Wonder Woman (film)
Encyclopedia
Wonder Woman is a 2009
direct-to-video
animated film
focusing on the superheroine Wonder Woman
. The plot of the film is loosely based on George Pérez
' reboot of the character, specifically the "Gods and Mortals" arc that started the character's second volume in 1987. It is the fourth in the line of DC Universe Animated Original Movies released by Warner Premiere
and Warner Bros. Animation
.
The film is directed by Lauren Montgomery
, who directed the second act of Superman: Doomsday
and did storyboard
work for Justice League: The New Frontier, and written by Gail Simone
and Michael Jelenic. As with all previous releases in this line of films, it is produced by acclaimed DC Comics animation veteran Bruce Timm
.
(voiced by Virginia Madsen
), battled Ares
(Alfred Molina
), the God of War, and his army. During the battle, Hippolyta beheaded her son, Thrax
(Jason Miller
), whom Ares forcibly conceived with her, and then defeated the God of War himself. Zeus
(David McCallum
), however, prevented her from killing Ares. Instead, Hera
(Marg Helgenberger
) bound his powers with magic bracers so that he was deprived of his ability to draw power from the aura of violence and death he could instigate, and only another god could release him. In compensation, the Amazons were granted the island of Themyscira
, where they could be eternally youthful and isolated from Man in the course of their duty of holding Ares prisoner for all eternity. Later, Hippolyta was granted a daughter, Princess Diana (Keri Russell
), whom she shaped from the sand of the sea shore and gave life with her own blood.
Over a millennium later, an American fighter pilot, Steve Trevor
(Nathan Fillion
), is shot down and crash-lands on the island, where he soon runs afoul of the Amazon population, including the war-like and aggressive Artemis (Rosario Dawson
). Steve and Diana meet and fight, and she defeats him, taking him to the Amazons. Hippolyta decides he should be returned home. Diana volunteers, but is assigned to guard Ares's cell instead since her mother argues that she has not enough experience in dealing with the dangers of the outside world. Diana defies her mother and, her face hidden by a helmet and her guard duty covered by her bookish but kind-hearted Amazon sister Alexa (Tara Strong
), wins the right to take Trevor back to his home.
In the meantime, the Amazon Persephone (Vicki Lewis
), who has fallen in love with Ares, releases him, both killing Alexa in the process. With the additional task of capturing Ares, Diana brings Trevor to New York City, where he volunteers to help. An investigation uncovers a pattern of violence created by Ares presence that will lead to him given time, and the pair go out to a bar while they wait. After some heavy drinking, Trevor makes a pass at Diana. They argue outside, but are attacked first by thugs and then the demigod Deimos
. Deimos kills himself to prevent being interrogated, but Diana and Steve find a clue on his body that leads them to a secret Greek temple guarded by the worshipers of Ares.
Once there, Diana attempts to subdue Ares, but he summons harpies
that threaten to kill her, prompting Trevor to save her instead of stopping Ares. Meanwhile, Ares performs a sacrifice to open a gate to the Underworld, where he persuades his uncle, Hades
, to remove the gauntlets. Later, Diana regains consciousness and is furious that Trevor saved her rather than stop Ares. Trevor argues against her abuse with his own criticism of the Amazons' self-imposed isolation and their generalizations about men, and reveals how much he cares about her.
Ares and his army attack Washington, DC. Trevor and Diana arrive to battle Ares and are soon joined by the Amazons. While Ares manages even to summon the Amazons long dead from the Underworld to fight their own sisters, his scheme is stopped by Alexa, a member of the undead host, who reveals to Artemis a chant which nullifies Ares's control over them. The undead then turn on Ares but are destroyed by his powers; in memory of Alexa, Artemis later takes up the hobby of reading. Hippolyta faces Persephone in combat and kills her, but with her dying breath, Persephone makes the queen realize that in shutting the Amazons away from the world of men, she has denied them the chance to live as women.
