wonder

03 Sep

Link Tank: Wonder Woman Director Patty Jenkins Thinks Streaming Movies Look Fake

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Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins has some choice words to describe movies that go straight to streaming. “Patty Jenkins is still very unhappy about how the release of Wonder Woman 1984 played out. Her second Wonder Woman movie came out in theaters and HBO Max simultaneously as part of Warner Bros.’ pandemic release deal with the streaming platform, and it failed to get as much attention as the first flick. We previously reported that the director had referred to the hybrid rollout as ‘heartbreaking’ and ‘the best choice of a bunch of very bad choices’ at CinemaCon.” Read more at…

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06 Apr

In First Become Ashes, K.M. Szpara Makes Us Wonder if Magic is Real

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K.M. Szpara‘s debut Docile was one of the most binge-able, divisive reads of 2020. A near-future drama set in a world in debt crisis (imagine that), Docile explores the violence of capitalism at the most intimate of interpersonal levels, as we follow Elisha as he sells himself to trillionaire Alex in order to pay off his family’s debts. With Docile, Szpara, a queer and trans Baltimore-based author, proved himself willing to dive into some complex, culturally loaded subjects to tell a science fiction story that reflects some central yet ignored truths about our contemporary society. For me, a White reader,…

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29 Mar

Wonder Woman 1984 Star Connie Nielsen Defends Patty Jenkins’ Vision

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After premiering on HBO Max and in limited theaters last December for a month-long run, Wonder Woman 1984 arrives this week on DVD and Blu-ray (both standard and 4K). The highly-anticipated sequel to 2017’s groundbreaking Wonder Woman–once again directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine–turned out to be a surprisingly polarizing release, especially given the good will built up by the mostly outstanding and widely praised first movie. Those on the pro side enjoyed the new movie’s message of compassion and hope, especially in a year ravaged by the pandemic, and also found a lot to…

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19 Mar

Does Zack Snyder’s Justice League Set Up Wonder Woman 3?

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This article contains Zack Snyder’s Justice League spoilers. She’s the only League member left in an uncertain place. During a triumphant montage in Zack Snyder’s Justice League epilogue—a sequence which likely would’ve closed out the film before 2020’s reshoots added extra scenes—nearly all the heroes appear at peace. Superman finally gets the iconic shirt-rip; Batman stands on the Bat-tank from The Dark Knight Returns, looking into the night; and Cyborg grieves his father. But Wonder Woman? Gal Gadot’s beloved superhero is in an ambiguous place in her signoff. When last we see Wonder Woman, Diana Prince stands once again before…

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12 Mar

Zack Snyder’s Justice League: Why Wonder Woman and the Amazons Have a New Theme

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Tom Holkenborg wants to take an entirely different spin on the music we associate with Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman. To be sure, the famous electric cello theme composed by Hans Zimmer, whom Holkenborg collaborated with on the score to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), still appears in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Yet this time around, the Dutch composer, who is also known as Junkie XL, was looking to bring out a different side of Wonder Woman’s personality, not to mention Zack Snyder’s decidedly more ancient interpretation of the Amazons. “It does use that [Zimmer] riff,” Holkenborg says…

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07 Jan

Why Wonder Woman’s Real Origin Story Lies in First Wave Feminism

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This holiday season, one of the few bright spots for families unable to go to theaters—and even those who did—was Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984. An ambitious and vibrantly colored celebration of heroism in all its forms, including those that don’t end in fistfights, it’s a superhero movie that’s won as many fans as detractors. But while basking in the new spectacle is well and good, it’s also worth considering how it came to be. For even in this HBO Max tentpole, one can still see how the feminist movement of the early 20th century is grafted into the very…

