Wonder Woman 2-Disc Special Edition DVD Review

Rating:

This is the Wonder Woman movie that everyone needs to see. It doesn’t matter that it’s technically the only Wonder Woman movie. If the aborted live action movie were anything similar to this animated adventure, it’s a shame we didn’t get to see it, because this is as close to perfect as we might get with Wonder Woman.

As with any hero’s (or heroine’s) first out, we must have their origin story. With most, that story begins when they gain their powers. Even Superman didn’t become “Superman” until his late teens when he first put on the red and yellow “S.”

However, Wonder Woman is a different story. Her origin literally begins with her conception or birth from the sand and clay of Paradise Island (Themyscira). Wonder Woman (Diana) was created formed from the soil of Themyscira and granted life by the gods. She is daughter to Hippolyta, the ruler of the Amazons.

The Amazons are a race of warrior women that live alone on the island of Themyscira, forever guarding their captive—Ares, the god of War. All of this is quickly established in the opening minutes of the film during a brutal battle between Ares and his minions against the Amazons.

Things change quickly once fighter pilot Steve Trevor crashes on the island. Hippolyta determines that Trevor poses no threat to the Amazons and she will allow him to return to the United States accompanied by an Amazonian emissary.

The Amazons will hold a contest to determine who will be the Amazonian emissary, which Diana enters secretly against her mother’s wishes. She easily wins the contest. When her true identity is revealed, Hippolyta merely pauses for a moment and then congratulates her daughter. It’s a very noble moment that speaks volumes about the characters.

The celebration is short lived when it is discovered that Areas has escaped. Being the god of war, Areas plans to destroy civilization with a war some immense that it will fill him with enough power to take revenge on his fellow gods that imprisoned him. Diana departs with Trevor—in an invisible jet (Awesome!).

The smaller moments between the time when Diana arrives and when Ares’ plot is discovered are great. They not only show the relation between Diana and Steve develop, they also serve as an introduction to Wonder Woman’s power level in the modern world.

The movie progresses as Ares and his minions attack Washington D.C. and Wonder Woman and Steve must stop them. To say that it ends with a bang is an understatement. This thing is action packed. I’m also pleased to say that Steve Trevor holds his own in the film. He’s not a sideline character. He’s every bit Wonder Woman’s equal and jumps right into battle with her.

On that note, I’ll mention what is easily my favorite part (or performer) in the film. Nathan Fillion makes a perfect Steve Trevor. Anything funny more than likely comes from Trevor. His quips and comments to the Amazons are typically male and all funny (for the wrong reasons). He still comes across as extremely likeable – thanks in part to Fillion’s great characterization.

The voice work is my only small complaint with the film as well. Keri Russell isn’t the perfect Wonder Woman. Notice my wording, I’m not saying she’s bad, but I think there may have been a better choice out there. Russell’s voice lacked a little of the command that I think Wonder Woman should have. Just a nitpick on my part.

Alone, you would be satisfied with this DVD, but both discs pack in quite a few excellent extras worth watching.

On the first disc, along with the movie, you get an audio commentary with Bruce Timm, director Lauren Montgomery, DC Creative Affairs VP Gregory Noveck and writer Michael Jelenic. Commentaries are hit or miss and with many creative team members, I would have expected the final product to be a little more entertaining or informative.

Still, there are a few shorts on the first disc that are just that. There are four, approximately 10-minute shorts, on the first disc. Two feature existing releases (From Graphic Novel to Animated Movie – Justice League: The New Frontier and Batman Gotham Knight: An Anime Evolution), one for Wonder Woman (Wonder Woman: The Amazon Princess) and one for the upcoming July Warner Brothers DVD release (A First Look at the Animated Feature Green Lantern Film). All four features are a mix or art, history, production information and cast an crew interviews. All four feature just enough to get you interested in the film they talk about and make you want to see more.

Disc Two is where the really great features are. Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream is an in depth look at not only Wonder Woman (and polygraph) creator William Moulton Marston. It shows his inspiration for creating Wonder Woman and how much she was influenced by his wife, his assistant, and the conditions for women at the time in general. It’s a surprising, in-depth look and well worth watching.

Equally interesting is Wonder Woman: Daughter of Myth. This short (approximately 24 minutes) examines the mythical influences on Wonder Woman as a character and how they integrate into her origin. It’s also does a great job of showing exactly what parts of her origin story were transplanted directly from the comic to the film.

Finally, the disc is finished with Bruce Timm’s Top Picks. Timm has been a producer on almost every animated DC show since Batman: The Animated Series and here we’ve got his two favorite episodes spotlighting Wonder Woman from the Justice League animated series. “To Another Shore” has Wonder Woman/Diana Prince protecting the frozen body of the Viking Prince from a group of villains. “Hawk and Dove” features Ares plotting to use a golem type creature to start a war in Europe. Both are great episodes and should be watched.

This animated DVD release is about as good as you can get. Sure there are a few minor issues, but the story is strong, the animation is great and the voices are near perfect. The creative team manages to capture Wonder Woman’s heritage and easily explain it. That’s an integral part of the character—one that elevates her to a starring role status she deserves.