4/5 stars Arriving at the end of a year when the Hollywood blockbuster has been an almost extinct species , Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984 is a blast. This sequel to 2017’s Wonder Woman is far removed in time from that film, which took place across World War I. Here, the ageless Amazonian, Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), is living in the 1980s, her daredevil pilot lover Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) long gone. At the museum where she works, Diana is introduced to Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), a nervy gemologist who spends her days pretty much ignored by everyone. She also meets wannabe oilman Max Lord (Pedro Pascal), the brash, ambitious owner of Black Gold Cooperative. When Lord gets hold of an ancient rock or “dreamstone”, he gets his wish – soon, his dried-up oil wells are gushing freely, but that is only the beginning of his lust for power. Likewise, Barbara craves popularity and strength, a wish that sees her eventually morph into the agile “apex predator” Cheetah. Even Diana is not immune to this gemlike wishing well. Suddenly, Steve is reincarnated into another man’s body and they begin to pick up where they left off, with Diana giving him some pointers to surviving life in 1980s American (cue jokes about breakdancers, fanny packs and parachute pants). Scripted by Jenkins with Geoff Johns and Dave Callaham, Wonder Woman 1984 again showcases just why Wonder Woman is the brightest spark in the recent DC movies. There isn’t the self-absorbed brooding of Batman or Superman here but a pleasing mix of humour, action and adventure. Take the opening sequence: a thrilling flashback to Diana’s childhood on Themyscira, where she competes in an arduous, triathlon-style event. It is brilliantly staged – just the sort of big screen spectacle Hollywood does well. Also impressive is Pascal as Lord. Jenkins has claimed he is based partly on Gordon Gekko from Wall Street – though given his oil connections, you cannot help but think of the feuding families in classic 1980s soap Dallas . Pascal, known to millions as the helmeted lead in Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian , here gets to act without anything shielding his face. He pretty much steals the film, partly because he is less of a villain than you might think. Drawing from such 1980s political hot-potatoes – the Cold War is still in full flow, nuclear missiles are a danger – Wonder Woman 1984 works because it never overdoes these real-world events. What results is a big, bold, escapist comic book movie – in other words, everything that has been missing from cinemas in 2020. Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook