The origin of a woman who wields a magic lasso, wears a tiara and an eagle brassiere and yet she's a liberated warrior princess with the strength of ten men!

CRITIQUE

DC comics and Warner Bros. have been diddling around with a Wonder Woman feature film for over a decade; so long that the shelf life has already expired for their prime candidates (Sandra Bullock and Marisa Tomei). Though the movie is still a likelihood, fans will have to contend with a decent animated version to get them through the night.

Fortunately the direct-to-video superhero cartoon genre has been pretty well served of late and Wonder Woman holds her own. Superman: Doomsday and Batman: Gotham Knight had their flaws, but the results represented a variety of honest efforts that served the fan base more than insulted it; furthermore Justice League: The New Frontier kicked it up a notch.

This origin tale revolves around Amazonian princess Diana, who meets a mortal jet pilot (Steve Trevor) when he crash lands on the hidden island of Themyscira. (Uncredited storyline inspired by the late 80s comic book creator George Perez.)

The old “barbarian hero fights for the life of his maiden love interest” scenario receives an inversion treatment when Diana competes wither her soldierly sisters for the honor to safely accompany Trev back to the “world of man.” Along the way, Ares the God of War escapes from his Amazonian imprisonment and decides to wreak havok. (Perhaps to make up for lost time ¯ his motivations remain unclear.) Strangely, the Amazons speak in a moderately formal accent, while the elder Gods (Zues, Herea, hades etc.) all speak colloquial English.

A Wonder Woman story that will definitely please her fans, this release also holds the potential to make a few converts in the process... especially of those who are only familiar with the campy live version of 70s TV vintage (wherein Linda Carter's main assets were limited to ¯ if not thoroughly contained by ¯ her skimpy outfit).

Recently, Wonder Woman has been given positive representation in the animated Justice League TV show. At 74 minutes her first solo outing runs a bit short but manages to balance just enough action and character development to retain viewer interest. As always, quality is the hallmark of co-producer Bruce Timm, who ushered in the 90s animated Batman series to heights not often reached in the televised tooniverse.

Sadly, subtlety isn't something we've often come to expect from animation ¯ but this story definitely approaches a few levels in its depiction of the battle of the sexes. They could've gone much further exploring the differences between a woman raised in a matriarch-based society vs. Trevor's reflexive “manly” responses... perhaps if sequels are warranted such character interplay could be more fully explored.

Fortunately by abandoning the camp approach, Diana can finally be portrayed as a real warrior. The violence resides in the PG-13 area so parents should be mindful that impalements, decapitations, neck snapping and a forceful kick to the 'nads are in store for their youngsters. (Doubtlessly the kids will be less offended than unsuspecting adults.) Note: Diana performs her fair share of killing here, an act which drags a simple tale from the shoreline of moral territory into an ethical undertow, for which

its makers consciously avoid to address.

THE VIDEO

Wonder Woman is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Overall, the animation is quite decent. Some fans prone to exaggeration have been knocking about adjectives like “spectacular,” which is downright silly when compared to truly classic superhero animation of Fleischer Bros. Superman, circa 1941. Then again, when the nostalgic standard is Hanna Barbera's squalid “Superfriends,” (1978) we suppose Wondy does appear rather spectacular.

THE AUDIO

Wonder Woman is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround. Dialogue and music are loud and clear, and the sound effects are nicely placed throughout the soundfield creating depth from the surrounds.

Keri Russell (Felicity) performs adequately as Wondy, but I would've preferred Rosario Dawson (who voices Diana's rival, Artemis) in the lead. Nathan Fillion (as Steve Trevor) is a bit bland but Alfred Molina (Ares) and Virigina Madsen (Queen Hippolyta) bring the kind of thespic gravity required by mythological material.

Though hardly the iconic masterpiece that Danny Elfman created for Batman, Chris Drake's score is solid and at times emotionally uplifting. No surprise here as Drake is associated with melodies for previous toon superheroes such as Hellboy and Nexus.

THE EXTRAS

Audio Commentary: by the creative team, also as is customary with these releases a first look at DC/Warner's next animated feature project 'Green Lantern'.

Documentaries: Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream, and Wonder Woman Daughter of Myth: Historical Amazon Lore and it's Evolution into the Modern Day Wonder Woman Character. Two bonus cartoons selected from the Justice League series (Another Shore and Hawk And Dove) are included as Bruce Timm's favorite picks.

FINAL THOUGHT

Entertaining for kids ten and older; comic book fans in general and viewers who might want to challenge their nostalgically-tinged memories of the campy live action show.