In a year of blockbuster cancellations, the arrival of Wonder Woman 1984 feels like a salve for anyone who has been craving big-screen Hollywood entertainment. It starts as it means to go on – a flashback to Diana's childhood on Themyscira, where she competes in what looks like the Amazonian Olympics: running, diving, horse riding and archery. An exhilarating sequence, it's exactly the sort of adrenalin-fuelled spectacle that 2020 has been missing.
Yet WW1984 is about far more than popcorn thrills. Ever since actress Gal Gadot first appeared as Wonder Woman for DC Comics in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, she's always been a cut above her male counterparts. Her wit and brio seem far more appealing than the introspective brooding of Ben Affleck's Caped Crusader and Henry Cavill's Man of Steel, something that was confirmed in her first stand-alone outing, 2017's Wonder Woman.
Directed by Patty Jenkins, that first film told the origin story of this ageless Amazonian warrior who finds her way to humanity and into the horrors of the First World War. “The first film was about the birth of Wonder Woman,” says Jenkins, speaking at a recent press conference, “[and] what Wonder Woman goes on to stand for in the world. She’s trying to teach everyone she encounters how to be their [best] self.”
Returning to direct WW1984, Jenkins tells her story unencumbered by all the necessary character set-up that a first film requires. Or as she puts it: "The last one was her discovery of humanity. Now, how does she live within humanity?" The action moves from 1918 to 1984 – with Wonder Woman's earthly guise, Diana Prince, now living in the US, working at a museum. Her first love, pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), is long gone. So is the rest of her team.
"She's been very lonely, she doesn't really want to engage and make new friends because then they're gonna realise she doesn't age, they're gonna die and she has to let go," says Gadot. "So she kind of isolated herself from the world. And her only goal is just to help and better mankind and be there for them and guide them and try to do good." As worthy as this all makes it sound, WW1984 is anything but; the balance between action, adventure and humour is in perfect harmony.
Her only goal is just to help and better mankind and be there for them and guide them and try to do good
Tapping into the retro thirst for all things Eighties, the film spins audiences back to the era of Reaganomics, oil wars and the threat of nuclear weapons. Again, though, Jenkins never lets it get too heavy. As Stranger Things has proved, this is a time period where costume designers – here, Lindy Hemming – can have a tremendous amount of fun. WW1984 captures the luminous colours and bouffant hair of the era without fetishising it.
Here, Diana is introduced to two major villains from DC lore – Barbara Minerva, aka Cheetah, and Maxwell Lord. Played by Kristen Wiig, Barbara is her nervy colleague, a gemologist who is seemingly as lonely as Diana. They bond, with Barbara enchanted by Diana's cool confidence. Max Lord, played by Pedro Pascal, meanwhile, is the chief executive of Black Gold Co-operative, an oil company that's on the verge of going bust – little more than a "Ponzi scheme" as one dissatisfied investor puts it.
The paths of all three cross at the museum when Max is given a private tour and gets his hands on the Dreamstone rock. It acts like the proverbial wishing well, granting one wish to those who hold it. Soon, Max's wells are overflowing with oil and Barbara transforms from a mousy nobody into an urbane sophisticate. But after a disturbing encounter with a drunken man, where she beats him senseless, she realises her real desire – strength and power – and the "apex predator" Cheetah is born.
You might say WW1984 is a classic cautionary tale: be careful what you wish for. Even Diana is drawn to the Dreamstone, wishing for the return of her lover, Steve. Indeed, the pilot is reincarnated in the body of another man – allowing Diana another brief sliver of happiness. One of the pleasures of WW1984 is to see Pine's Steve adjusting to this modern world, where jumbo jets fly overhead and children breakdance in the street.
The tender relationship between Diana and Steve was one of the highlights of the first film, and that continues unabated here. "The idea is of the man playing the proverbial fish out of water … that's usually played by the woman, and we [used] those tropes in the first film," says Pine, referring to the way Diana was befuddled by the world she entered. Here, it's Steve who is the stranger in a strange land and Diana the sophisticated guide.
Among the highlights is a sojourn to Egypt, where Max is trying to oust various sheikhs from power, and Wonder Woman becomes embroiled in a highway chase involving juggernauts.
Famed for playing the helmeted warrior in the Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian, Pascal is superb. He invests a humanity into Max – a father who is desperate to prove to his young boy that he's a success – that's usually absent from most big villains.
Likewise, Wiig ditches her comedic work for something broad and brave – right to the point where she and Diana go into battle against each other, an athletic, agile fight that took inspiration from the dancers of Cirque du Soleil. Again, Cheetah may have "worse intentions", says Jenkins, than beating her former friend, but WW1984 is not a film about world domination. It's about the power of a person in the face of a cruel world.
Gadot's Wonder Woman, of course, will return – in Zack Snyder's recut four-hour Justice League for starters. But you suspect nothing will be as fun as her two collaborations with Jenkins. "The chemistry is just there," the actress admits, and it shows. Even running at 151 minutes, WW1984 simply flies by – offering up a rush of endorphins like few other films have managed this year.
Wonder Woman 1984 opens in UAE cinemas on Thursday, December 17
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
RESULT
Manchester United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Man United: Dunk (66' og)
Man of the Match: Shane Duffy (Brighton)
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Opening Rugby Championship fixtures: Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)
Emiratisation at work
Emiratisation was introduced in the UAE more than 10 years ago
It aims to boost the number of citizens in the workforce particularly in the private sector.
Growing the number of Emiratis in the workplace will help the UAE reduce dependence on overseas workers
The Cabinet in December last year, approved a national fund for Emirati jobseekers and guaranteed citizens working in the private sector a comparable pension
President Sheikh Khalifa has described Emiratisation as “a true measure for success”.
During the UAE’s 48th National Day, Sheikh Khalifa named education, entrepreneurship, Emiratisation and space travel among cornerstones of national development
More than 80 per cent of Emiratis work in the federal or local government as per 2017 statistics
The Emiratisation programme includes the creation of 20,000 new jobs for UAE citizens
UAE citizens will be given priority in managerial positions in the government sphere
The purpose is to raise the contribution of UAE nationals in the job market and create a diverse workforce of citizens
