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Reviews - Commemorative Edition Blu-ray

Packaging

Street Date: Digital - May 2nd, 2017; Blu-ray/DVD - May 16th, 2017
Languages: English
Subtitles: English, French
Run Time: 74
Rating: PG-13
Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio - 1.78 Widescreen [16:9 Transfer]
1080p, VC-1 Encoded

Sound Quality:
Dolby TrueHD: English 5.1
Dolby Digital: English 5.1
Special Features:
  • Featurette – What Makes A Wonder Woman: For 75 years, Wonder Woman has resonated with audiences because of her loving nature and quest for truth. Hear some of her biggest fans and fellow creators discuss how her qualities have crafted her into the icon we know today.
  • Sneak Peek – Batman and Harley Quinn: Sneak peek at the next DC Universe Original Movie, Batman and Harley Quinn, featuring the talented filmmakers and voice cast.
  • Creative Team Commentary: Scene and film analysis by producers Bruce Timm & Gregory Noveck, director Lauren Montgomery and screenwriter Michael Jelenic.
  • Featurette – Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream – A definitive look at a psychologist’s dream, and the rich history of one of the pillars of DC Comics.
  • Featurette – Wonder Woman: Daughter of Myth – This revealing documentary explores the archetype and tradition of the female DC Comics Super Hero.

    Synopsis: 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!

    Review by James Harvey

    With the live-action Wonder Woman movie finally here, and the ongoing 75th anniversary celebration of the character, it makes sense for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment to flood the home video market with as much of the Amazon Warrior as we can take. And while it wasn't entirely a surprise, it is great to see the 2009 Wonder Woman animated feature back on the shelves with a snazzy new home video release (featuring awesome new package art) when interest in the character is at an all-time high. The question is, though, is the new Wonder Woman: Commemorative Edition a worthwhile purchase?

    To be brief, the Wonder Woman animated feature is fantastic. Not perfect, no, but nearly so. Great action, a good plot and fantastic character work, it's a romp that's sure to please most Wonder Woman fans. It's fun, fast-paced, littered with great comedic bits and really great animation. Now, The World's Finest originally reviewed this movie back in 2009, so feel free to click here to read those reviews. Having just revisited the feature, Wonder Woman still holds up an a movie that fans of the character really, really should have in their collection.

    Now, in terms of the new home media release from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, this is where things can get a little tricky. Looking first at the video and audio quality, surprisingly, nothing has changed from the original 2009 release. The video presentation for Wonder Woman: Commemorative Edition appears to be the same as the original 2009 Wonder Woman Blu-ray release. Ideally Warner Bros. Home Entertainment would've offered a new transfer, but it seems like they've instead opted to use the previous transfer, but it's easy to understand why. The VC-1 codec transfer on the 2009 release was fantastic and was absolutely amazing and, honestly, it still holds up.

    In terms of audio, the soundtrack is upped from the 2009 release's Dolby TrueHD to DTS-HD MA, and Wonder Woman: Commemorative Edition tosses in some additional Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks. As with the previous Wonder Woman Blu-ray, the movie sounds just stellar in every regard. Crisp, loud and bombastic during the action beats, but also perfectly clear during the quieter moments. It hits a great balance and sounds spectacular. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment rarely disappoints when it comes to creating a great audio transfer.

    Moving on to the Wonder Woman: Commemorative Edition bonus content, there's some new material here for fans to check out, but it might not be enough to sway some to pick up this new release. The most notable new feature included here is a 10-minute "What Makes a Wonder Woman" featurette. The likes of Wonder Woman director Lauren Montgomery, live-action Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, the live-action Wonder Woman herself - Gal Gadot, and a handful of others discuss the history of the character and why she endures. Overall, it's an interesting watch with some informative bits, but not the type of in-depth stuff most viewers are looking for. After that, the remaining new content is the "A Sneak Peek at Batman and Harley Quinn" preview (the same one included on the Teen Titans: The Judas Contract home media release) and some trailers for other DC Comics related movies. That's it and all.

    This release also carries over content from the original 2009 release, specifically a commentary and two featurettes. Both running roughly 25 minutes in total, Both "Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream" and "Wonder Woman: Daughter of Myth" touch upon the roots of the character and the mythology of which she is based. The documentaries focus on the interesting comic book origin of Wonder Woman, how she came to be, and how her influence has lasted for generations. Looking into the myth behind the character also results in some pretty interesting facts being uncovered, including the discovery of a group of mummified women with traits similar to that of the Amazons. Interesting stuff that's worth a look.

    Also ported over is the awesome original commentary track, featuring the likes of Montgomery, former DC Comics staffer Gregory Noveck, Producer Bruce Timm and Writer Michael Jelenic. It's a really enjoyable track as Noveck and Timm take the lead for the bulk of the teack, with Montgomery and Jelenic occasionally chiming in to share their thoughts on the project. Both Jelenic and Montgomery briefly talk about abandoned ideas from the movie and some of the edits made to the feature, including the reduction of blood. The track manages to cover nearly every aspect of the film's production and is a great extra. The discussion over the film's violence content is noteworthy given that, just recently, this film was resubmitted to the MPAA in the hopes that the original R-rated cut could now nab a PG-13 rating. Unfortunately, that didn't come to pass and, for the time being, the more violent R-rated cut will remain unseen by fans. Maybe an "unrated edition" is still possible in the future, as it's something fans would definitely like to see.

    Just to note, content not carried over from the 2009 release include the Green Lantern: First Flight sneak peek, four bonus Justice League/Justice League Unlimited episodes ("Paradise Lost," Parts 1 and 2, "Hawk and Dove" and "To Another Shore"), and the Wonder Woman, Batman: Gotham Knight and Justice League: The New Frontier sneak peeks.

    Wonder Woman: Commemorative Edition is definitely a great purchase for those looking to pick up this movie for the first time. In addition to the fantastic main feature, the audio/video quality is great and the bonus content included is solid. However, for those who own the 2009 edition of Wonder Woman, it really depends. The package art is very attractive and the new content, while light, is worth watching, but doesn't cover any real new ground save to work in the live-action Wonder Woman movie a shade. Some fans may not find it a worthwhile purchase, as the small amount of new bonus content will definitely be a turn-off. Personally, it's a worthwhile addition - whether you own the original 2009 release or not - and it comes Recommended, but with reservations.

    Wonder Woman: Commemorative Edition is now available to own on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided a copy of the Blu-ray to review.

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