DVD: Wonder Woman
Reviewed by: Samantha Keogh
Review made possible by: Time New Media
While you may expect this to be another tried and tested superhero film, you would be wrong.
This is so much better and far more realistic, despite being based on a comic book character.
Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana – princess of the Amazons – and trained to be an unconquerable warrior.
As the daughter of Queen Hippolyta, Diana was raised on the hidden island of Themyscira, home to the Amazonian warrior women created by Zeus to protect mankind.
Her first taste of the outside world comes when she rescues an American pilot, Steve, who tells her about the massive conflict that’s raging in the outside world – World War I.
Steve reveals he is an allied spy who has stolen a notebook belonging to Spanish chief chemist Isabel Maru, who is attempting to engineer a deadlier form of mustard gas under the orders of General Erich Ludendorff.
Believing Ares is responsible for the war, and convinced she can kill him and bring the war to an end, Diana leaves the island for the first time to save the world.
Their mission starts in London where they deliver Maru’s notebook to the Supreme War Council.
Having translated the book, Diana reveals the Germans’ plan to release the deadly gas at the war front. Steve, Diana, spy Sameer, marksman Charlie, and smuggler Chief set off to find the location of the gas and bring the war to a close.
When the team reaches the Western Front in Belgium, they are halted by enemy lines.
In order not to be thwarted, Diana single-handedly pushes back the enemy line to enable the allied forces to liberate the village of Veld before going on to find the location of the gas which must be destroyed before a bomb can be dropped over London.
It is during this mission that Diana comes face-to-face with Ludendorf, the man she believes to be Ares, and kills him only to discover his death does not end the war.
It is then she discovers Ares’ true identity and must make a decision between following the path of good or evil.
While the movie plays to the common ideals of good and evil seen in all superhero comics, the setting of this movie makes for a far more interesting and believable film than most movies of this genre.
If you’re a superhero fan looking for something to watch over the holidays, I would recommend adding this to your Christmas DVD wishlist.
Who knows, if you’ve been good this year, Santa may just add it to your stocking.
