1) Wonder Woman (2009)
Fans had a geekgasm when Warner Bros. confirmed that a big screen Justice League movie was finally in the works, but the most important film on the schedule is undoubtedly Wonder Woman. For decades, movie adaptations of the Amazonian Princess have languished in development hell as studios failed to get to grips with this iconic heroine. Confirmation of a solo Wonder Woman live-action movie is a huge step forward for equality in superhero films and Hollywood in general, although if handled poorly, the movie could take us back to the dark ages of Catwoman and Elektra...
Fortunately, Warner Bros. already have the perfect blueprint to follow in the form of their Wonder Woman animationthat the company released back in 2009. Literally, if the studio just took their direct-to-video feature and recreated it shot for shot, we would have the perfect Wonder Woman movie. Obviously, that’s not going to happen, but DC need to look carefully at how director Lauren Montgomery handled the mythical origins of the Amazonian Princess in a believable way that modern audiences could not only accept, but outright embrace.
Origin stories tend to be dull due to the amount of exposition involved, but Wonder Woman is engrossing from start to finish, packed with bloody fight scenes that push the limits of what a PG-13 animation can allow. Even better than that though is the characterization felt spot on. Keri Russell excels in the title role and fan favorite Nathan Fillion is both hilarious and engaging as her love interest, Steve Trevor. What truly marks Wonder Woman out as special though is that it tells a classic superhero story without neglecting the fact that Diana is indeed a woman, exploring important feminist issues without forcing them down the audiences throat.
Unfortunately, Wonder Woman was not as popular as the Batman and Superman animations released around the same time, causing the company to fall back on their male heroes, but the story of Diana’s first encounter with the modern world should appeal to all audiences equally. Anyone who overlooks this underrated gem based on the gender of its protagonist is missing out on one of the best superhero stories ever told in any medium. Warner Bros. have a lot to live up to with this one…
Tell us, did we miss any of your favorite DC animated movies? And are you looking forward to the upcoming Justice League: Throne of Atlantis animation? Sound off in the comments section below!
