Film

Wonder Woman

Other titles called Wonder Woman: the 1975 series (CBS), the 2017 film.

A sleek animated origin story that strips Wonder Woman down to her essence: an idealistic warrior meeting the modern world for the first time. Brisk, gorgeously drawn, and surprisingly emotional beneath the action. For anyone who wants Diana's arc without the baggage, or who simply loves mythological superhero storytelling done well.

TMDb rating3.6

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like animated superhero films that lean into myth, sisterly rivalry and a bit of swashbuckling charm, and you don't mind a cartoon look that's more storybook than slick.

Skip it if you want modern, stylish animation or a dense, grown-up plot, since this 74-minute direct-to-video feel is brisk, simple and aimed squarely at younger viewers.

What it asks of you: Little of you: it's short, moves briskly through its set pieces, and stays light in tone, so you can give it your full attention in one sitting without much effort.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Superman: The Animated Series1996

The gold standard of animated superhero storytelling: smart, moving, visually inventive. It proves an animated cape can carry genuine weight and moral complexity without needing live action to feel substantial.

But It's a series, not a movie, so committing means real time. The early '90s animation style might feel dated if you're used to modern CG.

Superman: The Animated Series poster

Fury2014

A warrior confronts her own capacity for violence in a war scenario. Raw, unflinching, and explores the same tension between idealism and brutal reality that makes Diana's journey compelling.

But It's viscerally graphic and deeply grim. There's no heroic catharsis here, just survival and the cost of it.

Fury poster

Thor2011

A mythologically-grounded hero arrives in the modern world, fish-out-of-water comedy meets genuine stakes. Loki is a masterclass in villainy, and the fish-out-of-water beats land exactly.

But The script sometimes confuses bombast with depth. You're watching a popcorn film that knows what it is, which is great until you want more.

Thor poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Wonder Woman

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Persepolis2007

Both follow a young woman's awakening to the world outside her isolated existence, tracing how belief gets tested by contact with reality.

An animated coming-of-age about a girl discovering who she is amid forces beyond her control. Like Wonder Woman, it's about idealism meeting reality—but it's a memoir of revolution, not myth. Stunning black-and-white rotoscope animation and devastating emotional honesty.

But It's in a completely different visual language and much quieter. Heavy themes about exile, family, and lost home. Not an action film.

Persepolis poster
More like this (7)

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox2013

DC animated films at their best: thematically rich, visually stunning, and unafraid to let heroes fail. Dark without becoming nihilistic; serious without losing character.

But It assumes some DC knowledge and gets dense with timeline mythology. The ending will wreck you if you're not prepared for real consequences.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox poster

Hercules1997

A more comedic take on mythology meeting the modern world, but grounded in genuine emotion about parentage, identity, and belonging. Phil is one of Disney's best mentors.

But The Meg subplot drags. It's a Disney film trying to be grittier than Disney films are comfortable being, which creates tonal whiplash.

Hercules poster

Marvel's Agent Carter2015

A brilliant soldier-turned-spy in post-war chaos. Peggy's competence, humor, and quiet authority make her feel like Diana's closest live-action cousin. Every episode earns its place.

But Cancelled after two seasons. You'll get attached and then it ends, and you'll want more that doesn't exist.

Marvel's Agent Carter poster

Conan the Barbarian1982

A warrior origin story with unexpected poetry. Milius treats sword-and-sorcery as genuinely mythic. The training montage and the Valeria subplot show how to do this material with respect.

But Arnold's accent and line delivery can pull you out. It's slower and more meditative than you might expect from a barbarian film.

Conan the Barbarian poster

Xena: Warrior Princess1995

A warrior woman learning to use her power for good instead of conquest. Cheesy, earnest, and surprisingly interested in redemption and found family. Pure joy.

But The production values are TV-1990s, and the tone lurches between camp and genuine emotion. It requires meeting the show on its own weird wavelength.

Xena: Warrior Princess poster

Castlevania: Nocturne2023

Both are animated mythological action stories that refuse to make their heroes simple—they're driven by conviction but haunted by what that conviction costs.

Gorgeous hand-drawn animation meeting dark fantasy and genuine character work. The fight choreography is balletic. It treats its mythology seriously and builds real emotional stakes alongside spectacle.

But It's quite violent and sexually explicit. The pacing builds slow in early episodes. And it's a series, not a movie.

Castlevania: Nocturne poster

The Road to El Dorado2000

Both feature an outsider arriving in a place of ancient power and learning the truth beneath myth. Both quietly interrogate what it means to use strength for good.

Two con artists stumble into a mythical city. Gorgeous hand-painted animation, sharper comedy than you'd expect, and a surprisingly thoughtful take on colonialism and idealism meeting indigenous wisdom. Criminally underrated.

But DreamWorks animation from 2000, so it's very of its era. The comedy is sometimes broad. It's lighter than Wonder Woman, which might feel like a tonal step down.

The Road to El Dorado poster

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Recommended by

Justice League, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, All Star Superman, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, Batgirl: Year One, Justice League: Doom, Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part One, Superman vs. The Elite, Justice League vs. the Fatal Five