Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Maybe it was the weight of heightened expectations after the extraordinarily well-received original that doomed this big-budget sequel, or maybe it was the movie’s many imperfections, or maybe it was simply that we were all psychologically worn out because of COVID, but it seems as though nobody cared much for “Wonder Woman 1984″… and I have to be honest, I’m glad I waited so long to finally watch it with no expectations because I thought it was an inferior-but-worthy-nevertheless addition to the growing franchise, and not worthy of the scorn that was heaped on it. That being said, there are definitely some major problems, beginning with the special effects. Sometimes it feels like it’s a video game and looks about as realistic as one (in particular in the tiresome, extraneous shopping mall opening scene), which has an unfortunate habit of zapping you right out of the experience. Additionally, the plot is pure ’80s pulp, which is appropriate given the time period but also feels aggressively “extra” from a modern perspective (not to mention that it’s often confusing, like the central “Wishmaster”-ish elements that set the story in motion, which are hard to lock down). I also wish Kristen Wiig’s Barbara was the main villain because her performance is much, much more effective than Pedro Pascal, who is just fine as the main antagonist but pales in comparison whenever Wiig shares the screen with him. However, part of what makes the movie so compelling is its messiness: It’s overstuffed but it’s exciting, it’s confusing but involving, it’s silly but entertaining, it’s overlong but effective. Gal Gadot is, of course, perfect as Diana, imbuing the role with sincerity and integrity that go a long way towards selling the movie’s convoluted developments, and her chemistry with Chris Pine is out of this world: Whenever they’re together, the movie positively beams with megawatt, superstar charisma and good will, like in a gorgeous, stunning, and achingly romantic fireworks sequence that’s worth the price of admission on its own. So, while it’s deeply flawed, I’m giving this 4 stars because its mistakes are, at the very least, well-intentioned, and there’s something deeply compelling about the finished product.

Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)

Nobody (2021)

What do you get when you add up “John Wick,” “The Long Kiss Goodnight” and “Death Wish” (but substract the latter’s racism and misogyny)? Probably something that would be a goddamn mess, and that’s probably why “Nobody” works as well as it does. The aforementioned movies provide a bit of a blueprint for the plot in this ridiculously entertaining, hyper-violent vigilante-but-not-really tale, but director Ilya Naishuller manages to use those as inspiration (and perhaps a bit of a nudge towards its core audience) for his own movie’s plot, instead of letting the nods and nostalgia do the heavy lifting for him. Bob Odenkirk is ludicrously effective in the title role, bringing his slightly-dickish-but-still-likable energy with him to this role and turning it inside out, going from ramming someone’s head into a wall to being a legitimately great dad to his two children without missing a beat; perhaps more importantly, Odenkirk manages to get the audience on his side without ever breaking the fourth wall or taking the viewer out of the narrative, but instead by leaning on his built-in persona and switching things up (plus he looks really, really good in sweatpants… just sayin’). All of this is complimented by the other performers around, who are all completely believable in their roles, especially his family unit: Connie Nielsen, Gage Munroe and Paisley Cadorath share a dynamized chemistry that registers as sincere, which adds a great deal of emotional verisimilitude to the movie’s plot without drawing attention to itself. And finally, there’s the wonderful Aleksey Serebryakov, who brings the same irresistible, campy mania to his flamboyant villain role as Ewan McGregor tried to do to middling results in the otherwise-excellent “Birds of Prey,” with Serebryakov stealing scenes left and right (a late-movie interaction between he and Odenkirk, discussing whether or not Serebryakov should try to hunt Odenkirk, is probably the movie’s funniest, most vibrant moment). So strap in, because this is a 90-minute action movie that gets going early on, never lets up, and leaves you smiling ear to ear.

Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)

Wonder Woman (2017)

Truly a triumph of casting, writing and directing, this massive superhero enterprise manages to get most things right. Gal Gadot makes a powerful, charismatic titular superhero, with great assist from Chris Pine, perfectly cast here as both foil and romantic interest that never feels reductive for either character. Director Patty Jenkins tackles the project with clear-eyed confidence, including some truly awe-inspiring battle shots that recall the graphic novel roots without pandering to them, while also simultaneously managing to honor Wonder Woman’s visual branding without being silly nor straying too far. The movie starts to lag towards the middle but the thunderous and emotionally compelling climax more than makes up for it. While most of the movie’s elements come together well (not to mention great support from Ewen Bremner, Said Taghmaoui and the always-compelling Robin Wright, among others), no “Wonder Woman” review can be complete without noting Lucy Davis as Pine’s assistant Etta, who provides much of the movie’s comedic relief without ever becoming one-note or a joke herself.

Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)