Break-it-down: Wonder Woman 1984

1. Trying something new here on Culture Junkies. Just like the very popular Detroit dance club music jam titled “The Jit”, were going to Break-it-down and dissect a multitude of things across all of genre entertainment. Why not start with that incredibly awesome Wonder Woman 1984 trailer that dropped yesterday? If you want to rewatch it, well do it in another tab cuz this one is taken. Let’s get to it, and you let me know how I did.

0:00-0:25 “My life…hasn’t been what you probably think it has..

The trailer opens with a few shots of Diana, dressed as Wonder Woman returning home after stopping some crime in the evening. It’s dark but we see shots of her personal affects, such as a picture of her standing underneath a street sign, but also Steve Trevor’s watch and a news clipping of him being honored at a VFW Hall.

Of course, in this block is also where we first see her interact with Kristen Wiig’s Dr. Barbara Ann Minerva aka Cheetah. The two women are having a friendly chat obviously about their love lives, with Dr. Minerva clearly trying to put on a front about her own. I know Wiig’s casting was met with some derision, but I think she’s a good choice. Of course we need to see her post-transformation appearance to really see where they’re going with it.

0:26-0:52 “Welcome to the future! Life is good..but it could be better!

These are the words of Pablo Pascal’s Maxwell Lord, who is playing the typical 80s mogul/pitchman. Rich, Greedy, most likely seeking ways to attain more riches, more greed etc. If we know anything, Pascal’s gonna bring it. He’s currently a genre media darling thanks to Disney+’s The Mandalorian and his turn as the brave Oberyn Martell on HBO’s Game of Thrones, little reason to doubt that trend will continue.

We also get our first shots of Wonder Woman action. The police responding to a armed robbery at a shopping, and Diana leaps into action, but making certain to destroy the mall security cams with her best tiara-throwing Captain America impression.

Clearly, Wonder Woman is going to be somewhat of an urban legend in the minds of the people. Only way to explain the long absence of no one hearing of her before she publicly reappears in the Doomsday incident in Batman v Superman. Still doesn’t make the DCEU continuity any less confusing…but then, the DC Comics continuity is already confusing so maybe they’re opting for some twisted form of synergy?

1:02 – 1:25: “Diana?…Steve?”

Here’s the million dollar question: How in the hell is Steve Trevor in this film? We don’t get a clear answer from the trailer (Thank GOD), but if I were to guess, it probably has something to do with whatever Maxwell Lord is grasping in his hands in this segment of it. Meaning he probably is plucked from the past due to a time device or something else. Later in the trailer, we’re clearly going to see the dynamic Steve and Diana had in the first film be flipped as she is know the one showing him what life is like in his future.

1:26 – 1:50 “The world needs you. You know what you need to do.”

More awesome Wonder Woman action, as the trailer ramps up into a crescendo, lots of fighting, Diana running at super speed down a street and probably the money shot of the trailer, Diana grabbing a gun, popping the live bullet out of the chamber and backhanding it with the bracelet. SWEET. AS. HELL.

1:51 – 2:39 Diana Rides The Lightning and The Golden Armor

As the trailer ends, we get some more action, including Steve being in awe of Wonder Woman upending a convoy truck and effortlessly leaping over it. But let’s just talk about Diana lassoing and swinging on lightning!!! HOW FREAKING COOL IS THAT?!! Who cares that she never did that in the comics, that is just so OP cool that it gets a total pass!

Lastly, that Gold Armor from the comics makes it’s appearance and it looks awesome on film! How does she get it, where has it been…who cares! It looks sweet!

We also see some clips of an obvious flashback to Themyscira and Diana’s training. We see an area where a number of Amazons seem to be in a competition, one wonders if this might be the Games to determine who will be the Amazon’s champion but that doesn’t squash with current established DCEU continuity, since those were the games Diana competed in, against her mother’s explicit orders, to gain the mantle of Wonder Woman. I imagine Patty Jenkins saying this to the writers “Eh…that pesky continuity thing only gets in the way. Let’s just ignore it!” Sounds like a winning plan to me.

As trailers go, this might be the hypest DC related trailer I’ve ever laid my eyes on. Seems like something worthy of a countdown or Top 5 list (shameless new content plug) somewhere down the line, but in any case, Wonder Woman 1984 doesn’t need to show another trailer until it’s release. I’m sold! I am willing to bet you are too!

So how did I do for the first Break-It-Down article? Please leave a comment and let me know along with what else needs the same treatment!