Friday night at the NYCC DC Comics debuted their newest animated feature, Wonder Woman. The movie was produced by DC animation legend Bruce Timm, and featured the voice work of Keri Russell in the titular role, alongside Serenity star Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina, Rosario Dawson, Oliver Platt and Virginia Madsen.
The screening, which took place very late in the evening, actually turned out to be the perfect bookend to the day: Wonder Woman is both funny and action-packed and is probably one of the best DC Comics animated features I’ve seen this side of Justice League.
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The film opens with an epic (and violent!) battle between the Amazonians of Themyscira and the warring forces of Ares, the god of war. Hippolyta, Queen of Amazons, barely manages to defeat Ares in combat–but instead of letting the Queen vanquish Ares, head-gods Zeus and Hera decree that Ares be stripped of his god-powers by locking him in two iron shackles and making him the prisoners of the Amazons for all time.
Perturbed by the violence inherent in men, the Amazons hide Themyscira from the world wiht a magical spell, forever preserving their utopia. To usher in this new era of peace, Hera blesses Hippolyta with a daughter sculpted from clay, Diana, the soon-to-be Wonder Woman of the amazons.
If you know the origin of Wonder Woman you know what happens next: Col. Steve Trevor crash-lands his fighter jet on Themyscira, where he falls for Diana. Hippolyta decrees that an Amazon emissary must return Trevor to the world of man, and Diana wins a deadly contest to be that emissary. She is given armor, a magical golden lasso and an invisible plane, becoming the super-heroine known as Wonder Woman.
Ares of course escapes, with help from a rogue Amazon, and Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor try to stop him before he can reclaim his god powers. Of course they fail, Ares regains his terrible power and a huge war ensues, with Wonder Woman eventually winning the day and choosing to remain in the world of men as a representative of the Amazons. The end.
What made Wonder Woman so much damn fun was the witty script by Michael Jelenic, William M. Marston and Gail Simone, along with excellent voice work by Fillion and Russell. Much of Wonder Woman’s humor is found in gender jokes, which include Steve Trevor commenting on Wonder Woman’s “nice rack” while under the truth-telling spell of the golden lasso–or Trevor trying (and failing) to drink Wonder Woman under the table in order to seduce her. I don’t usually believe that animated characters can have chemistry, but then, I hadn’t seen Wonder Woman. Trevor and Diana’s dance of flirtation is truly what glues the movie together and everyone in the theater enjoyed it.
Director Lauren Montgomery deserves a lot of credit for balancing just the right amounts of badass action, sexual (as in gender) related humor and feministic attitude into thoroughly enjoyable film.
Wonder Woman is another fine entry in the DC Comics animated library and I recommend you check it out when it hits stores on March 3, 2009.
Source: NYC Comic Con
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16 Comments
The nice thing about animation is that a talented actress can fill the vocal role of Diana without filling the physical roll.
I will definately check this out when it’s released and possibly add it too my collection. Hey Kofi, judging from your review this one seems a little mature for small kids, did it have any sort of rating at the screening?
I suppose this spells doom for any faint glimmer of a live action Wonder Woman movie! Maybe just as well, finding a tall Amazonian beauty in todays line-up of rail thin actresses would be a lost cause.
Sounds Like I may have to pick this up.
@ David
I don’t know if this lady can act but she certainly fits the role physically for WOnder WOman and she is an actress..
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/justice_league/news/?a=4916
What do you folks think of Nathan Fillion for the role of Hal Jordan? And from the link above I think Megan Gale would be a perfect Amazonian Princess if she has the chops…
ANy thoughts?
I would think David Borianz (SP?) is the perfect fit for Hal Jordan I know he did the voice in the animated movie, but he fits the look as well.
As far as Wonder Woman goes I got to check it out my self as well and found it to be merely ok. I Would say it isn’t as good as New Frontier or the Superman movie even. Yes though it is better than Gotham Knights which was pretty awful. The only thing good about Gotham Knights was Conroy.
@ Greenknight
She has my vote!! Holy Mother of Perl! Talk about an exotic beauty! And she’s so tall too! Good luck finding a Maj. Trevor to fit!
She seems to have the sort of confidence and sense of humor in her personality that she could pull it off just being herself in a Wonder Woman outfit.
I am deff going to pick this up
@ JustDavid
She got my vote!! Great Googly Moogly..She is smokin’ hot and she does have a great sense of humor’ google her and check out the video of her in the shower(it’s not what you think) it is funny!!
@ Greenknight
LOL!
Gorgeous, funny, confident, and she’s got brains too!
She’s way too smart for those two losers!
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