Meanwhile, the President, influenced by Ares's power, orders a nuclear missile against Themyscira. This act of supreme aggression increases Ares's power, but Trevor takes the invisible jet and shoots down the missile just before it hits the island. Finally, after a brutal beating at Ares's hands, Diana finally outwits and kills him. Subsequently, Ares is condemned to the underworld to attend Hades as a slave, alongside his son.
Later on Themyscira, Hippolyta realizes that Diana misses both the outside world and Trevor, and to make her happy again, she charges her daughter to become a diplomat for the Amazons. Diana accepts and returns to the world of men, where she enjoys the company of Trevor and assumes the secret identity of Diana Prince. However, their relationship comes with the understanding of her larger duties, such as when Diana sees The Cheetah
robbing a museum and she excuses herself to stop the supervillainess as Wonder Woman.
The film's casting director, Andrea Romano
, explained that Keri Russell's casting as Wonder Woman was partly inspired by Romano seeing Russell's performance in the film Waitress
.
According to producer Bruce Timm, during post-production
, many action scenes had to be edited after the first cut of the film received an R rating from the MPAA
.
2009.
Upon the DVD release of the film, DC Comics arranged for several promotional packaging concepts to be released through different vendors. Working together with Mattel
, they created a miniature action figure of the animated Wonder Woman that was packaged together with the 2-disc DVD sets sold through Best Buy
's stores. Images of the animated Wonder Woman were made into sheets of temporary tattoo
s and packaged with the single disc DVD of the film that were sold exclusively through Kmart
's stores. FYE
and Suncoast
retail stores sold pre-orders of the DVD with a promotional film poster containing a printed autograph of the film's director Lauren Montgomery
. The two-disc special edition DVDs sold at Target
stores included bonus Wonder Woman centric episodes from the Justice League animated series
and its spin-off Justice League Unlimited
, two shows produced by Bruce Timm. Borders Book Stores
offered an exclusive "Making of Wonder Woman" booklet featuring storyboard
s and character designs. Finally, a lenticular
cover was created for the DVD cover depicting Wonder Woman shifting her position, sold exclusively through Wal-Mart
stores.
, based on 7 reviews. Harry Knowles
gave a positive review of Wonder Woman on his website Ain't It Cool News
. Knowles enthusiastically lauded director Montgomery and the surprising brutality of the action scenes. Jim Vejvoda of IGN
praised the film's humor, action, and vocal performances, singling out the "perfectly cast" Fillion. Jordan Hoffman of UGO.com gave a positive review, commenting on the film's great dialogue and the mature use of post-feminist
themes in relation to perceived chauvinism. Reviewing the film for Comic Book Resources
, Josh Wigler gave a positive review, but criticized the unexplained inclusion of Diana's invisible plane
. An explanation was left out as Timm and Montgomery felt it was too convoluted and merely a pseudo-scientific explanation. The World's Finest cited a few inconsistencies but said overall it was "easily the best DC Universe Animated Original Movie title to date."
The level of violence in the film - both Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor are shown killing human adversaries in several sequences, and several beheadings in battle also occur - garnered some criticism. Chris Mautner, reviewing the film for Comic Book Resources, remarked, "It is just me or does it seem more than a bit...unnecessary?"
According to The-Numbers.com, Wonder Woman ranked #5 in DVD sales from its release of March 3 to March 8, 2009. From the total units of 106,342, it made $2,040,703 in sales.
(ISBN 978-1-4165-9873-2). Written by S.D. Perry and Britta Dennison, the book follows the film's plot faithfully, but it omits some of the incidental violence (Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor killing guards, for example) featured in the film.
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
animated film
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
focusing on the superheroine Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
. The plot of the film is loosely based on George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
' reboot of the character, specifically the "Gods and Mortals" arc that started the character's second volume in 1987. It is the fourth in the line of DC Universe Animated Original Movies released by Warner Premiere
Warner Premiere
Warner Premiere is the direct-to-video label of Warner Home Video, itself the home video unit of Warner Bros.In 2006, Warner Home Video announced they would enter the market of releasing original direct-to-video films, a market that has proven lucrative for studios over the past few years...
and Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation is the animation division of Warner Bros., a subsidiary of Time Warner. The studio is closely associated with the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters, among others. The studio is the successor to Warner Bros...
