WONDER WOMAN 1984: Entertaining but could have been wonderful.

 

Movie fans around the world anticipated the release of DC’s iconic super heroine movie “WONDER WOMAN 1984”. Had the world not in the pandemic state, moviegoers would have flocked the cinemas to enjoy the theatrical experience of Patty Jenkin’s latest offering.  Thanks to HBO Max as the alternative platform so we will be able to see this movie at the comfort of our homes.  

WW 84 has been getting mixed reviews globally from fans and pundits since its released last December 25. I kind of echo the same sentiment when I finished watching the film.

Directed by Patty Jenkins, Gal Gadot returns as Diana Prince, an archaeologist working at the Smithsonian to study ancient artifacts in 1984. A new co-worker comes in, Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) a geologist and gemologist befriends Diana before becoming imbued with mystical abilities that gradually transform her into a cheetah-like superhuman. The con man and obnoxious Max Lord (Pedro Pascal), seduces Dr. Minerva to get the Dreamstone. Lord was successful in stealing the stone and gains its power to grant wishes while also becoming able to take whatever he desires from other people in return should they have anything he could want.  Diana also benefited from wishing in the ancient stone as her former beau Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) went back to life. Barbara had her wish granted too as she became popular, stronger, more confident and aggressive.

NARRATIVE:  WW84 is co-written by Jenkins and Geoff Johns. I like the simplicity of the WW84 narrative. I find it less complex compared to the 2017 WW film. The story-telling is easy to follow. It also did not lose its core in depicting the heroic goodness of Diana Prince. Love, sacrifice, truth and avarice are some salient points highlighted in the film’s narrative. I would have to agree with movie fans and pundits in saying that WW 84 showcased a lesser impactful villainess in the persona of CHEETAH and the con man MAX LORD. It would have been more intense had the DC movie featured a more powerful antagonist. The 1980s era backdrop setting is fun for me as I can relate to the nostalgia on the 80s era. But I would have preferred a modern day or maybe futuristic backdrop for a super hero film.  The downside of the narrative’s simplicity, the film is a bit predictable in Diana’s battle with Cheetah and Max Lord.  I find the humor in some scenes a bit bland and pale.

ACTORS:  Gal Gadot still flawlessly portrayed her role as WW. Her onscreen chemistry with Chris Pine is magnetic. I would never forget the scene where Diana has to denounce her wish and let go Steve to save the world. Kristen Wiig as Cheetah is not as intense as I would have imagined her as the lead villainess. Pedro Pascal as Max Lord is effective in being obnoxious.

TECHNICALS:  The cinematography, editing, special effects and sound are no doubt impeccable. I miss the IMAX and DOLBY surround experience had I seen it in cinema. Creating the 1984 backdrop is solid too.

WW84 is not as bad as most critics would put it. I still find it entertaining and fascinating. It may not be as grand and wonderful as expected, the movie is still a good two-hour escape and diversion from the pandemic stricken world.

MY RATING: 8 OUT OF 10.  Entertaining.

FAN GIRL: A movie fan's whimsical fantasy turns into nightmare.

FAN GIRL is Black Sheep Production's entry to this year Metro Manila Film Festival. Written and directed by Antoinette Jadaone, the film stars Paulo Avelino and newbie Charlie Dizon. 

The film revolves around the story of an obsessed teenage fan girl Jane (Dizon) and her idol Paulo Avelino (Avelino).  Jane had an exciting close encounter with her ultimate idol and witnessed the true character of  her favorite celebrity. Her whimsical fantasy towards Paulo turned out to be an overnight nightmare.

NARRATIVE: I admire the audacity of the storyline and narrative as it explored the real "human" side of a celebrity. The story was told without any pretense depicting the  character of a movie star off the camera. The plot was straight forward and very lean as it just merely focused on Avelino and  the fan girl Jane. The dialogues in the scenes were authentic it can get and did not sound very cinematic. It has a fast-paced narrative and very character-centric. Some critics say that FAN GIRL is a modern-day version of the Lino Brocka opus BONA. I kind of agree to that as both films have similar shades but JADAONE's story telling is less melodramatic but more fluid. Kudos to Jadaone as she made the audience think in the ending sequence. 

ACTORS: Paulo Avelino was deglamorized 90% of the film. He's not a picturesque of a romantic leading man except for the first few sequences in the opening scenes. His body is not even toned on screen, his cheeks were a bit fluffy too. The movie even showed his private part although some pundits say that it was just prosthetics for cinematic purpose only. New comer CHARLIE DIZON is a revelation. I can see a Hilda Koronel or an Amy Austria in her. Viewers can see her depth and emotions in her facial expressions. Her characterization of an obsessed fan girl JANE fit her to a T. It's my first time to see her on film. My favorite scene of Dizon was when she intentionally dropped off Avelino's pick up car on the road with the kid and she blurted out ***** in anger. She showed bravura in that scene. I would not be surprised if Avelino and Dizon will win Best Actor and Best Actress awards in MMFF 2020. Both deserve to win. 

TECHNICAL: I like the cinematography especially on the scenes where it matched the dark side of Avelino’s character. Production design was simplistic yet realistic. Jadaone's overall directorial approach was a bit Indie-ish but I loved it as it showed superior merit. 

Overall, I liked the film. The film is brave, the actors are excellent in their portrayal, the technical aspect is above average.    

 My rating: 9 out of 10.  Highly recommended.   

ctto BlackSheep Productions.