Other than a quick scene in a mall, nothing about this was remotely evocative of the '80s, and nothing would have changed had it been set in the present day. Other than as an excuse to create a slick trailer, which was far, far better than the awful film itself, why did they even bother labeling and marketing this as being set in the '80s?
share1984 was quite a year for movies.
I had a OP on this subject but got no response.
Movies released just on June 1st, 1984.
1. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
2. Ghostbusters
3. Gremlins
4. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
A few weeks later The Karate Kid, also Footloose, the first Nightmare on Elm Street, the first Police Academy.
In October, The Terminator
In December, a movie that beat them all, Beverly Hills Cop.
That is FIVE new, very profitable franchise movies in 1984.
Why the studio picked 1984 is obvious, it is a lucky #!
The nuclear armageddon angle (serving as the existential threat) only really works in the 80s
shareStill works today-- North Korea, China, and Iran are the 2020 equivalent to '80s USSR. Besides, with the whole wish angle, the era doesn't matter. Anyone could wish for atomic weapons to launch at their perceived enemies.
shareGot the feeling it was simply because Captain Marvel was set in the 90s (with equally hollow nostalgia-mining). DC has been going toe-to-toe with Marvel for years now (BvS vs Civil War, Suicide Squad vs GotG), and this was the latest "bright idea" from their little brother syndrome. In their minds WW is the premiere female superhero so they got salty at CM pulling in a billion - they thought if they also did some empty past-kissing it would bring in the big bucks, but yet again they lose in embarrassing, spectacular fashion.
shareThat makes sense, and I can see the reason behind the attempt. And as ever, Marvel made it work and DC couldn't.
shareIt’s all Stranger Things’ fault.
Not really. But actually...
Way I see it, she could have popped up anywhere in the last 100 years so they just picked a timeframe.
shareBump
shareYou would think too the 1984 in the title would be a reference to the George Orwell novel but there is nothing really dystopian or totalitarian political in the movie.
share