“Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong” About… Wonder Woman 1984

Wonder Woman 1984

(Photo by © Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection)

When Wonder Woman 1984 was released on Christmas Day last year, we knew it was going to be a cinematic groundbreaker – it was, after all, the first major Warner Bros. release to debut both in theaters and on streaming service HBO Max simultaneously, a distribution model that will continue for WB films through 2021.

What we didn’t know was that it was also going to be something of a groundbreaker for Rotten Tomatoes: The first movie marked Certified Fresh – at 88% with hundreds of reviews in – to eventually not only lose that certification as hundreds more reviews came in, but drop to a Rotten score of 59%. It was only a toe-dip into green – its score has now stabilized at a Fresh 60% – but it was a fall like none we’d seen before.

So, we had to talk about it, right?

In our latest episode of podcast Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong, we’re breaking from our formula of looking at movies that have been out for at least a year to address the two-and-a-half-hour, lasso-wielding, flying elephant in the room: the barely-a-month-old Wonder Woman 1984. Is the just Fresh score of 60% spot-on? Should it be even lower? Or should it soar – like a newly-replenished superhero discovering a new aspect of her powers – into the clouds?

Joining our all-powerful podcast hosts Jacqueline Coley and Mark Ellis for this discussion is queen of Collider, Perri Nemiroff. Together, they dig into all the issues on screen – the villains, the “genie rock,” and whether they needed to bring Steve back – as well as what might have been happening behind the camera and whether the movie works better on the big screen than in your living room.

Check in every Thursday for a new episode of Rotten Tomatoes Is Wrong (A Podcast From Rotten Tomatoes). Each week, hosts Jacqueline and Mark and guests go deep and settle the score on some of the most beloved – and despised – movies and TV shows ever made, directly taking on the statement we hear from so many fans: “Rotten Tomatoes is wrong.”

If you have a suggestion for a movie or show you think we should do an episode on, let us know in the comments, or email us at [email protected].

Meet the hosts

Jacqueline Coley is an editor at Rotten Tomatoes, with a focus on awards and indie coverage but with a passion for everything, from the MCU to musicals and period pieces. Coley is a regular moderator at conventions and other events, can be seen on Access Hollywood and other shows, and will not stand Constantine slander of any kind. Follow Jacqueline on Twitter: @THATjacqueline.

Mark Ellis is a comedian and contributing editor for Rotten Tomatoes. He currently hosts the Rotten Tomatoes series Versus, among others, and can be seen co-hosting the sports entertainment phenomenon Movie Trivia Schmoedown. His favorite Star Wars movie is Jedi (guess which one!), his favorite person is actually a dog (his beloved stepdaughter Mollie), and – thanks to this podcast – he’s about to watch Burlesque for the first time in his life. Follow Mark on Twitter: @markellislive.

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