At this point, DC's animated direct-to-video offerings are either something you love or can happily live without. The current era of "New 52" inspired storytelling continues with
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines and while it's unlikely to convert this shared world's detractors, it might just be essential viewing for fans of the Amazon warrior. Playing like a "greatest hits" of sorts for those of you who have followed Diana Prince's comic book adventures, there's a lot to appreciate here, including plenty of exciting new takes on classic villains like Cheetah, Doctor Poison, and Silver Swan.
After an opening which essentially rehashes Diana's first meeting with Steve Trevor from the 2017 live-action movie, things do take a while to get going but get through the muddled and overly busy first act and you'll be rewarded with a fun, action-packed adventure. The story is relatively simple and there are no major surprises in terms of how things play out but the characters anchor this tale and help make it a rewarding watch.
Jeffrey Donovan is a highlight as Steve Trevor and the actor brings a lot of humour to the role. Rosario Dawson, meanwhile, continues to excel as this confident still yet vulnerable Wonder Woman and she's quickly making the role her own.
Orange is the New Black standout Adrienne C. Moore doesn't quite inject enough life into Etta Candy but we get an exciting new take on the character here and her becoming a recurring presence in these movies would be no bad thing. As with any animated movie, some
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines cast members bring more to the table than others but the ensemble is a strong one for the most part. It's the score that mostly lets things down, though, as it doesn't do what we see on screen justice.
With a badass Diana Prince and some stellar action sequences which are among the best we've seen in a DC animated movie (the final battle is hard to tear your eyes away from), this is essential viewing for fans of the character and an enjoyable ride for everyone else. However, if you're unfamiliar with the character's rogues, much of what you see here could be lost on you, while hardcore fans are bound to have something to say about the way certain villains are portrayed. Despite a few liberties with the source material, though, it's clear that a lot of love has gone into this long overdue solo outing for Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, a disappointing start and a by the numbers story that is rescued by a strong cast of characters and a few clever moments means that the movie isn't quite the definitive animated adventure starring the DC Comics icon we hoped for.
Stellar action scenes and strong character work make Wonder Woman: Bloodlines a must-see but a better story would have helped place this latest DC animated movie among some of the studio's truly classic efforts.
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines is released on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday, October 21st!