Wonder Woman (Blu-Ray) : Review

Film

The solo story of Diana Princes / Wonder Woman Gal Gadot – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Triple 9, Furious 7) , before she becomes part of the Justice League, and the expanding DC Universe.

Rewatch value on this film is incredibly high, especially given the imminent release of Justice League, opening 17 November 2017, in South Africa. Viewers, and fans, would want to catch up before watching the next outing of the super-heroine. And seeing the film again allows for opportunities to spot all the missed references to other characters, stories, and the universe as a whole, that pass by all too quickly in a cinema. And if that’s not enough, the epic, yet fast paced battle scenes, with their cinematic splendor, are a thrill to see once more.

Still a fun film, with a great story, and one of the best films in the DC Universe, needing a lot to top this one with any other solo or ensemble movie.

Read the full SAMDB review of Wonder Woman.

Disc

Overall, the disc is of a very high technical quality, coupled with a very enjoyable film.

Wonder Woman is available now, to purchase on disc, in South Africa.

Video

Video for the main feature is encoded at a high average bitrate, and presented in 1080p at a 2.40:1 aspect ratio. There are no visible artefacts on-screen, nor is there any visible colour bleed. Colours are vibrant, where needed, and dark scenes maintain ample detail.

While video for the bonus features is encoded at a much lower average bitrate than the main feature, these are still of a good quality, but sacrifice bitrate for storage space, leaving more room for a better encoded main feature.

Audio

Audio for the main feature is encoded at a high average bitrate, and presented in Dolby Atmos. Dialogue is clear, and easy to understand, and the entire soundstage is all engulfing, as is to be expected with an Atmos soundtrack. There is ample use made of the surround channels.

Audio in the bonus features is only presented in Dolby Digital 2.0. A slight disappointment, seeing as some of the extras are actually short films, set in the DC Universe, but not too big a oversight.

Navigation

Navigation is simple, and easy to follow. The main menu has a static background, with what looks like standard template buttons. These buttons however are labelled (unlike so many other discs from Next Entertainment, where one is forced to guess the symbols.

When navigating the bonus features, each title has a tooltip with additional information about its content, providing viewers with more information about what they’re about to watch.

Bonus Features

There is a plethora of bonus material on the disc, presented for the most part, in the form of short featurettes, but with enough variety that there should be at least a few in the collection that would appeal to any type of viewer.

Epilogue: Etta’s Mission – A short video where Etta (Lucy Davis) confronts the guys who accompanied Wonder Woman on her mission, with a new mission. Of course, they’re back in the bar drinking. A short, yet humourous video, set in the DC Universe.

Crafting the Wonder – An in-depth look behind the scenes of the film, and the contributions by many people and departments on set. Interviews and input from both cast and crew, share with the viewer some gems of how the look and feel of the film came to be.

A Director’s Vision – A collection of short featurettes giving a glimpse behind the scenes of various aspects of the film, and how some of the more stand-out scenes were created.

Themyscira: The Hidden Island
A look at the location and setting where the Amazons live. Paradise Island, or Themyscira, and how the filmmakers were able to create its look, from concept art and the comic source material to how it appears on-screen in the film.

Beach Battle
From concept and storyboard, to screen, Patty Jenkins talks about the epic beach battle was put together, shooting with two different units, stunts, and mixing in visual effects. This is a behind the scenes look at one of the films most complex scenes, and certainly full of great information for views and filmmakers alike.

A Photograph Through Time
The iconic photograph that binds Wonder Woman and Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice together. This featurette shows the process used to create the actual glass image of the photo, using methods that would have been used at the time, and gives viewers an insight into the significance of the photo and how it fits into the on-screen world.

Diana In The Modern World
How Diana / Wonder Woman fits into a world that would be perceived as more modern than her island life. The humour of those scenes comes from the obvious lack of any knowledge, on her part, of things such as sexism, yet in the world that most would be used to in that time, there are so many societal norms and rules to adhere to.

The featurette looks at how the contrast is drawn between each world, and how Diana deals with those.

Wonder Woman At War
The featurette looks at the action sequence of Diana charging across the no man’s land of trench warfare. How Gal Gadot braved the cold, wet location, and pyrotechnics, in order that the filmmakers could capture some stunning action sequences. Another look at a few details behind the scene, and most certainly of interest to viewers and filmmakers alike to see the setting and detailed production design.

Warriors of Wonder Woman – The creation of the Amazon Army, the training involved in creating this army of females, who both look tough, and perform the physical feats needed of their characters.

The featurette shows a lot of behind the scenes footage of training, with input from many of the ladies involved. Viewers are treated to not just footage of hard work, but some of the fun had in preparation too.

The Trinity – A feature showing how Wonder Woman stands at the same level as both Batman and Superman, from the DC Universe. Comparing the origins and upbringing of each character, how each fits into the world, and how a female character of a powerful warrior holds her own in the Justice League.

A lot of character background, and history, are divulged to the viewer, both about the DC Universe as a whole, and each respective character, focusing of course, on Wonder Woman herself. A very interesting look at the character, and a feature of great information and entertainment value.

The Wonder Behind the Camera – A film directed by a woman, and a story told from a female perspective, at a time where gender equality and harassment are at the fore in media and public discussion. This feature highlights those women, and what they bring to the film, and what this means to the gender as a whole.

Finding the Wonder Woman Within – A collection of performances by award winning poets, and those inspired by the strength they get from the iconic character of Wonder Woman.

Many of those in this feature explain what the film and character mean to them. It also takes a look at what it all means to people, a look at the character of Wonder Woman herself and what she represents to others.

Not just entertainment value here, but a message to all, and is sure to strike a chord with any viewer, on several levels.

Extended Scenes – Five extended versions of scenes from the film, including Boat Conversation, Selfridges Shopping, Parliament Steps, Morning at the Train Station, and Charlie Never Sleeps. Sure to be of interest to filmmakers, and the casual viewer, alike.

Alternate Scene: Walk to No Man’s Land – A different version of the scene to No Man’s Land to the one that made the film’s final edit.

Blooper Reel – A short clip with a few of the outtakes from the film, with some of the on-camera mistakes, mishaps, and some fun had by the cast. A few minutes with a few laughs.

 

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb