The New Original Wonder Woman (1975 TV Movie) User Reviews

"Women are the wave of the future, and sisterhood is stronger than anything!"

[bensonmum2 · 7/10 · 20 February 2005]

• During a dogfight with a Nazi plane, Major Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner) is shot down over the Bermuda Triangle. He is rescued by the all-female inhabitants of the uncharted Paradise Island. Escorting Trevor back to the U.S., Princess Diana (Lynda Carter) stays to do whatever she can as Wonder Woman to help the Allies defeat the Nazis. She is soon up to her bracelets in a Nazi plot to bomb the U.S. mainland.

• The New Original Wonder Woman was the pilot movie for the television show. I'll admit upfront that this is hardly award winning material. But, that's not the point. It's a helluva lot of fun. It's a campy, cheese filled good time. Don't watch this movie expecting a tension filled WWII drama. Instead, the movie presents a whole cast of bumbling Nazi's for Wonder Woman to thwart.

• One of the things that makes the movie work for me is the cast. For the most part, both Lynda Carter and Lyle Waggoner play their characters with a straight face. But there is a hint of playfulness that's infectious. When you consider that this was the first movie that Carter had ever starred in, it's amazing that she was able to pull-off the character of Wonder Woman.

• The New Original Wonder Woman is definitely a product of its time. Television shows have become so serious that something as cheesy and fun as this just wouldn't fly next to shows like CSI and Law and Order. But, in the 70s, Wonder Woman and Lynda Carter were nothing short of cultural phenomenons. Everything about the show (the costume, the bullets and bracelets trick, the golden lasso, the "spin", etc.) is ingrained into anyone who grew up with it.

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

[tavm · 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.

Campy Rip-Roaring '70's Fun.

[P3n-E-W1s3 · 7/10 · 19 July 2017]

Back in the days of my youth the comic books and their relevant television shows were lighter in emotion and humour and were aimed at the youth market. These programs usually aired between six and eight in the evening. And I will hasten to say was better for it. Though there were adult matters expressed in the story there were watered down so we had good family entertainment. Something I think the DC Universe is missing at the moment.

And at the top of the pile of superhero shows on offer was Wonder Woman. I was happy to watch the pilot movie once again and it brought a smile to my face once more. There are some cringe-worthy moments in the show. For example the Amazon's view of men, which today doesn't ring so true as it's not just men who commit evil and atrocious deeds. Then there's the invisible plane. I loved the concept of the plane, though you can see Wonder Woman in the pilot seat; it's more like a plane of glass than invisible. As a kid I saw nothing wrong with it now with adult eyes I see it for what it is and though it makes me laugh it still fills me with nostalgia.

However, the story pretty much sticks to the Origin Story that was in the comic books at that time, before the Greek Gods became involved in the Wonder Woman Mythos. Steve Trevor (ace pilot) crashes in the Bermuda Triangle while engaged in a dog battle with a German pilot. He is found by Diana on Paradise Island (no Thymiscira at this point in history) and his wounds are tended to until he is well enough to travel. Queen Hippolyta decides he needs to leave the island as soon as possible, to keep the island and its inhabitants secret from man and the outside world. She then holds a "games" where the winner will be charged with returning Steve Trevor back to his life and to make sure he is well. Diana, in disguise, takes part in the games and wins. When she drops off Trevor at the hospital she finds herself pitted against the Germans and their scheme to bomb a secret base in the heart of Washington DC.

The way that Leonard Horn directs this story is to keep it light, full of humour, and to make it resemble a live-action-comic along with dialogue boxes. This makes it a rip-roaringly-enjoyably movie to watch. Horn is also great at using differing camera angles to help with the fight scene's and to create more believable Wonder Woman effects as well as give interest to the viewer. This is one well-crafted movie.