.
The film is directed by Lauren Montgomery
Lauren Montgomery
Lauren Montgomery is a film animation director and storyboard artist. She is noted for her storyboard work for animated television and DVD movie features...
, who directed the second act of Superman: Doomsday
Superman: Doomsday
Superman: Doomsday & Beyond is a licensed novel, published in 1993, set in the DC Comics universe, written by Louise Simonson, and with illustrations from Dan Jurgens and José Luis García-López. It is a young-adult version of The Death of Superman comics storyline from 1992...
and did storyboard
Storyboard
Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence....
work for Justice League: The New Frontier, and written by Gail Simone
Gail Simone
Gail Simone is an American writer of comic books. Best known for penning DC's Birds of Prey, her other notable works include Secret Six, Welcome to Tranquility, The All-New Atom, and Deadpool. In 2007, she took over Wonder Woman...
and Michael Jelenic. As with all previous releases in this line of films, it is produced by acclaimed DC Comics animation veteran Bruce Timm
Bruce Timm
Bruce Walter Timm is an American character designer, animator and producer. He is also a writer and artist working in comics, and is known for his contributions building the modern DC Comics animated franchise, the DC animated universe.-Animation:Timm's early career in animation was varied; he...
.
Plot
Centuries ago, the Amazons, a proud and fierce race of warrior women, led by Queen HippolytaHippolyta (comics)
Hippolyta, in comics, may refer to:*Hippolyta , a superhero queen in the DC Comics universe*Hippolyta , an Amazon warrior in the Marvel Comics universe*Hippolyta Trevor, a DC Comics character, also known as Fury...
(voiced by Virginia Madsen
Virginia Madsen
Virginia Madsen is an American actress and documentary film producer. She came to fame during the 1980s, having appeared in several films aimed at a teenage audience...
), battled Ares
Ares (DC Comics)
Ares is a fictional character, a supervillainous God appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based upon the Greek mythological figure of the same name, he is the god of War and one of the major adversaries of Wonder Woman. He first appeared in Wonder Woman #1, volume 1, published in...
(Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina
Alfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...
), the God of War, and his army. During the battle, Hippolyta beheaded her son, Thrax
Thrax (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Thrax was regarded as one of the reputed sons of Ares. In the Alcestis, Euripides mentions that one of the names of Ares himself was Thrax since he was regarded as the patron of Thrace .-Popular culture:*Thrax appears in the animated...
(Jason Miller
Jason C. Miller
Jason Charles Miller is the lead vocalist and guitarist of the industrial rock band Godhead. He is also an actor in various anime and movies.-Biography:Miller was born in Cheverly, Maryland...
), whom Ares forcibly conceived with her, and then defeated the God of War himself. Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
(David McCallum
David McCallum
David Keith McCallum, Jr. is a Scottish actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as Illya Kuryakin, a Russian-born secret agent, in the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., as interdimensional operative Steel in Sapphire & Steel, and Dr...
), however, prevented her from killing Ares. Instead, Hera
Hera
Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
(Marg Helgenberger
Marg Helgenberger
Mary Marg Helgenberger is an American film and television actress known for her roles as Catherine Willows in the CBS drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and as K.C...
) bound his powers with magic bracers so that he was deprived of his ability to draw power from the aura of violence and death he could instigate, and only another god could release him. In compensation, the Amazons were granted the island of Themyscira
Themyscira
Themyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe that is the place of origin of Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons. Known as Paradise Island since Wonder Woman and the island's first appearance in All Star Comics #8 , it was renamed "Themyscira" with the character's February...
, where they could be eternally youthful and isolated from Man in the course of their duty of holding Ares prisoner for all eternity. Later, Hippolyta was granted a daughter, Princess Diana (Keri Russell
Keri Russell
Keri Lynn Russell is an American actress and dancer. After appearing in a number of made-for-television films and series during the mid-1990s, she came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the series Felicity, which ran from 1998 to 2002, and for which she won a Golden Globe...
