Eden in the 80s

“Eden in the 80s” 

A Review of Wonder Woman 1984 

by Nick Olszyk 

MPAA Rating, PG-13 

USCCB Rating, Not rated at the time of this review 

Reel Rating, Four Reels 

Disclaimer: The following review contains spoilers. 

    Whenever discussing Neo-Paganism in my World Religions course, I always begin with the Law of Attraction and its most popular treatise The Secret. Put simply, this “law” states that reality is a manifestation of one’s thought process; anything that exists was created by a man’s own mind. In small terms, this theology can seem redemptive. No matter how insurmountable one’s problems, they can be solved instantly by a shift in consciousness – no money or training required (though often offered). Yet taken to its logical conclusion, a nightmare is unleashed. 

Wonder Woman 1984 – which to my surprise had nothing to do with the philosophy of George Orwell – is a needed criticism of this idea, albeit a silly one. Seventy years after Diana Price (Gadot) became a superhero during the throws of the Great War, she is working incognito as an archaeologist for the Smithsonian while moonlighting as a crime-stopping vigilante. One day, her geologist friend Dr. Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) finds an odd artifact than somehow grants the user a single wish but takes something precious in return. Diana wishes for her dead boyfriend Steve (Chris Pine) to return but looses much of her power. Barbara becomes popular, pretty, and strong only to lose her humility and charm. Worst of all is Max Lord (Pedro Pascal of Mandalorian fame), who wishes to become the magic rock and thus takes what is precious from all who wish upon him. The rest of the film is a descent into apocalyptic stupidity as Lord attempts take over the world via Reagan’s SDI by granting a Faustian wish to every breathing soul. 

    2017’s Wonder Woman was an exercise in what made a great superhero film. Having succeed, director Patty Jenkins let her scrunchied hair down this time and just had fun. WW84 is incredibly entertaining, often at the expense of common sense. The audience is treated to the famous invisible jet, Barbara transforming into a literal cat, Diana flying through the skies by lassoing lightning, and an insanely cool suit of armor that alludes to Jane Fonda’s sci-fi cult classic Barbarella. Mixed in this cinematic stew is more 80s Easter eggs than an episode of Stranger Things, sure to delight Gen X kids everywhere. 

    

The Law of Attraction resurfaces as a new fad every decade or so, but its roots go back to the garden of Eden, when Satan tempted Adam and Eve with the promise to “be like God.” Like so many of his lies, it is a half-truth. We are to be like God, but in his holiness, not His authority. There are endless problems with this dogma. One is man’s inability to understand the consequences of his actions. “I wish you would drop dead,” an angry husband yells at his wife. When she immediately complies, he is horrified. Worst still, the Law promotes a terrifying anthropology. If another human is simply a creation of my imagination, I have no more responsibility for their welfare than the papier-mâché dinosaurs I made in 3rd grade. Starving children in Sudan don’t need charity or just social structures, only positive vibes. Humans, and all reality, are a playground for pleasure. That’s why Barbara loses everything that made her lovable when she becomes the villain Cheetah. As Lord amasses power, the world gradually descends into madness and evil. The film’s ending had a twist that is rare in cinema: the day is saved when the villain freely gives up his power. This narrative is right to be uncommon because it is unrealistic. Yet by the time Diana confronts Lord, he is so formidable that this is the only option. Lord partially unleashed this scheme to impress his son, whom he thought viewed him a failure. Yet the boy never saw him this way, and Lord is now endangering any relationship with him. Thus, Lord and the rest of humanity renounces their wishes and all returns to normal. Diana, too, must say goodbye to Steve and accept his passing. Dreams, whether they come true or not, cannot keep us from our cross, which all must accept. 

    I’m probably infusing more meaning into Wonder Woman 1984 than Jenkins intended. Most of the movie requires a suspension of disbelief tolerable only to people under 18. Yet its popcorn veneer works to its advantage. Few teenagers are willing to sit through a Peter Kreeft lecture but will happily watch Gal Gadot kick butt. 

This article first appeared in Catholic World Report on December 31st, 2020.