Wonder Woman – 4K UHD and 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, her life is changed when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world. Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.

DC comics has had a string of movies that just haven’t appealed to audiences like the Marvel franchise has. That said, Wonder Woman is actually quite good and entertaining. The storyline is simple, the acting first rate and the blend of action, humor and suspense is just right. Where Batman v. Superman was a bit more dower thematically and sluggishly paced, WW moves right along and lays enough groundwork that you feel you know the heroine enough to care about her future.

I know that much has been made about the female director, but the movie does not push a feminist agenda or call attention to itself. Pine plays his male role well, too. He has a cocky sense of self bravado, yet feels just insecure enough that you can relate to him as well. The evil villain was a bit of a letdown for me, but golly…there are German soldiers with machine guns! Is this movie just a setup for the Justice League Movie? Sure, but at least it brings a sense of fun and uplift that the other DC movies could not achieve. Here’s hoping for the best when JL hits the theaters.

Despite a 2K DI, this film looks very good with some tremendous specular highlights from gleaming metal and Maxfield Parrish type sunsets. Contrasts are excellent with deep inky black shadows and dazzling whites provided by starched blouses. Skin tones and details of hair stubble or wrinkles are wonderfully etched. The WCG provides for rich reds and blues in costumes. The BD version shows the German uniforms to be greyish, but the UHD version portrays them as a drab olive green. Some of the CGI (usually done in 2K) looks a bit fake, like during the aerial bombing sequence, but overall, the special effects are good looking.

Sound is dynamic and clear with excellent coverage of dialog, even during the loud action scenes. Lots of deep bass is presented for your sub. You won’t fall asleep during the action sequences.

The 3D presentation of Wonder Woman was excellent. I particularly enjoyed the opening sequence that sweeps through the clouds down through Paris into the Louvre. The depth adds to the experience. This is also particularly true of the fight sequences that use the slow-down technique with the sweeping camera, such as in the training scene. They are made for the additional space created by the 3D frame. Of course, the climactic battle featuring supernatural aerial acrobatics and huge fiery explosions almost always looks better in 3D. However, I would also point out that even the most basic scenes were crisp, clean, and benefitted from 3D. I definitely recommend this version unless 3D is simply not enjoyable to you.

Besides the BD disc; Epilog: Etta’s Mission, Crafting the Wonder, A Director’s Vision, Warriors of Wonder Woman, The Trinity (WW, Batman and Superman), Extended Scenes and a Blooper Reel. There are a lot to these extras, so be prepared to sit long after the actual film is over.