Wonder Woman 1984 Loses Certified Fresh Status on Rotten Tomatoes

Wonder Woman 1984 is no longer Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes after plummeting from an early 88% to a still-fresh score of 66% with nearly 300 reviews counted. That’s the fourth-best critics’ approval score for the ever-expanding DC Extended Universe, behind the first Wonder Woman (93%), Shazam! (90%), and Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (78%). WW84 joins Aquaman as the only other DCEU entry to be fresh without the Certified Fresh distinction that is awarded only to titles with a consistent Tomatometer score of 75% or higher, according to the review aggregator website’s certification requirements.

When WW84 dropped to the high 70s over the weekend with 160 reviews counted, the critics’ consensus called the Patty Jenkins-directed sequel an “epic dose of heart and vibrant escapism that proves there are still unexpected thrills to be found in superhero cinema.” After adding another 100 approved critics reviews, the updated consensus reads: “Wonder Woman 1984 struggles with sequel overload, but still offers enough vibrant escapism to satisfy fans of the franchise and its classic central character.”

On Metacritic, WW84 lassoed mixed or average reviews with a weighted average score of 59 out of 100 with 55 critic reviews counted. A positive review from The Atlantic says WW84 is a “refreshingly silly and airy adventure” that marks a “charming end to a tiring year of cinema,” while a negative review from Vulture says the “empty spectacle” of WW84 makes for a disappointing sequel reflective of “the dire state of Hollywood filmmaking as a whole.”

The Warner Bros. and DC Films production is similarly divisive for domestic viewers who watched WW84 on Christmas Day via HBO Max. The sequel streams for 31 days at no extra cost to subscribers as part of a day-and-date hybrid model that sees the Amazon superhero soar into theaters not shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Jenkins, who is attached to direct the Gal Gadot-starring Cleopatra and Star Wars spin-off film Rogue Squadron, has not committed to a Wonder Woman 3. After settling a pay dispute to return for the sequel, the Monster filmmaker clashed with Warner Bros. over WW84‘s winter release date and did not immediately agree with the studio’s decision to send the big-budget Wonder Woman 1984 to streaming.

“We have no idea [about a third movie]. You never know,” Gadot recently told Variety. “I would love to do another one if the story is great and with Patty, of course. But I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Starring Gal Gadot, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Pine, Wonder Woman 1984 is now in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.