Wonder Woman 1984 Movie Review: Pedro Pascal Proves This Is His Year

Wonder Woman 1984 is a movie that was very clearly made for the big screen, but it still delivers on the small one. 

Wonder Woman 1984 is a movie that I have been waiting a long time for. And you know what? I have to admit it was worth the wait. Kristen Wiig squishes all of my doubts of her as a villain and Pedro Pascal proves once again that this is his year.

There is action, fan service, and a really decent plot at the heart of WW84 This Christmas, Wonder Woman 1984 is a must see movie. Merry Christmas to all of us fans! If you can see it on the big screen, and feel safe enough to do so, I suggest that (wear your mask!), but if not, it will be just as satisfying at home.

Steve Trevor Is Back?

I was so worried about how they were going to bring Steve Trevor back. There is such potential for things like this to be weird, and not work. And while this is weird, it did sort of work. Chris Pine does a truly fantastic job of looking around it wonder (ha, no pun intended) of everything around him like escalators and subway trains.

I won’t spoil exactly how he is back, don’t worry, but I do love having him back. He plays such an important role in this story — more than I could have ever imagined. Something that could have been handled so wrong, was done so well.

But How Is Cheetah?

When I first heard about this casting it felt weird. Don’t get me wrong, I love Kristen Wiig, but she is a hilarious comedian — can she be a supervillain? I want to start off by saying she handles her character in Wonder Woman 1984 beautifully. The way she changes as the story goes on — she really dives into her story arch and I am here for it.

When we finally get her in the full Cheetah look, it actually works. Luckily we don’t get a ton of it, because that could have easily been too much. The DCEU doesn’t have the best record when it comes to CGI so I was pretty impressed with the look. They were smart to have it on screen for just a few minutes, and in the dark. Even though seeing the two face off was kind of annoying in the dark. I wish we had more of them up against each other, but like I said, CGI was likely a factor, so I am thankful they kept it to a minimum.

Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord

This truly is the year of Pedro Pascal and he has proved that once again in his role as Maxwell Lord. This man is driven by evil and he plays his so well. Like I mentioned with Kristen Wiig’s character arc, Pedro does a fantastic job evolving through facial expressions, mannerisms, and emotions as the movie goes on.

I love his character arc in this film. You guys know I like a good villain, and man, he really pulled this one off for me. In my mind, he kind of saved the movie. He is a talent that this world does not deserve. He truly embodies his characters and he proves that once again in Wonder Woman 1984.

Is WW84 OK For Kids?

Let’s be honest here, I am not very strict on what my kids watch. At all. They have seen every Star Wars and Marvel movie, and most DC movies. Yes, I watched Wonder Woman 1984 first, but it was more because they were attending virtual school and I didn’t want to wait and less about me worrying there might be inappropriate things in it.

Of course there is violence, and I only noticed one bad word. However, I am not good at picking up on those things. My girls will be watching this movie later tonight, and they are 7 and 9.

If you want a good breakdown of if Wonder Woman 1984 is kid friendly, check out my friend Tania over at Lola Lambchops, she always does a great job informing parents!

Overall Thoughts

You can tell it was made for the big screen, but it doesn’t disappoint on the small one. Gal is fantastic, as always, but honestly? She wasn’t the best part of this movie. In fact, she felt more like a supporting character most of the time. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig completely stole the show for me, specifically Pedro. 

There is a lot of great action in this movie, and like I said before, it was clearly made for the big screen. I wish I could have seen it in theaters, but it still delivers at home. Granted I have a 65 inch 4K TV and a surround sound, so it is ALMOST like being in theaters. Still, it translates well to at home, but I still hope to see some of these scenes in a theater one day.

I have hated seeing so many people say “this is what we need right now” over the course of the last month or so, in talking about different films but you know what — Wonder Woman 1984 is what we need right now. We didn’t get a lot of superhero films this year and WW84 is exactly what we needed. Action, humor, heart, and a strong woman (make that TWO strong women) kicking some serious butt!

Oh, and even if you watch Wonder Woman 1984 at home, be sure to stick around for the mid credit scene – trust me! WOW! 

About Wonder Woman 1984

Wonder Woman squares off against Maxwell Lord and the Cheetah, a villainess who possesses superhuman strength and agility.

WW84 comes to theaters and HBO Max on December 25th!