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05 Jan

Zack Snyder’s Vicious Wonder Woman Photo Reflects Warner’s Early Internal War

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While the bellwether day-and-date HBO Max release of Wonder Woman 1984 left audiences divided, there can be no question that the sequel’s storyline reinforced writer/director Patty Jenkins’s vision for Gal Gadot’s version of the DC Comics heroine, reflecting ideals of compassion and mercy with pathological nuance. However, shockingly vicious imagery from an early concept photo displayed by the character’s first directorial steward, Zack Snyder, presents a stark contrast to her current ethos of unbridled optimism. The photo (see the article’s main image,) was prominently showcased by Snyder in the background of a virtual interview with ComicBook Debate, in which the…

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30 Dec

Wonder Woman’s Power of Flight: DCEU Versus DC Comics

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This Wonder Woman 1984 article contains spoilers. Wonder Woman 1984 sees Diana take to the skies in a way that is reminiscent of other superhero characters we’ve seen on screen before, but that we had yet to see from Wonder Woman in the DCEU. This led many viewers, including this writer, to wonder about the history of Wonder Woman’s ability to fly. Invisible Jets aside, let’s break down Wonder Woman’s history of flight in the comics and where DCEU Diana’s ability fits in… Can Wonder Woman Fly in the Comics? Well, friends, as with all long-running canon, that is a…

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29 Dec

How Wonder Woman 1984’s Practical Effects Set it Apart

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Going back to Themyscira is one of the most anticipated aspects of Wonder Woman 1984. For many fans, the Amazons were the highlight of the original film and an all-Amazon movie can’t come soon enough. The physical prowess and the pure joy of seeing so many women not only in combat, but engaging in fight choreography that’s developed around their physical attributes/gifts/features, is a rare and wonderful thing. The resulting actions sequences were unlike anything on screen before: highly stylized yet clearly effective.  Heading into WW84, director Patty Jenkins and her team (which now includes Gal Gadot as a producer)…

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29 Dec

Wonder Woman 3 Joins DC’s Reworked Post-2022 Movie Schedule

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Wonder Woman 1984‘s crucial Christmas Day streaming premiere on HBO Max yielded interesting results—notably a surprisingly strong showing at theaters with $16.7 million in North America and $68.3 million internationally—but attention has already shifted to the future of the DC Extended Universe, for which untitled threequel Wonder Woman 3 is now a confirmed part. However, the threequel will eventually arrive through the studio’s ambitious new post-2022 release structure. An announcement this past weekend from Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich confirmed the studio’s plans to fast-track production of Wonder Woman 3, which will close out a film trilogy, retaining…

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28 Dec

Why it’s Important that Themyscira is Back For Wonder Woman 1984

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This article contains Wonder Woman 1984 spoilers. Our spoiler free review is here. Wonder Woman 1984 opens with an incredible set piece on the island of Themyscira, the island paradise that is Diana Prince’s home. In it, we see a scene from the Amazon’s version of the Olympic games. A stadium full of Amazon women watch on, cheering as the fastest and fittest compete in a multi-discipline event which showcases acrobatics and agility, horsewomanship and markswomanship. Even though she’s just a child, Diana competes and stands a reasonable chance of even winning until she loses concentration, is thrown from her…

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27 Dec

How Wonder Woman 1984 Treats Its Villains Sets the Movie Apart

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This article contains Wonder Woman 1984 spoilers. Our spoiler free review can be found here. It’s widely acknowledged that between DC and Marvel, DC has the best villains. From the volatile anarchy of the Joker to the delicious anti-heroine of Catwoman, some have even become worthy of their own spin-off movies. So it was a fascinating decision by co-writer and director Patty Jenkins to take a different route with the baddies for Wonder Woman 1984. Namely, that neither are truly villainous. Max Lord Ok, Pedro Pascal’s Max Lord is a selfish, greedy con man who doesn’t care about what he…

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26 Dec

Wonder Woman 1984 Post Credits Scene Explained

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This article contains Wonder Woman 1984 spoilers. We have a spoiler free review here. There’s a lot going on throughout Wonder Woman 1984‘s (very long) runtime. At one point in the film we learn the origin of Diana’s Golden Eagle armor, and that it once belonged to a legendary Amazon warrior named Asteria, who stayed behind to fight the armies of men so that her sisters could escape to Themyscira. Diana mentions that she has tried to find Asteria since she arrived in “our” world, but so far hasn’t had any luck. It’s presumed that Asteria is lost to history.…

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26 Dec

Wonder Woman 1984: How Does the Dreamstone Work?

