Today’s quick review: Wonder Woman: Bloodlines. Diana (Rosario Dawson), an Amazon princess, leaves the hidden island of Themyscira to defend the world as Wonder Woman. Steve Trevor (Jeffrey Donovan), her government liaison, and Julia Kapatelis (Nia Vardalos), a prominent archaeologist, serve as Diana’s guides to the modern world. But over time, the friendship between Julia and Diana alienates Julia’s daughter Vanessa (Maria Avgeropoulos).
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines is an animated superhero movie based on the DC Comics character. Wonder Woman faces off against a cavalcade of villains as she tries to save Vanessa, a young woman whose jealousy of Diana has sent her down a dangerous path. The movie pits Diana against classic foes like Cheetah, Gargantua, and Doctor Poison. The action picks up steam as the movie goes on, culminating in a titanic final battle with some creative touches.
Where Bloodlines runs into trouble is with its storytelling. The movie takes a long time to get going, first working through Diana’s origins and then taking its time introducing the human cast before it finally gets around to the main plotline. The supervillain side of the plot is half-baked, with poor motivation and a weak payoff, while the personal story between Diana and Vanessa suffers from incomplete character development and baseless conflict.
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines makes for a serviceable pick for fans of the superhero genre, but its shaky story means that it’s outclassed by some of DC’s other animated offerings. Fans of the character who are just looking for some fun action will get exactly what they want. More critical viewers who want a more substantial story will want to look elsewhere.
For a more robust take on the character, try the live-action version of Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot. For another iteration on Wonder Woman’s origin story, try the animated movie of the same name. Fans of DC’s animated movies should check out Justice League: War or Death of Superman for a more polished movie in a similar vein.
5.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for good action held back by a shaky story.