tavm Review of The New Original Wonder Woman

The New Original Wonder Woman (1975 TV Movie)

"The New Original Wonder Woman" was a pretty good start of the iconic "Wonder Woman" series starring Lynda Carter

[6/10 · 29 July 2011]

Having just watched Captain America: The First Avenger, I decided to watch another movie about a superhero that was set during World War II. That was this pilot for the Wonder Woman TV series that starred Lynda Carter. I only remember parts of this when it first aired on ABC in 1975 like those bracelets that kept those bullets out of her way or the first time that invisible jet was shown (having previously known about her and that jet from the animated "Superfriends" TV show). Seeing it now, it's not bad but while that fight between her and villain Stella Stevens was pretty exciting, it didn't have enough "punch" for me to really get into it like many of today's superhero movies. At least writer Stanley Ralph Ross learned his lesson-having previously done that awful WW pilot for William Dozier in the late '60s-and stayed more true to her origin this time around. Besides Ms. Stevens, I also liked the turns by Kenneth Mars, Henry Gibson, and especially Red Buttons as an agent wanting Wonder Woman's services for theatrical exhibition but turns out...oh, watch the movie. Oh, and Lyle Waggoner is fine as the love interest Major Steve Trevor and John Randolph is okay as his boss General Phil Blankenship as well as Cloris Leachman as Diana Prince's mother Queen Hippolyta though the last two would be replaced by other actors. Of the Paradise Island sequence, the only problem I had with that one was the competition montage which is sooooo slow and meandering. Of course, Ms. Carter is stunning throughout and provides great charm as the title character. She's the one who makes even the most boring scenes shine. So on that note, "The New Original Wonder Woman" (so called because of the previous year's Wonder Woman TV movie starring Kathy Lee Crosby that aired) is worth a look. P.S. It was a nice surprise to find out that the female taxi cab driver here was played by Anne Ramsey, later of The Goonies and Throw Mama from the Train fame.