), whom she shaped from the sand of the sea shore and gave life with her own blood.
Over a millennium later, an American fighter pilot, Steve Trevor
Steve Trevor
Steve Trevor is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, as the primary love interest of Wonder Woman. He first appeared in All Star Comics #8 .-Golden Age:...
(Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion is a Canadian actor, currently starring as Richard Castle on the ABC series Castle. He is also known for his portrayal of the lead role of Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the television series Firefly and its feature film continuation, Serenity.He has acted in traditionally distributed...
), is shot down and crash-lands on the island, where he soon runs afoul of the Amazon population, including the war-like and aggressive Artemis (Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
). Steve and Diana meet and fight, and she defeats him, taking him to the Amazons. Hippolyta decides he should be returned home. Diana volunteers, but is assigned to guard Ares's cell instead since her mother argues that she has not enough experience in dealing with the dangers of the outside world. Diana defies her mother and, her face hidden by a helmet and her guard duty covered by her bookish but kind-hearted Amazon sister Alexa (Tara Strong
Tara Strong
Tara Lyn Strong is a Canadian actress, voice-over artist, singer, who is best known for her voice work in cartoons.-Early life and career:...
), wins the right to take Trevor back to his home.
In the meantime, the Amazon Persephone (Vicki Lewis
Vicki Lewis
Vicki Lewis is an American film, stage, television and voice actress best known for her role as Beth in the NBC sitcom NewsRadio.-Personal life:...
), who has fallen in love with Ares, releases him, both killing Alexa in the process. With the additional task of capturing Ares, Diana brings Trevor to New York City, where he volunteers to help. An investigation uncovers a pattern of violence created by Ares presence that will lead to him given time, and the pair go out to a bar while they wait. After some heavy drinking, Trevor makes a pass at Diana. They argue outside, but are attacked first by thugs and then the demigod Deimos
Deimos (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Deimos was the personification of terror.He was the son of Ares and Aphrodite. He is the twin brother of Phobos and the goddess Enyo who accompanied Ares into battle, as well as his father's attendants, Trembling, Fear, Dread, and Panic...
. Deimos kills himself to prevent being interrogated, but Diana and Steve find a clue on his body that leads them to a secret Greek temple guarded by the worshipers of Ares.
Once there, Diana attempts to subdue Ares, but he summons harpies
Harpy
In Greek mythology, a harpy was one of the winged spirits best known for constantly stealing all food from Phineas...
that threaten to kill her, prompting Trevor to save her instead of stopping Ares. Meanwhile, Ares performs a sacrifice to open a gate to the Underworld, where he persuades his uncle, Hades
Hades
Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
, to remove the gauntlets. Later, Diana regains consciousness and is furious that Trevor saved her rather than stop Ares. Trevor argues against her abuse with his own criticism of the Amazons' self-imposed isolation and their generalizations about men, and reveals how much he cares about her.
Ares and his army attack Washington, DC. Trevor and Diana arrive to battle Ares and are soon joined by the Amazons. While Ares manages even to summon the Amazons long dead from the Underworld to fight their own sisters, his scheme is stopped by Alexa, a member of the undead host, who reveals to Artemis a chant which nullifies Ares's control over them. The undead then turn on Ares but are destroyed by his powers; in memory of Alexa, Artemis later takes up the hobby of reading. Hippolyta faces Persephone in combat and kills her, but with her dying breath, Persephone makes the queen realize that in shutting the Amazons away from the world of men, she has denied them the chance to live as women.
Meanwhile, the President, influenced by Ares's power, orders a nuclear missile against Themyscira. This act of supreme aggression increases Ares's power, but Trevor takes the invisible jet and shoots down the missile just before it hits the island. Finally, after a brutal beating at Ares's hands, Diana finally outwits and kills him. Subsequently, Ares is condemned to the underworld to attend Hades as a slave, alongside his son.
