Wonder Woman: Bloodlines (4K Ultra HD + Blu-Ray + Digital)

Blu-Ray Reviews | Oct 21st, 2019

Image used with permission for review purposes.

Starring: Rosario Dawson, Marie Avgeropolous, Kimberly Brooks, Jeffrey Donovan, Michael Dorn, Courtenay Taylor, Adrienne C. Moore, Mozhan Marno
Written By: Mairghread Scott
Directed By: Justin Copeland, Sam Liu
Studio: Warner Bros. Animation
Buy On Amazon

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of this Blu-ray set that I reviewed in this post. The opinions I share are my own.

Before she was beating down baddies in the Justice League she was Princess Diana of Themyscira. Isolated from the rest of the world, an act of war brought Steve Trevor crashing to her home. Promising to help him get back home and to protect the world of man that the Amazonians have all but forgotten about, she becomes Wonder Woman!

“Wonder Woman: Bloodlines” gives finally gives those who have been following DC’s animated universe a fleshed out origin story of the Wonder Woman of that universe. While the beginning of the movie was somewhat choppy, as it jumped around in time based on actions and events in previous animated movies such as “Justice League: War” and then apparently jumps ahead to current time…once things got going the movie was great.

With the origin parts, Diana was shown coming to the United States and living with Julia and Vanessa Kapatelis while becoming the superheroine that she wanted to be all along. She works missions with Steve Trevor and Etta Candy by her side. We’re not shown any Justice Leaguers in any capacity as the story focuses entirely on Wonder Woman.

We are also introduced to Villainy Inc. as Wonder Woman faces off against Giganta, Dr. Poison, Dr. Cyber and eventually, after a surprising turn of fate, Vanessa Kapatelis who becomes the Silver Swan. Feeling as if she had let her friend down as she winds up on the side of evil, Wonder Woman sets out to save the world from the plans of Villainy Inc. as well as save her friend from the techno-organic virus that is turning her evil. To do so she must foil a plan of villainous subterfuge, all the while not knowing exactly who to trust. When plans are revealed that point to her home of Themyscira, Diana and company must take action before her home is destroyed and Villainy Inc. takes over the otherworldly tech that the Amazonians have developed. There is one more major surprise in store for Diana and friends…a mythical enemy long thought defeated has been resurrected and soon marches on Themyscira.

In an interview with some of the cast and crew at New York Comic Con, everyone reiterated that “Wonder Woman: Bloodlines” would take Diana through the wringer and beat her down and build her up unlike anything outside of the comic books has done so far and that definitely rings true. We are shown a vulnerable Diana who holds true to her values and beliefs even though the rest of her people disagree with her. She is banished from her home, lives in strange new land and has to learn to behave like a normal human being in modern day society. She lives with a mother and daughter who begrudgingly accept her and her strange ways as family. All the while Diana stays true to her beliefs of honor and justice and sticks to her belief that the world is worth fighting for even at the cost of her mind, body and soul.

The final battle in Themyscira was absolutely one of the best Wonder Woman moments one will witness. As all odds are stacked against her, her people retreating and with no help coming, Wonder Woman stands alone against one of the most powerful monsters known to man and God alike. She protects her friends at the cost of her own body, even to the point of blinding herself in order to prevent the destruction of a people that cast her away because all she wanted to do was help everyone. In a riveting “Hell Yeah” moment, Wonder Woman stands her ground and takes down the undefeatable.

“Wonder Woman: Bloodlines” does justice to the legacy of Wonder Woman and finally gives us that inside look into her past all the while introducing us to more of her mainstay villains. While it is definitely a world building movie for Diana, it also focuses in on her core values which make her the hero that she is. Superman may get the attention for being the goody two shoes with his truth, justice and America way persona, Wonder Woman has always brought more of a human touch to DC. While she may be from an isolated island in the middle of nowhere and was molded in the hands of a god, she always felt more human than most of her human counterparts. She’s kind, caring, compassionate, motherly yet she’s a fierce warrior who knows what’s right and what’s wrong and isn’t afraid to jump in sword first and ask questions later. “Wonder Woman: Bloodlines” does a great job of taking all of those traits and, much like Gal Gadot’s portrayal of the character in live action, representing those traits in the DC animated movie universe.

Par for course for the DC animated movies, the animation is excellent and continues the blend of comic book and anime styles that has represented the shared universe since day one. The action sequences are top-notch and the voice actor casting is on point with Rosario Dawson reprising the role of Wonder Woman and leading the charge. The movie is presented in stunning 4K and the combo pack comes with a Blu-Ray disc and digital HD code. Special features include a feature on the Cheetah, a couple of bonus cartoons, a preview of the upcoming animated “Superman: Red Son” movie and a really cool animated short based on Neil Gaiman’s character Death.

With Wonder Woman (finally) taking pop culture by storm, “Wonder Woman: Bloodlines” is a great representation and origin story of the character that follows her in her early awkward years in the US all the way through to the experienced warrior princess that we all know and love. Wonder Woman standing against all odds in the last act of the movie is an amazing site to behold. Even though “Wonder Woman: Bloodlines” is part of the larger DC animated movie universe, it is also a great jumping on point and standalone film for those not quite ready to invest in the other thirteen films yet.

Special Features:
• The Cheetah-Ferocious Archenemy
• A Sneak Peek at DC Universe’s Next Animated Film “Superman: Red Son”
• DC Showcase Short – Death
• From the DC Comics Vault – 2 Bonus Cartoons and More!

Audio:
DTS-HD Master Audio English 5.1 Dolby Digital
English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles

Video:
4K UHD Feature: 2160p Ultra High Definition 16×9 1.78:1
Blu-ray Feature: 1080p High Definition 16×9 1.78:1

Bottom Line: Not only is “Wonder Woman: Bloodlines” a great origin story as well as a standalone Wonder Woman feature, but it is also one of the most true to character representations in any media. You will absolutely gain a new respect for the character as she takes on a handful of enemies as well as one overgrown mythical monster and stands her ground until her last breath is nearly depleted.

Running Time: 83 Mins
Rating: PG-13
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating:

Check out our interview with the cast and crew of “Wonder Woman: Bloodlines” HERE!

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