Gal Gadot fills the Wonder Woman sequel WW84 (Wonder Woman 1984) with charisma and charm. The Israeli born actress possesses the sort of beauty that made the young Elizabeth Taylor or Grace Kelly superstars. Gadot dominates every scene with her luxurious jet black flowing hair, flawless skin, and athleticism. She's a perfect twenty first century icon. Unfortunately she's in a movie better suited to the past, when crowds of teenaged girls and boys packed theaters to cheer a super hero icon. WW84 arrives with a particularly cheesy plot. Set in 1984, our hero's alter ego Diana Prince works at the Smithsonian. She makes friends with nerdy gemologist Barbara Minera played by Kristen Wiig. Together they discover a "wishing stone" stolen in the name of evil by a 80's style Donald Trump character played with a slight Spanish accent by Pedro Pascal. Diana discovers the stone's power when she wishes to reunite with her lost dead lover Steve Trevor, a plot device that allows Pine to return, adding a nice touch, even as he's overpowered by his charismatic co star. WW84 pulls the usual superhero levers: reintroduction to the character, interjection of romance, entrance of the villans, fight to the finish, and triumph. At almost two and a half hours, WW84 drags. Kristen Wiig never overcomes her comic image as she tries to turn into one of the villains. The Donald Trump character feels annoying at a time the real thing prepares to leave town. The Washington settings are nice. Watching HBO MAX on my TV screen, I felt like I was watching a rerun. A sequel is in the works, and I hope they can fashion something for our brave new world.
