Wondering About Wonder Woman?
Warner Bros. Premiere have been putting out DC Universe animated features revolving around the Detective Comics characters. First came Superman: Doomsday based on the record selling comic book story in which Superman is actually killed, second came Justice League: The New Frontier based on award winning graphic novel's about the earliest beginnings of the Justice League, then Batman: Gotham Knight was animated with strong anime influence and told several stories set between the two latest live action films (Batman Begins and The Dark Knight). Now we can finally experience the animated DC Universe depiction of Wonder Woman's origin.
The plot is about the amazon princess Diana, on the secluded Island Themyscira, first meeting Steve Trevor, a pilot who crash lands on the island of no men. After fighting in a tournament against fellow competing amazons for the right to escort Trevor back to 'man's world' Diana dons the Wonder Woman outfit for her first time and heads on her...
Both pleasing and problematic.
Created in 1941 by American scientist William Marston (with assists from his wife Elizabeth and their polyamourous lover Olive Byrne), Diana of Themyscira, Wonder Woman, has become one of the most famous heroes in comics. She is usually counted among the "Big Three" of DC, her owners, alongside Superman and Batman. This is, however, illusory in many respects; the character has never received even a fraction of the popular or creator attention of her alleged compeers (having, for example, to settle for a supporting role in Bruce Timm's own DC Animated Universe when the others got series of their own). This is the first new solo Wonder Woman project in any medium apart from comics in more than thirty years.
As mentioned, Timm and co. have worked with the character before, on "Justice League Unlimited", an exercise which was frankly a disastrous adaptation of the character. Stripped of her personality and most of the important parts of her origin, with her villains and...
5 Stars On Blue Spandex
This straight to DVD feature is the fourth in DC Universe/Warner Premiere's new line of animated features. They have released Superman: Doomsday, Justice League: New Frontier and Batman: Gotham Knight. Now we can experience Wonder Woman, a feature that finally gives DC's third biggest icon the attention and, for the most part, the portrayal she deserves.
The plot is an origin story about the amazon princess Diana and how a crash landed pilot named Steve Trevor and a run in with God Of War Ares finds her coming of age while proving herself to her mother and fellow amazons and becoming the Wonder Woman we all know and love. The story is well enough written, working hard to serve the spectacularly animated battle scenes. My only issue is that it doesn't serve the character's as much as it could and certain key moments end up getting brushed over as a result. Despite these issues and some weak plot points it is still entertaining and action packed from beginning to very end,...
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