Wonder Woman: The Excellent Adventure Edit

After the first WW movie, this sequel was disappointing. Weak story, so much fluff, unconvincing SFX, not utilizing the opportunity of having fun with 1980's music (though I hadn't realized that last one until I saw Wakeupkeo's edit).

This edit convincingly improves on the original. The story is tighter, the runtime feels appropriate, the added music is truly Excellent.

Audio and video editing is smooth. The sound replacement is truly next level (for us faneditors who are limited to working with post-mix audio). For those interested in the technical effort involved with all the sound replacement, check out the Unscored Workprint in its separate forum thread.

Narrative and enjoyment still suffer from the poor original, It's much improved, but won't get re-watched often.

I hate writing a review when I didn't really like the film or agree with the editor's intent. It is a competent edit, but I feel like it retains too much of what doesn't work while unfortunately adding a few more things to the mix that also don't work.

Making it so Steve Trevor doesn't inhabit the body of another man is an important and necessary change. However, Steve is now introduced in a way that is very abrupt and quite jarring.

I like that more 80's music was added, but I feel like a editor overdoes it and at times all the extra music starts to feel grating.

Wonder Woman 1984's main problem is that it doesn't know what it wants to be (could be because it was co-written by Patty Jenkins and Geoff Johns). On the one hand, it seems to want to be a light-hearted campy homage to the Christopher Reeve Superman films. On the other hand, it wants to be a very serious and preachy feminist critique. It's the latter, in my opinion, that doesn't work. But that seems to be what the editor is intent on retaining. The overall message of the film (about not having the things you want) is also condescending and unsatisfying. Once again, this is all retained.

If this film is to be redeemed at all, I think an edit should go in the opposite direction. Lean into the camp and silliness and make it a fun, lighthearted affair. Maxwell Lord is not sufficiently redeemed by the end of the theatrical cut, so he should be kept as the narcissistic con-man that he is. I really don't think he needs to be made into a sympathetic character, because he's pretty terrible all in all, and I don't think the audience is ready to forgive him by the end. I would cut the child entirely from the film, since his presence is tragic to the point of being comical as it tries desperately to tug at your heartstrings. He's just a poor neglected child that his father barely thinks about. He really brings the film down.

The theme of both Diana and Barbara nearly constantly being sexually harassed doesn't really add anything significant to the film. What is the point being made? When Barbara/Cheetah throws the guy into the truck, I think it should be played for laughs (cut away after she tosses him rather than watch her beat beat the crap out of him).

I could go on and on. Overall, this is a good edit that doesn't quite scratch my itch, but it may work well for some people's tastes. My main point here is that this is an irredeemably silly and stupid story, so the only option, IMO, that a faneditor really has is to embrace the stupidity and let this play out as more of a light-hearted comedy.

Hated the original movie, loved the edit. The new soundtrack is better, the creepy body snatcher is gone, the weird Apex predator line bye bye.... excellent work !

When WW84 was released I tought it was a mess. Too long and boring, Diana is a rapist and a lot more of stupid stuff. Seeing this Wakeupkeo fanedit is like watching a less stupid mess. Don´t get me wrong, I still think the movie is garbage but that is the writers and director´s fault not Wakeupkeo´s. His fanedit is way more entertaining and intelligent than the official release, all the new songs work great, the new credits look very professional and it felt like I was watching a professional studio release! The only thing that dragged me out of this feeling was the credits over Max and his son (they felt too rushed in my opinion). And I loved the cat noises from Cheetah! hahaha

Very Good!