TVSquad

If this direct-to-DVD animated movie wasn't written by Joss Whedon (and according to the credits, it wasn't), it was certainly inspired by him. I cannot help but wonder after seeing an advance preview of this animated movie if this is how the failed Wonder Woman motion picture would have turned out.

(Speaking of Joss Whedon, those who caught the screening at the New York Comic Con, like me, were lucky enough to see a pre-recorded intro by Nathan Fillion, who voices Steve Trevor in the film. He said he would have loved to be here but he was busy filming Serenity 2. He then said he was kidding. I then threw my shoe at the screen.)

If this movie had a rating, it would be PG-13. There was tremendous violence and blood and even a bit of Amazon skin (but the naughty bits were obscured a la Austin Powers). There was also a lot of snappy patter between the characters which cleverly disguised some philosophical dialogue about modern relationship issues between the sexes.

The plot is standard Wonder Woman lore: the Amazons are a tribe of Greek women who were subjugated by men and decided to live in their own, hidden world called Paradise Island. While there, Queen Hippolyta decided to have a child, so she fashioned one out of clay which the Greek Gods gave life unto. She called her daughter Diana. In a series of startling coincidences, a U.S. pilot named Steve Trevor crash-lands his plane on the island and there is a competition between the Amazons to see who gets to return him and act as ambassador to the outside world. Diana wins and is given the armor and lasso of Wonder Woman.

I'm oversimplifying. They cram a lot into 74 minutes, and certain questions are glossed over. How do the Amazons speak perfect English? Shouldn't they be speaking ancient Greek? Also, how did they make the invisible jet? I know they patterned it after Steve Trevor's plane, but that little fact wasn't really explored in any depth.

There are minor differences from comics continuity such as the character of Etta Candy and the fact that all the Amazons seem to possess Diana's abilities, but what the hey. There are also a few plot holes, but the overall product is fun and well worth watching and, quite possibly, buying. It's easily the best-written movie to come from DC's animation studios so far.