Wonder Woman (2009, Warner Home Video)
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I’ve always been wary of many of the direct-to-DVD animated superhero films, from both Marvel and DC. I wasn’t that impressed with Justice League: The New Frontier, nor was I bowled over by Ultimate Avengers. I thought The Next Avengers sucked, and that Batman: Gotham Knight was extremely overrated.

So perhaps it makes sense that it would take the DVD introduction of Wonder Woman–the first and greatest of all female superheroes–to break the mold and deliver one of the best animated adventures ever.

Created by William Moulton Marston in 1941 as the female-empowering answer to Superman and Batman (based on a suggestion from his wife, Elizabeth), Wonder Woman was very nearly an instant smash success, whose powers of flight, near invulnerability, super strength, lasso of truth, powerful wisdom, indestructible bullet deflecting bracelets and bombshell beauty have always stayed nearly unchanging, even though the character herself has undergone various iterations brought on by different writers throughout her publishing history.

The new Wonder Woman direct-to-DVD adventure stays true to her origins in Graeco-Roman mythology, while also borrowing from artist/writer George Perez’ excellent updating of the Amazon’s story in his 1980s run on the title, following DC’s 1985 continuity-revamping epic Crisis On Infinite Earths.

The story begins centuries ago, during a brutal encounter between Amazon forces led by Queen Hippolyta (voice of Virginia Madsen) against Ares (voice of Alfred Molina), the god of war. Hippolyta is enraged that Ares has “forced a child” upon her (the implication is that Ares raped her, much in the way Hercules did in George Perez’ run on the comic), and she’s out for vengeance. Part of that vengeance comes when Hippolyta actually kills the young demi-god, surprising Ares with her will to carry out the act. She then manages to get the upper hand on him and is about to follow suit, until the intervention of Zeus (voice of David McCallum), the king of the gods, who demands Ares be spared. Zeus’ wife Hera (voice of Marg Helgenberger) tempers Hippolyta’s need for payback by setting a pair of power draining bracelets upon Ares, rendering him helpless until and unless those bracelets are removed by another god. By way of atonement for Hippolyta’s misuse by Ares, Hera provides a secluded island for her and the Amazons, where they will remain immortal forever. (more…)