Wonder Woman 1984 Parent Review and Discussion Questions

Wonder Woman 1984 Discussion Questions and Wonder Woman 1984 parent review written by the Hobbit on 12/26/20. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.

Know Before You Watch Wonder Woman 1984

Movie: Wonder Woman 1984 (Sequel to the 2017 Wonder Woman)
Rating: PG-13
Run time: 2 hrs. 35 mins
Genre: Superhero, action
Age suggested: 12+
Release Date: December 25th, 2020
Themes: Responsible use of Power, Truth (honesty), Sacrifice, Contentment
Warnings: Normal DC Comic superhero violence (slightly more gore filled than Marvel), light sensuality (a couple laying in bed together)
*Check out our review of the youth graphic novel: Diana, Princess of the Amazons too!*
**It is streaming on HBO Max through January 20th- so watch it before it moves!**

NOTE: There is a mid-credit scene

Quick Summary of Wonder Woman 1984

We all wonder what would happen if we could get our wishes granted. Although we have all heard the old proverb to be careful what we wish for, we usually do not think what the consequences of granting those wishes might be. Wonder Woman 1984 is a classic superhero look at the what might happen if wishes were granted.

This is a movie that has been hyped up again and again every few months for over a year. Which means that general expectations are unreasonably high for a sequel. It’s a fun watch and, in our opinion, a good and classic super hero movie, but not the best movie of the year. It’s a quality and fun watch though!

Continue reading for our Wonder Woman 1984 Parent Review.

Wonder Woman 1984 Parent Review
**SPOILERS beyond this point!**

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

The movie opens with Diana, running on the island of Themyscira, and taking part in a contest. Taking a shortcut, she is disqualified and learns a lesson about truth and what is heroic that she takes with her into adulthood. We then move to 1984. Diana Prince is now an anthropologist at the Smithsonian. She meets a new co worker,  Barbara Minerva , who is very unsure of herself. Meanwhile ads are playing on televisions sets from Maxwell Lord, who is telling people they can fulfill their dreams without doing a days work. And with this we bring in the “Dreamstone”, that, through an action sequence showing us Diana using her powers, is now at the Smithsonian. The “Dreamstone” can, as the name implies, grant wishes. But wishes aren’t always what we are really hoping they will be. Will Diana be able to set aside her own hopes and desires to save the day?

-Why Watch Wonder Woman 1984-

American society (indeed much of Western society) is based on consumption, and a simple look at television ads will tell you how important avarice and greed are (the belief we are entitled to have what we want and have it now) really are. An honest look at this, and the understanding that there are consequences to desires (whether those desires are good or bad), is important and relevant today. It’s a good one to watch with you kids.

-Is Wonder Woman 1984 appropriate?-

Typical DC comic book violence, so any kid who has seen prior movies in this genre should be OK. It’s slightly more violent than a Marvel comic movie, but not by much. There’s some light sensual implications, some kissing scenes and one couple laying in bed together but nothing more than in the first movie.

-Plot/Story of Wonder Woman 1984-

Do you like superhero movies from the 1980’s to early 2000’s?  Superman, the first takes on Spider-man? You will probably like this movie. The reverse also holds. This is more of a classic superhero story (with some updates, of course). There is a moral. The hero does fight for things like, in this movie, truth. Also, being set in the 80’s allows for a number of humorous references. Most of these go to Chris Pine as his character has been suddenly been thrust ahead 60 years, and this allows for a number of laughs.

 -Characters in Wonder Woman 1984-

Gadot gives an emotional performance as Diana. Like many superheroes, especially from the golden age, morality and duty are core. On top of this we have love and compassion. We can feel that her incredibly long life has led her to a solitary existence, and this makes her reunion with Pine all the more meaningful. It also helps us to understand the anguish that her ultimate decision costs her.

While Pine as Steve Trevor does have a lot of humorous moments, he also helps Diana in several of the battles and his character plays these well. Both villains are well played. I loved seeing Kristen Wiggs character being developed. However, in keeping with this being more of a classic superhero movie, it is the Diana who is most fully fleshed out, while the others are there to help drive her character and development.

-What we loved about Wonder Woman 1984-

The Wonder Woman movies can easily be considered the best entries of  DC’s modern movies. There is a strong moral message driven by a mythology that teaches us to be careful and wise. To repeat though – taste in superhero movies varies. So some will love this and others will not like it as much.

The cinematography at the beginning is stunning and the score (Hans Zimmer) fits perfectly.

Another Note – one of the characters references the short horror story “The Monkey’s Paw,” written by W. W. Jacobs and first published in 1902. It is also a story about the consequences of unwise wishes.

Continue reading for our Wonder Woman 1984 Discussion Questions

Wonder Woman 1984 Discussion Questions

For younger viewers

1. What did you think the funniest thing that happened in the movie was? Why?

2. Have you ever thought about wishes coming true? What would be some good things and some bad things that would happen if your wishes came true?

3. Why do you think Barbara wanted so badly to be like Wonder Woman?

For Older Viewers

4. Do greatness and power go together? Can a person be great without having what society considers to be power?

5. Truth is a difficult concept in the modern world. In most superhero stories, we can see that there are things that are true. Most of the time these are things like Diana shows – for instance, love and compassion. What can we learn about truth from movies like this?

6. What was the problem with Max Lord’s motivation? Why did he end up not getting what he wanted?

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Before you go- check out some of our other reviews:

-The youth graphic novel: Diana, Princess of the Amazons

-Check out the other Family Friendly HBO Max Suggestions

-Our full review of Captain Marvel

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