DVD Review: Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman
Written By: Michael Jelenic
Story By: Michael Jelenic and Gail Simone
Directed By: Lauren Montgomery
Featuring the voices of: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina, Rosario Dawson, Virginia Madsen, Marg Helgenberger, and Oliver Platt.

Let's start with the official synopsis:

Wonder Woman begins on the mystical island of Themyscira, where a proud and fierce warrior race of Amazons resides. They have raised Princess Diana, a daughter of stunning beauty, extraordinary strength and incredible fighting prowess. Diana possesses a host of super human powers granted to her by the gods and goddesses of Olympus and her strength and stamina are unparalleled.

When Air Force fighter pilot Steve Trevor crash lands on the island, the rebellious and headstrong Diana defies Amazonian law by accompanying Trevor back to civilization. Meanwhile, Ares (the God of War) has escaped his imprisonment at the hands of the Amazons and has decided to exact his revenge by starting a world war that will destroy them all. It is up to Princess Diana to save her people and the world by using her gifts to become the ultimate Wonder Woman.

Now that that is out of the way I can tell you, unequivocally, that this movie is awesome. It is everything you could want from a Wonder Woman movie (except Joss Whedon). The animation is great and the voice acting is perfect. Nathan Fillion shines here as Steve Trevor. Another notch is his belt of excellence.

I'm not the biggest fan of Wonder Woman to be honest. I like her in a team dynamic, but on her own I've never really enjoyed her. That's one reason I was apprehensive about this movie. I felt like there were better characters to explore than her. The abysmal Batman: Gotham Knight and Superman: Doomsday releases didn't help matters.

I enjoyed Wonder Woman beginning to end. It is the best DC animated film to date. It's action packed and even funny. I was shocked at times by the violence in the film and it really earns that PG-13. The opening battle between Ares and the Amazons is incredible. It's like 300 with women and sets the tone for the entire film. The film is bookended with two insane battle scenes and sandwhiched between is a flesh tenderizing Wonder Woman.

The filmmakers have done what I thought was impossible. They took Wonder Woman who seems to have become a weak almost boring character and made her awesome again. This is for me at least. There are people out there who are eagerly anticipating this movie who are huge fans of the character. I'm pleased to say that they will love it too. Wonder Woman is great for new comers, seasoned fans, and naysayers like myself.

Let's talk about the DVD. The two disc special edition and the BluRay features collectible packaging and 185 minutes of special features including:

· Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream - She is one of the pillars of DC Comics. We examine why Wonder Woman is important in the grand scheme of the DC Super Heroes and how her raw strength and power helped define a new generation of empowered women, who realized that their gifts of intellect and strength were just as powerful as their male counterparts.

· Wonder Woman The Daughters of Myth – The riveting documentary historically defines the meaning of the Amazons and how this links in with the evolution of the Wonder Woman character from comics to screen.

· Audio Commentary - featuring commentary by Gregory Noveck (Senior Vice President, Creative Affairs, DC Comics), Bruce Timm (Producer), Lauren Montgomery (Director) and Michael Jelenic (Screenplay).

· Bruce Timm’s Top Picks
Popular episodes from the Warner Bros. archive of Justice League/Justice League Unlimited animation featuring Wonder Woman; all personally selected by Bruce Timm, producer of this Wonder Woman feature film. All formats include “To another Shore” and “Hawk and Dove.” Exclusive additions for the Blu-Ray and 2-Disk formats: “Paradise Lost, Parts 1 & 2.”

· Digital Copy Download– Warner Bros. is including a Digital Copy of Wonder Woman on the DVD which will provide fans a legitimate means to enjoy their favorite action hero anywhere they want on their portable video device. Formats supported include: iTunes, Windows Media Player. Restrictions apply. Consult product packaging for details.

· Sneak Peak - The next DCU Animated Original Movie. This is the best part of all for me. It is a sneak peak at the upcoming GREEN LANTERN feature! One step closer to a Sinestro Corps War movie!

· Wonder Woman: The Amazon Princess – This featurette includes both a thumbnail history of the character of Wonder Woman featuring interviews with DC Comics creators and artists (Paul Levitz, Dan DiDio), and behind the scenes footage of the upcoming made-for-DVD release punctuated with interviews from the production staff and voice talent behind the film (Keri Russell, Alfred Molina, etc.)

Wonder Woman is a definite must have for fans of Wonder Woman as well as comic and animation fans. The set is jam packed with great special features that only serve to make a great movie even better.

Wonder Woman arrives with a standard edition DVD, a 2-Disc Special Editon DVD, and BluRay on March 3, 2009.



For more information on Wonder Woman visit the official site at wonderwomanmovie.com.

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Wonder Woman Official Trailer