Wonder Woman Blu-ray

Wonder Woman

 (2009)

Action | Animation



On the mystical island of Themyscira, a proud and fierce warrior race of Amazons have raised a daughter of untold beauty, grace and strength Princess Diana. When an Army fighter pilot, Steve Trevor, crash-lands on the island, the rebellious and headstrong Diana defies Amazonian law by accompanying Trevor back to civilization. Meanwhile, Ares (the god of War) has escaped his imprisonment at the hands of the Amazonians and has decided to exact his revenge - intending to start a world war that will not only last for centuries but will wipe out every living being on the planet, starting with the Amazons! It is up to Princess Diana to save her people and the world by using her gifts and becoming the ultimate Wonder Woman!

For more details about Wonder Woman on Blu-ray, see the Wonder Woman Blu-ray Review

Starring: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina
Director: Lauren Montgomery

Wonder Woman Blu-ray, Video Quality

 

Vibrant, stable, and crisp, Warner has given Wonder Woman an impressive 1080p/VC-1 transfer that rarely falters. Overlooking the inherent limitations of Timm's deceptively simplistic animation style, the film boasts a rich palette, bold primaries, exceedingly inky blacks, and inviting contrast. Pause the film at any point and you'll find that each shot looks as if it's been directly lifted from an issue of the comic. More importantly, detail is sharp to a fault -- the rough texture of each character's lineart is apparent throughout, backgrounds are swimming with legible text and perfectly-defined objects, and every errant stroke of the animators' pens is captured on screen.

Only a pair of minor problems hold the presentation back from perfection. Even though banding is an issue that often plagues animated productions (regardless of a transfer's technical quality), its presence here often detracts from Wonder Woman's visuals. Moreover, while the picture is generally clean, a few shots suffer from faint artifacting (watch Hades mouth when he speaks for the most obvious example). Thankfully, image clarity is fairly consistent throughout the film and, more often than not, the transfer looks great. All in all, it may not be a reference level presentation, but animation fans should nevertheless be pleased with Warner's efforts and care.

Wonder Woman Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 

Warner also delivers a strong and reliable Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track that elevates Wonder Woman above its somewhat pedestrian sound design. Dialogue is crisp, clean, and nicely prioritized across the front soundstage, LFE support lends legitimate weight to the film's various blows and explosions, and the rear speakers inject environmental ambience into Themyscira's locales and enhance the crowded roar of battle in several action sequences. Better still, dynamic range is never lacking, directionality is spot on, and the sheen and wheen of sword slashes and passing jets pierce the soundscape. Granted, the immersive qualities of the track are sometimes more akin to a televised cartoon than a feature-length film, but it's tough to fault an otherwise impressive lossless mix with such shortcomings.

If I have any real complaints, it's that the film's music is too subdued and a handful of channel pans are stocky compared to their transparent brethren (listen closely to the Lincoln Memorial battle for several examples). However, negligible nitpicks aside, Wonder Woman should readily satisfy anyone familiar with Timm's animated productions.

Wonder Woman Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Specs Revealed for Wonder Woman Blu-ray - January 9, 2009


• Wonder Woman Special Features Revealed - November 18, 2008

Wonder Woman Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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