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This article contains Wonder Woman 1984 spoilers. Our spoiler-free review can be found here. In Wonder Woman 1984 an ancient artifact forged by a god wreaks havoc in the consumerist 1980s by granting those who touch it one wish. Magical wishing objects are rife in storytelling, so much so that kids in playgrounds across the world already know what the correct answer is when you are given just one wish. And no, it’s not $1 million or world peace. It’s an infinite number of wishes. While that is presumably against “dreamstone” rules in the world of Wonder Woman 1984 (and…

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26 Dec

Wonder Woman 1984: DC Comics Easter Eggs and Reference Guide

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This article contains Wonder Woman 1984 spoilers. Our spoiler free review can be found here. Wonder Woman 1984 has brought its message on the importance of truth onto screens worldwide. With retro stylings and a Hans Zimmer score, the second installment in Diana Prince’s story shows a more mature Amazonian who has adapted to man’s world and her solitary life, developing her skills as a superhero and her ability to keep out of the limelight. Wonder Woman 1984 takes place well before the introduction of the other heroes of the DCEU and largely exists as a standalone film. However, there…

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25 Dec

Wonder Woman 1984: Ending Explained

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This article contains major Wonder Woman 1984 spoilers for the ending of the film. We have a spoiler free review here. Wonder Woman 1984 fits a lot of story into its 2.5 hour runtime, especially in its action-packed third act as Diana faces off against not one, but two villains: Cheetah and Maxwell Lord. While audiences have been encouraged to think of the DC blockbuster as a relative standalone, there’s much about the sequel that harkens back to the first film (Steve Trevor, most of all) and there’s much about the movie that hints at what’s to come for our…

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21 Dec

Wonder Woman 1984

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Fast forward to the 1980s as Wonder Woman’s next big screen adventure finds her facing two all-new foes: Max Lord and The Cheetah.Rated: PG-13Release Date: Dec 25, 2020

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19 Dec

How Patty Jenkins Steered the Wonder Woman 1984 Ship

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If you ask the cast of Wonder Woman 1984 pretty much any question about the film, they will find a way to gush about how much they love working with Patty Jenkins. Did Pedro Pascal bring any of his past characters into his new role as Max Lord? No, but it took a new level of vulnerability that Patty supported him through. Has Kristin Wiig always wanted to play a villain? Yes, and almost no one has asked her—except for Patty, apparently.  “[Patty is] like a Japanese sword,” says Wonder Woman 1984 star and producer Gal Gadot to Den of…

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16 Dec

Wonder Woman 1984: We Set Out to Do Something Special, Says Gal Gadot

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Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman seems to make history with every offering. An early diamond in the DC Extended Universe rough, her 2017 solo film was an immensely profitable bellwether genre offering for female-led action movies. Now, she’s about to make yet another mark as sequel Wonder Woman 1984 debuts as a streaming offering on HBO Max (read our advance review right here), making it, by far, the most prominent blockbuster to field a day-and-date distribution. Yet, for Gadot and director Patty Jenkins, its specialness was always apparent. In this exclusive clip from The Graham Norton Show, which will stateside on…

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15 Dec

Wonder Woman 1984 Review: Superhero Sequel is A Blast, From the Past

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“Greatness is not what you think,” Robin Wright’s warrior leader Antiope tells the young Diana Prince (Lilly Aspell) at the start of Wonder Woman 1984 during a sequence depicting something akin to the Themysciran Olympic Games. “Pace yourself and watch.” It’s an electric opening which sees a stadium full of women cheering the acrobatics of the island’s finest as they shoot, dive, leap, swing, and ride their way through a complex course to well-earned victory. The first superhero movie to be released during the pandemic, Wonder Woman 1984 has had to overcome obstacles of its own – primarily its release…

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