The New Original Wonder Woman

After the failure of the first pilot starring Cathy Lee Crosby, ABC makes another attempt to bring Wonder Woman to the screen, but this time with a script as faithful to the comic as possible. Lynda Carter looks great in the Wonder Woman costume. The story is extremely funny. Already from the colorful presentation of comic-style cartoons and the powerful musical theme, the production tells us that we are about to see a cartoon with real actors. It is evident that the production still did not know very well what the path to follow was and they leaned towards a product in the style of Batman 1966, presenting rather clumsy Nazis and some absurd and even ridiculous lines that luckily they corrected quickly in the subsequent development of the film. Series and was given a more serious tone. Despite that, the pilot is an excellent and fun start to the adventure.

When Wonder Woman first appeared in the comics in 1941, her adventures at times seemed to resemble more of a Three Stooges adventure than an action hero, considering all the cartoonish and stereotyped villains she battled. That's what this film is like. It's interesting to see a comedic actor like Henry Gibson (from TV's Laugh-In) playing a Nazi who attaches messages to the legs of carrier pigeons. He's got to be the shortest Nazi I've ever seen! Also watch for Red Buttons, playing an undercover Nazi spy, yell "Heil Hitler!" into the phone with absolutely no trace of a German accent. Despite her history of comedy films, Cloris Leachman does an acceptable job in the role of Queen Hippolyte. The real star, of course, is Lynda Carter wearing that tight-fitting costume. Watch her shake her booty!!! I got a videotape of the movie from a guy in New York named G. Cocchiola. You can e-mail him at basestar1@aol.com

That said, if you're looking for tongue-in-cheek comic book fun, ala the 1966 Batman film with Adam West, this one is for you.

Considering that it's budget was miniscule compared to the Superman and Batman films, this TV movie is fun from the get-go. It is true to the spirit and tone of the 1940s comic, has a great supporting cast and, of course, Lynda Carter. Yes, it's campy at times, but it's in good fun. Cloris Leachman is not exactly Hippolyta, the warrior queen, but she has her fine moments too, especially when her masked daughter wins the tournament.

Now this movie is true to the Wonder Woman of the comics! Wonderfully made & written, casting was superb! Lynda Carter really does justice to the Wonder Woman role, and the supporting cast members were also wonderful. I highly recommend searching for this one to watch!

This is the pilot film to the popular ABC (and later CBS) TV series about the world's greatest superherione. Although some aspects of this film are dated, it's still a lot of fun and holds up quite nicely. In my opinion, it's probably the best comic book adaption ever made for television.

Lynda Carter may not ever be considered the best actress in the world, but that's just fine. She is simply amazing as Wonder Woman, bringing the perfect mix of warmth, sensitivity, and innocence to the role. I can't imagine anyone but the fabulous Lynda in the title role. Whoever lands the lead in the new WONDER WOMAN movie has some pretty big boots to fill.

The rest of the cast is also very good, Lyle Waggoner is especially charismatic and likeable as Steve Trevor. The production values are high, but some of the special effects naturally look dated. However the "bullets and bracelets" trick still looks impressive.

WONDER WOMAN is guaranteed to delight even the most harden cynics. Lynda Carter's heart-felt performance will easily win you over. My score: 8 out of 10 (the highest I've ever given a made for TV film)!