very well and is a very multi-layered character. He has a lot at stake and although the film is set in 1984, it very much channels 2020 in how the character channels Donald Trump. Pascal is probably the second biggest character of the film in terms of screentime and Jenkins’ development of him is superb, a very different villain to David Thewlis’ Ares in the first film but very much the other side of the coin compared to Diana and Jenkins draws interesting parallels between them.

Kristen Wiig’s Barbara Minerva fares well initially in how her character is established as undeveloped and jealous but it’s a shame that she has to become the embodiment of Cheetah at the end of the film, one of Wonder Woman’s most notable villains in the comics. It’s not really clear how or why this happens and it would have been best if her character had been introduced in this film for her to then become Cheetah in a future film. Wonder Woman and Cheetah share an action sequence in the final act which isn’t great, especially the visual effects and it’s telling that it’s shot in a night setting to try and mask some of the poor CGI. It will still be interesting to see where DC take the character though.

The film doesn’t start particularly well. The film opens on Themiscyra (the fictional Amazonian island hidden from mankind) where we see a young Diana participating in an Amazonian Olympics event where it introduces a theme that one would think prove important for the rest of the film. There are ways one can argue Jenkins does pay this off later in the film but it’s not obvious and I can only think the Themyscira sequence is in the film so that it is in there to provide a connection to the first film. There is then an action sequence in a shopping mall which is directed with a Richard Donner-esque lightness that doesn’t really work. Luckily, once the film heads into the main narrative, the film is on better footing but I don’t think these two sequences are the best way to start the film. It’s interesting to read in an interview with Patty Jenkins that Warner Bros wanted her to only use one of these sequences rather than both – this is perhaps the rare piece of studio interference that would have helped the film.

The film also doesn’t really make the most of its 1980s setting. Other than the mall sequence at the beginning and a sequence where Steve Trevor wonders at the development of mankind, this film could have been set at any time. Matthew Jensen’s cinematography really helps in establishing the 1980s setting with his visual aesthetic and his work on the film again is assured. Hans Zimmer replaces Rupert Gregson-Williams on score duties but save for a handful of interesting musical moments, Zimmer’s score isn’t particularly memorable.

I can understand why the film has received the divisive reception it has. The story the film tells and where the narrative goes in the third act forms an opinion on human nature and the themes of greed and lust and the subsequent chaos that can ensue. Some viewers have found this to be offensive – I didn’t find this to be the case and I think this is mainly down to Jenkins’ assured direction – but I can understand how it can be interpreted as such. The film is also a lengthy two and a half hours but unlike others, I didn’t find the film to be overlong and felt the narrative that was being told earned the extended run time to truly develop.

It’s interesting the parallels that Wonder Woman 1984 shares with Kingsman: The Golden Circle, another divisive sequel to a well-received first film that also happens to feature Pedro Pascal in its cast. Both films are a sprawling exploration on similar themes and feature Trumpian-like villains and it is interesting how they both have received a divisive reaction.

Overall, Wonder Woman 1984 is a risky sequel that retains the first film’s quality in developing its characters and uses action sparingly in its long run time. I can understand the mixed reception to some of the film’s themes but I got on board with the narrative and was thoroughly entertained from when the film finds its footing about 20 minutes in right through to the end. Yes, it has its problems with some of the narrative choices and the depiction of Cheetah but Jenkins poses enough thought-provoking questions and develops her characters very well to make the film worthwhile. It is always better for a sequel to take risks in order to develop a film series rather than just rehash the same beats and for that, you have to appreciate the ambition of Wonder Woman 1984, even if said risks don’t always pay off. It will be very interesting to see where Wonder Woman and the supporting characters are taken next in future DCEU films.

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)