X

Wonder Woman 1984 first reactions: 'Packs in a ton of surprises'

Critics share their early thoughts on Wonder Woman 1984, which opens in theaters and streams on HBO Max on Dec. 25.

Bonnie Burton
Journalist Bonnie Burton writes about movies, TV shows, comics, science and robots. She is the author of the books Live or Die: Survival Hacks, Wizarding World: Movie Magic Amazing Artifacts, The Star Wars Craft Book, Girls Against Girls, Draw Star Wars, Planets in Peril and more! E-mail Bonnie.
See full bio
Bonnie Burton
3 min read
wonder-woman-1984-warner-bros-gal-gadot-promo

Gal Gadot returns in Wonder Woman 1984.

 Warner Bros

Better late than never: The first reactions to Wonder Woman 1984 are showing up on social media as the delayed movie gears up for a theatrical and streaming release this Christmas. Happily, the early response from critics is almost overwhelmingly positive.

The sequel to 2018's Wonder Woman, again starring Gal Gadot and directed by Patty Jenkins, sees the return of love interest Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) and the arrival of formidable new foes Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) and Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal.)

Wonder Woman 1984 will land in US theaters and on streaming service HBO Max on Dec. 25. It's the first Warner Bros. movie to launch in theaters and online on the same day, which will continue throughout 2021 for films like Dune and The Matrix 4. 

Over the weekend, critics got an early screening of Wonder Woman 1984 and posted their initial reactions on social media. So far the responses from entertainment journalists and critics were resoundingly upbeat. 

CinemaBlend's Eric Eisenberg tweeted, "Wonder Woman 1984 is fantastic! The story is excellent and it has a great, timely message; it packs in a ton of surprises. Amazing work is done with both Cheetah & Max Lord (Wiig & Pascal are both stellar). Get hyped, because it's the real deal."

IGN's Terri Schwartz wrote, "I was lucky enough to be among the first to finally get to screen Wonder Woman 1984. I adored it. The first Wonder Woman is my favorite of the modern DC films, and WW84 makes all the smart next steps, telling a very human and very beautiful story for Diana Prince."

Viewers also noted how the movie conveyed a much-needed message of hope. Germain Lussier of io9 tweeted, "I saw Wonder Woman 1984 at home and it was everything I needed, and more. The movie is hugely ambitious, incredibly exciting, and full of much-needed hope. It's also very long, to a fault at times, but mostly it reminded me how wonderful a big blockbuster can make you feel."

Slash Film's Hoai-Tran Bui wrote, "Wonder Woman 1984 is -- forgive the term -- wonderful. It doubles down on the compassion and cheese that made the first so great, as well as its tenacious belief in the best of humanity. A magical, sorely needed beacon of hope in this year."

CBR's Meagan Damore wrote, "I enjoyed the first film, but I loved Wonder Woman 1984 even more. Although I wish we'd gotten the chance to see it earlier, the movie came out at possibly the perfect time for its hope, optimism and message."

ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis tweeted, "Patty Jenkins literally made an 80s movie in every way, making it so unique for today. It feels both bigger than the first WW while simultaneously more contained. Lots of Diana Prince and some epic Wonder Woman moments as Gal Gadot literally soars!"

Collider's Perri NemiroffI tweeted, "I prefer Wonder Woman to Wonder Woman 1984. But I also much prefer seeing filmmakers take new, big swings with sequels and that's definitely what Patty Jenkins and co. do here. Not everything adds up, but the value of selflessness, love and compassion do shine through."

The villains Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) and Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) also get gold stars from the critics. Geeks of Color's Dorian Parks tweeted, "Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig absolutely kill it as Maxwell Lord and Cheetah."

Vital Thrills' Jenna Busch tweeted, "Kristen Wiig is phenomenal as Barbara!"

Meagan Damore added, "All of the villains are so wonderfully layered. Kristin Wiig excels in the role of Barbara Minerva/Cheetah. The chemistry between her and Gal Gadot's Diana is unreal. Pedro Pascal adds a lot of fun as Maxwell Lord, but even he is more than he appears."

Here's ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis again, saying "Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig are the highlights of Wonder Woman 1984 for me. Pascal goes ALL IN on a wild portrayal of Max Lord, a conflicted but vile villain. Wiig's Cheetah evolution throughout the movie is heartbreaking yet epic. We need more!" 

Here are a few more Wonder Woman 1984 reactions posted on Twitter:

New Movies Coming in 2023 From Marvel, Netflix, DC and More

+44 More
See all photos