Later on Themyscira, Hippolyta realizes that Diana misses both the outside world and Trevor, and to make her happy again, she charges her daughter to become a diplomat for the Amazons. Diana accepts and returns to the world of men, where she enjoys the company of Trevor and assumes the secret identity of Diana Prince. However, their relationship comes with the understanding of her larger duties, such as when Diana sees The Cheetah
Cheetah (comics)
The Cheetah is a fictional character, a super-villainess appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Popularly regarded as the archenemy of Wonder Woman, the Cheetah first appeared in 1943 in Wonder Woman #6 , written by Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston...
robbing a museum and she excuses herself to stop the supervillainess as Wonder Woman.
Cast
- Keri RussellKeri RussellKeri Lynn Russell is an American actress and dancer. After appearing in a number of made-for-television films and series during the mid-1990s, she came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the series Felicity, which ran from 1998 to 2002, and for which she won a Golden Globe...
as Princess Diana of Themyscira / Diana Prince / Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986.... - Nathan FillionNathan FillionNathan Fillion is a Canadian actor, currently starring as Richard Castle on the ABC series Castle. He is also known for his portrayal of the lead role of Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the television series Firefly and its feature film continuation, Serenity.He has acted in traditionally distributed...
as Steve TrevorSteve TrevorSteve Trevor is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, as the primary love interest of Wonder Woman. He first appeared in All Star Comics #8 .-Golden Age:... - Alfred MolinaAlfred MolinaAlfred Molina is a British-born American actor. He first came to public attention in the UK for his supporting role in the 1987 film Prick Up Your Ears...
as AresAres (DC Comics)Ares is a fictional character, a supervillainous God appearing in DC Comics publications and related media. Based upon the Greek mythological figure of the same name, he is the god of War and one of the major adversaries of Wonder Woman. He first appeared in Wonder Woman #1, volume 1, published in... - Rosario DawsonRosario DawsonRosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
as ArtemisArtemis of Bana-MighdallArtemis of Bana-Mighdall is a fictional Amazon superheroine, a comic book character published by DC Comics. She debuted in Wonder Woman Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is a fictional Amazon superheroine, a comic book character published by DC Comics. She debuted in Wonder Woman Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is... - Marg HelgenbergerMarg HelgenbergerMary Marg Helgenberger is an American film and television actress known for her roles as Catherine Willows in the CBS drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and as K.C...
as HeraHeraHera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her... - Oliver PlattOliver PlattOliver James Platt is a Canadian-American actor. He is currently starring in the Showtime original series, The Big C with Laura Linney.-Early life:...
as HadesHades (DC Comics)Hades is a fictional character, a god in the DC Comics universe based on the actual Hades from Greek mythology. He is primarily featured in the Wonder Woman series, alternately as a divine benefactor and enemy of the heroine.-Fictional character biography:... - Virginia MadsenVirginia MadsenVirginia Madsen is an American actress and documentary film producer. She came to fame during the 1980s, having appeared in several films aimed at a teenage audience...
as Hippolyta - Skye Arens as Little Girl
- John DiMaggioJohn DiMaggioJohn William DiMaggio is an American voice actor. A native of North Plainfield, New Jersey, he is known for his gruff, deep voice and New Jersey accent, which he uses to voice mainly villains and anti-heroes.-Filmography:...
as DeimosDeimos (mythology)In Greek mythology, Deimos was the personification of terror.He was the son of Ares and Aphrodite. He is the twin brother of Phobos and the goddess Enyo who accompanied Ares into battle, as well as his father's attendants, Trembling, Fear, Dread, and Panic...
/ Homeless Man - Julianne Grossman as Etta CandyEtta CandyEtta Candy is a fictional character from the DC Comics Wonder Woman series.-Golden Age:In her 1940s introduction, Etta Candy is a sickly malnurished woman Wonder Woman discovers at a local hospital. When next she is seen Etta is transformed into a spirited, rotund young woman who has a great love...
