Starring: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina, Rosario Dawson, Oliver Platt, John DiMaggio
Written By: Gail Simone and Michael Jelenic
Directed By: Lauren Montgomery
Studio: Warner Bros. Animation
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To celebrate the upcoming release of the long anticipated “Wonder Woman” live action feature length film, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation have opened the vault with a re-release of the 2009 animated “Wonder Woman” movie. The new release has been dubbed the “Wonder Woman: Commemorative Edition” and comes with new features and a digital HD Ultraviolet code.

“Wonder Woman” the animated film holds up to this day as one of the best of the DC animated films from the past 10 years. Not only was it a classic take on the Amazonian princess’s origin but it also wasn’t afraid to push the PG-13 rating that it had with depictions of bloody battles, deaths and decapitations. The animation wasn’t a far departure from the Bruce Timm animated universe and it had a star-studded cast of voice actors including Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion and Alfred Molina. This brings us to the present day. With the release of the upcoming live action “Wonder Woman” movie starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine weeks away, an updated version of the 2009 animated film is a good way to get Wonder Woman in people’s minds for the time being. I’m sure that there are plenty of kids and adults alike out there that may not have known about the animated film, and it’d great marketing strategy to put the animated movie front and center for a few weeks.

The film introduces us to Wonder Woman as her origin and creation from clay are told and lead up to modern times where the island of Themyscira is hidden from the world until United States Air Force fighters find themselves in a dogfight over the island leading to one pilot named Steve Trevor (Nathan Fillion) crash-landing in a shallow lake. He is immediately hunted down by the Amazons and Princess Diana herself and taken captive. Having spent thousands of years in seclusion and cut off from the rest of the world, this leaves the Amazons in a predicament…do they send Trevor to prison or send him back to the modern world. Meanwhile and act of love and betrayal opens the door for the god of war, Ares to escape his confinement and force the hands of the Amazonians. Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor team up and fight their way through Ares’ armies in a mission to save the world, falling in love along the way.

As I mentioned before, the movie does a great job of not only retelling Wonder Woman’s origin but of combining lots of action with a well-written plot that gives a modern take on her story. The pantheon of Greek gods is well represented as are quite a few notable Amazonian warriors. Wonder Woman (Kari Russell) easily carries the movie by not only being smart and sexy but by being a total badass that takes names and asks questions later. Nathan Fillion’s role as Steve Trevor adds snarky wit and sensitivity to a mostly forgotten character. Ares was and excellent choice for the main baddie as his lack of empathy and pure hatred and disdain for the Amazonian warriors blinds him to everything else other than their complete and utter destruction and Alfred Molina does an excellent job of portraying those emotions or lack thereof.

So what’s different about the commemorative edition of “Wonder Woman” when compared to the original release? The main differences are the new slipcase and cover art, an Ultraviolet digital HD code and three short documentary features that focus on the origins of Wonder Woman, her importance to both genders and what she meant and still means in regards to empowering woman. Almost all of the DC animated films include character specific documentaries and features and they are always almost as good to watch as the feature presentation. Even though most fans may only remember the DVD release of the film, it was released on Blu-Ray shortly after its initial release so this isn’t the first time that it’s been released on Blu-Ray. This version is the definitive edition out there though.

If you’re like me and you’re patiently waiting to finally see Wonder Woman grace the silver screen for the first time, rewatching or watching it for the first time…”Wonder Woman: Commemorative Edition” is the perfect precursor to the upcoming film. It also shows that her character can be thrust into any film media…whether it’s an animated movie, an animated made for TV cartoon or live action, and she can absolutely live up to every expectation.

Own it now on Digital HD and Blu-ray™ Combo, DVD May 16!

Special Features:
What Makes A Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream
Wonder Woman: Daughter of Myth
Commentary by the Film’s Creative Team
A Sneak Peek at DC Universe’s Next Animated Movie: Batman and Harley Quinn

Video:
1080p High Definition 16×9 1.78:1

Audio:
English 5.1 Dolby Digital
French Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French Subtitles

Bottom Line: A great re-release of one of the best DC Animated films out there. While most of the movie and audio settings stay the same, the addition of a handful of excellent features makes this a must have.
Running Time: 74 Mins.
Rating: PG-13
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating:

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