I know the feeling well. If only I had this one thing, if I could go to this one place, if I could change just this one part about myself then, well, life will be okay. The problem is that once I get that thing, go to that place, or apparently change myself then another thing, place, or trait is already waiting to tempt me, tell me I didn’t quite get it right this time but next time it will be better.

That promise of unearned privilege and reward, of instant gratification, forms the foundation of Patty Jenkins’ film. It is not the most solid of foundations but it’s constructed just well enough to uphold the chaos this story creates for its characters. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but about fifteen minutes into the film I kind of fell into accepting it for what it is.

The tone and look of it is so altered from the first film, which I rewatched the night before finally seeing this one, that I needed some time to adjust. Gone are the somber dark grays and World War I European trench warfare, replaced here with pastels and sunshine covering abundant consumerism which makes the mid-1980’s setting sort of perfect for this film’s overall thesis.

And I say thesis because it is more about ideas than story. I suppose nitpicking the plot could awaken the smart-ass critic inside of me, but the film is so good-hearted about its central focus regarding the opposition of lies and truth that I just can’t bring myself to summon my inner cynical Kraken. The film is fun, watchable, and compelling with good central performances, especially Gal Gadot once again heralding the importance of good casting, Kristen Wiig fully embodying the film’s purpose, and Pedro Pascal with his wanna-be televangical megalomaniacal insecurity.

And when the whole world begins to fulfill their wishes and the addictive disaster of instant gratification begins, I couldn’t help but just be grateful that no one wished for the world to suddenly end. I want to be here for the next Wonder Woman, after all.