SYNOPSIS: In Wonder Woman: Bloodlines, Amazon princess Diana of Themyscira chooses to save fighter pilot Steve Trevor and return him to his home in America – setting in motion one of Wonder Woman’s most captivating chapters. Fulfilling the role of both ambassador as well as protector, Diana soon earns the name Wonder Woman from the gracious people of Earth. Equally strong in body, heart and will, she makes it her mission to help a troubled young girl enlisted by a deadly organization known as Villainy, Inc., whose criminal members have their sights set on invading Themyscira, Diana’s paradise home. Prepare for a thrilling quest packed with brutal battles, mysterious mythology and endless wonder!
Full disclosure: my Wonder Woman knowledge is minimum. Outside of Gal Gadot’s films, these DCAU movies, and some of the REBIRTH titles, I don’t know much about the character.
So, I was viewing WONDER WOMAN: BLOODLINES with general audience eyes. And it still worked.
The latest product of these DC animated films is a bit of an origin story for Princess Diana. We get a new retelling of Steve Trevor’s arrival on Themyscira, how/why they leave, and ultimately how she gets her costume. It’s similar, yet different, from what we all know (when you see it, you’ll know what I mean).
The crux of the story comes in the title’s subline, “Bloodlines.”
Diana’s host family in the U.S. plays an important role in her formation to the hero we know, as well as the motivation for a future villain. It works well, and is the emotional arc of the movie.
Speaking of villains, this movie was a blast given the amount we get. I won’t list them off here, but we get quite a few and none of them feel overstuffed or forced. The only “issue” I had was how they had to be called at every arrival. Minor (and I mean minor) quibble, but not a big deal. The fights between Wonder Woman and her villains were top-notch action and a little visceral. I dug it.
The voice cast also stood out quite nicely. Rosario Dawson, no stranger to the comic book world (past DC animated movies, DAREDEVIL, THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE) lends her voice to the lead character once again. She speaks elegantly, providing a glowing and enlightening aura around the hero. Jeffrey Donovan (BURN NOTICE) stood out to me as Steve Trevor. He provided some funny, quippy humor that was a nice surprise throughout the movie. The rest of the voice cast was also great, but the two leads were definitely the standouts.
Overall, another successful addition to the DC animated movie line. BLOODLINES was originally going to whet our appetites for WONDER WOMAN 1984, when it first had a November 2019 release. But for now, it will have to satisfy us until the Princess returns to the big screen.
Given this movie’s quality, start the countdown to June 2020. – Ryan Lower
