By Kayla Cheung 

Wonder Woman is one of DC Comics’ most famous heroes and a role model to many. In 2017, Wonder Woman, starring Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, came into theaters and experienced massive success with a different take on the character. 

But now, with its sequel Wonder Woman 1984, the same energy that came with watching Gadot’s rendition of Wonder Woman’s headstrong, fearsome personality wasn’t especially prominent this time around. The movie doesn’t satisfy any of what viewers were looking for: a fulfilling and engaging storyline. 

There is a profound difference between a movie that is entertaining and one that is trying too hard to be entertaining. Characterization and plot, as well as hype, are three contributing factors that make or break a movie. Wonder Woman 1984 does successfully provide a good quality movie, showcasing its obvious high-budget qualities. 

No environmental detail is spared, with every set rich in color and carefully assembled, along with the costumes and vehicles. All of it is perfectly plotted in 1984, when the movie takes place, which makes the characters’ personalities come alive, of course, with the actors’ portrayals of them. 

When the show begins to take a turn for the worst, however, is with the introduction of a seemingly innocent, sharp yellow rock, which turns out to be the center of the movie’s plot. 

Greed is a prime element of the movie’s theme. On an ancient magical scale, both the villains and as well Wonder Woman are subjected to the adverse effects of it. Max Lord (actor Pedro Pascal) is the first villain introduced. He procures a desire for power — not unlike the Wolf of Wall-Street’s Jordan Belfort — albeit more disheveled and desperate. 

What the producers struggled to balance was the character development with the concept of avarice. Needlessly, they dedicated a disproportionate amount of time building Max Lord’s character compared to that of the second supervillain, Cheetah (actress Kirsten Wiig), who has a similarly drawn-out storyline but with less excess. 

One singular point around which everything else makes its revolution is an efficient strategy, making sure that viewers can connect all the dots. Yet, this film makes everything an almost-too-perfect tumble of dominoes, whilst creating a mess of character development and overlapping arcs.

But even with more than one villain and a temporarily weakened heroine, there is no everlasting sparkle to the movie. Everything feels overly-predictable. The trailer alone appears to cultivate an unpredictable plot, and it also seems to serve as a perfect preview to a blockbuster movie. Still, forty-five minutes into the real film, that preconceived notion of excellence aimlessly turn void.