- Vicki LewisVicki LewisVicki Lewis is an American film, stage, television and voice actress best known for her role as Beth in the NBC sitcom NewsRadio.-Personal life:...
as Persephone - David McCallumDavid McCallumDavid Keith McCallum, Jr. is a Scottish actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as Illya Kuryakin, a Russian-born secret agent, in the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., as interdimensional operative Steel in Sapphire & Steel, and Dr...
as ZeusZeusIn the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus... - Jason MillerJason C. MillerJason Charles Miller is the lead vocalist and guitarist of the industrial rock band Godhead. He is also an actor in various anime and movies.-Biography:Miller was born in Cheverly, Maryland...
as ThraxThrax (mythology)In Greek mythology, Thrax was regarded as one of the reputed sons of Ares. In the Alcestis, Euripides mentions that one of the names of Ares himself was Thrax since he was regarded as the patron of Thrace .-Popular culture:*Thrax appears in the animated...
/ Gang Leader - Rick OvertonRick OvertonRichard "Rick" Overton is an American screenwriter, actor and comedian. His writing credits include Dennis Miller Live, and his acting credits include Willow and The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne.-Life and career:...
as Slick / The President of the United States of America - Andrea RomanoAndrea RomanoAndrea Romano is an American casting director, voice director, and voice actor, whose work includes casting, and voice directing Batman: The Animated Series, Tiny Toon Adventures, "Animaniacs", "Pinky and the Brain", Teen Titans, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and multiple Warner Bros...
as President's Adviser - Tara StrongTara StrongTara Lyn Strong is a Canadian actress, voice-over artist, singer, who is best known for her voice work in cartoons.-Early life and career:...
as Alexa - Bruce TimmBruce TimmBruce Walter Timm is an American character designer, animator and producer. He is also a writer and artist working in comics, and is known for his contributions building the modern DC Comics animated franchise, the DC animated universe.-Animation:Timm's early career in animation was varied; he...
as Attacker
Production
The film was originally advertised as having a storyline involving the Greek god Ares escaping Paradise Island in order to capture and control a mystic item called the Hand of Rage. He would then use the Hand of Rage to bring about World War III. This storyline was later dropped.The film's casting director, Andrea Romano
Andrea Romano
Andrea Romano is an American casting director, voice director, and voice actor, whose work includes casting, and voice directing Batman: The Animated Series, Tiny Toon Adventures, "Animaniacs", "Pinky and the Brain", Teen Titans, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and multiple Warner Bros...
, explained that Keri Russell's casting as Wonder Woman was partly inspired by Romano seeing Russell's performance in the film Waitress
Waitress (film)
Waitress is a 2007 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, who also appears in a supporting role. The film debuted at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and went into limited theatrical release in the US on May 2, 2007.-Plot:...
.
According to producer Bruce Timm, during post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
, many action scenes had to be edited after the first cut of the film received an R rating from the MPAA
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
.
Soundtrack
- "The Battle / Origins"
- "Sparring"
- "Ares Imprisoned"
- "Dog Fight, Part I"
- "Dog Fight, Part II"
- "Crash Landing"
- "Manhunt"
- "Let The Games Begin"
- "Persephone's Betrayal"
- "Bracelets and Arrows"
- "Computer Room"
- "Alley Thugs"
- "Deimos"
- "At The Gates Of Tartarus"
- "Cept Hemo Laudus"
- "Hades"
- "Ospedale and Ares Rally"
- "DC Battle"
- "Ares' End"
- "She Misses Him"
- "A New Nemesis"
- "Wonder Woman End Titles"
Promotion
DC Comics gave out promotional light-up tiaras to those who attended the premiere of the film at WonderConWonderCon
WonderCon is an annual comic book, science fiction, and motion picture convention, held in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1987.The convention was conceived by retailer John Barrett and originally held in the Oakland Convention Center, where it remained until 2003, when it moved to San...
2009.
Upon the DVD release of the film, DC Comics arranged for several promotional packaging concepts to be released through different vendors. Working together with Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
, they created a miniature action figure of the animated Wonder Woman that was packaged together with the 2-disc DVD sets sold through Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
's stores. Images of the animated Wonder Woman were made into sheets of temporary tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
s and packaged with the single disc DVD of the film that were sold exclusively through Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
's stores. FYE
Trans World Entertainment
Trans World Entertainment Corporation is a chain of entertainment media retail stores in the United States. It currently operates just over 440 freestanding and shopping mall-based stores under several brand names....
and Suncoast
Suncoast Motion Picture Company
Suncoast Motion Picture Company is an American chain of retail stores specializing in recorded videos, particularly movies but also carried television series. The stores have sold them in the VHS, Laser Disk, DVD, HD, and Blu-ray formats. The stores also carry various other items, including...
retail stores sold pre-orders of the DVD with a promotional film poster containing a printed autograph of the film's director Lauren Montgomery
Lauren Montgomery
Lauren Montgomery is a film animation director and storyboard artist. She is noted for her storyboard work for animated television and DVD movie features...
. The two-disc special edition DVDs sold at Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
stores included bonus Wonder Woman centric episodes from the Justice League animated series
Justice League (TV series)
Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
and its spin-off Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
, two shows produced by Bruce Timm. Borders Book Stores
Borders Group
Borders Group, Inc. was an international book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company employed approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores....
offered an exclusive "Making of Wonder Woman" booklet featuring storyboard
Storyboard
Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence....
s and character designs. Finally, a lenticular
Lenticular printing
Lenticular printing is a technology in which a lenticular lens is used to produce images with an illusion of depth, or the ability to change or move as the image is viewed from different angles...
cover was created for the DVD cover depicting Wonder Woman shifting her position, sold exclusively through Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
stores.
Reception
From its previews at WonderCon and New York Comic Con to its DVD release Wonder Woman received mostly positive reviews and has an 86% freshness rating at Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, based on 7 reviews. Harry Knowles
Harry Knowles
Harry Knowles is known for his website called Ain't It Cool News. Knowles is a member of the Austin Film Critics Association.-Biography:...
gave a positive review of Wonder Woman on his website Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News is a website founded and run by Harry Knowles, dedicated to news, rumors and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films and television projects, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic-book and action genres...
. Knowles enthusiastically lauded director Montgomery and the surprising brutality of the action scenes. Jim Vejvoda of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised the film's humor, action, and vocal performances, singling out the "perfectly cast" Fillion. Jordan Hoffman of UGO.com gave a positive review, commenting on the film's great dialogue and the mature use of post-feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
themes in relation to perceived chauvinism. Reviewing the film for Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, Josh Wigler gave a positive review, but criticized the unexplained inclusion of Diana's invisible plane
Invisible Plane
The Invisible Plane is the fictional DC Comics superheroine Wonder Woman's venerable, though now seldom-used, mode of transport. It first appeared in Sensation Comics #1 The Invisible Plane (sometimes referred to as the Invisible Jetplane, Invisible Jet, and Robot Plane) is the fictional DC Comics...
. An explanation was left out as Timm and Montgomery felt it was too convoluted and merely a pseudo-scientific explanation. The World's Finest cited a few inconsistencies but said overall it was "easily the best DC Universe Animated Original Movie title to date."
The level of violence in the film - both Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor are shown killing human adversaries in several sequences, and several beheadings in battle also occur - garnered some criticism. Chris Mautner, reviewing the film for Comic Book Resources, remarked, "It is just me or does it seem more than a bit...unnecessary?"
According to The-Numbers.com, Wonder Woman ranked #5 in DVD sales from its release of March 3 to March 8, 2009. From the total units of 106,342, it made $2,040,703 in sales.
Novelization
An adaptation of the film, entitled simply Wonder Woman, was published in January 2009 by Pocket Star Books, an imprint of Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
(ISBN 978-1-4165-9873-2). Written by S.D. Perry and Britta Dennison, the book follows the film's plot faithfully, but it omits some of the incidental violence (Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor killing guards, for example) featured in the film.
External links
- Wonder Woman at The World's Finest