As for the cast; I totally forgot how good an actress Lynda Carter is. There's a reason why she made this role hers and why she will be remembered fondly for it and it's not because she fit the costume so beautifully, it's that she actually brought the character to life and made her appear realistic and believable, even in the face of some absurd lines and, at times, goofy story telling. Lynda Carter will always be Wonder Woman for me. Lyle Waggoner is perfect as Steve Trevor, who has just the right amount of ego and charm for the character. This is a guy you can believe has a girl in EVERY port. The other surprise in this pilot movie is Red Buttons as Ashley Norman. He pulls the character off perfectly. However, it's John Randolf as General Blankenship that start to let the film down a little as his character is more like a jovial uncle rather than a General. Then there's Stella Steven, who fluctuates between being really good and really wooden. It really is a strange thing to witness and does hinder the film as it breaks the link between movie and viewer. Though, besides Lynda Carter, my favourite actor and his character in the movie is Nikolas who is portrayed brilliantly by Henry Gibson. His portrayal of a faithful German Soldier come Butler come American Spy is well crafted and so funny to boot.

There are some faults in this version, though for me, they are all forgivable as the movie is such good fun to watch. I would recommend this to everyone as it may just put a smile on your face as it did mine. Well worth a watch.

Great Fun!

[MAX80 · 6 November 1999]

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)!

all about campy and cheesy moments

[trashgang · 7/10 · 13 January 2013]

I remember the time as a child watching Dukes Of Hazard, Space 1999 and the most closely to Wonder Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, although The Bionic Woman is closest. Were as the Six Million Dollar Man is still believable and watchable it becomes really fast clear that this was a low budget series based on old comics and even filmed in comic style but with a lot of cheesy and campy moments.

But the pilot starts rather good with some real footage of WOII and especially on the part of the Nazis. It becomes clear that the Nazis want to destroy a hangar full of new techniques. But the US army picks up what is going to happen and sends out Steve Trevor to destroy the German bomber. But things go wrong in the first campy moments (Germans speaking English and explaining let's talk English so no German can understand our secret mission). and Steve crashlands on an uncharted island in the Bermuda triangle. An island full of women. But the queen wants to send Steve back to the US asap because otherwise the females could fall in love and could have sex. Guess who has to take Steve back, Wonder Women, in her (cheesy) invisible airplane.

The score makes it all watchable but it's more a big laughter due the fight scene's and the way the story goes but cult classic, don't get me wrong. No high tec here to see or special effects. Pure old school entertainment.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 1/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5

The Definitive Wonder Woman

[Plymouth-58 · 9/10 · 12 November 1999]

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.

More Than Just T&A Eye Candy

[darryl-tahirali · 6/10 · 12 April 2022]

After the 1974 not-really-Wonder Woman "Wonder Woman" pilot starring Cathy Lee Crosby failed to launch, Lynda Carter stepped into the role as William Marston's superheroine with a fascinating, sometimes contradictory premise in "The New Original Wonder Woman" (a title that bespoke shifting approaches already), a television movie-cum-pilot that did take off into an adventure series (initially on ABC)--and turned Carter into an icon that redefined the character.

Scripted by Stanley Ralph Ross, who had developed the premise for television, the pilot had a cartoonish look and feel to it, appropriate in that Wonder Woman originated in the DC Comics universe and that Ross had a firm grounding in that DC universe from being a series writer for the 1960s live-action "Batman" series; indeed, "Wonder Woman" too sported comic-book graphics--no "Biff!" "Pow!" "Krrrack!" on-screen interjections, though--and some gloriously camp performances from several second-echelon big- and small-screen faces.

Set in World War Two following America's entry into the war, the Nazis are up to no good as usual. They've built a long-range bomber, the XV-12, that can reach New York, and Colonel Von Blasko (Kenneth Mars) dispatches Captain Drango (Eric Braeden) to attack a Brooklyn factory that manufactures the Norden bombsight, which would (and did) enable Allied precision bombing of vital German targets. However, Von Blasko's valet, Nikolas (mischievous elf Henry Gibson), is secretly transmitting information (via carrier pigeon) to the Allies, which is how the Americans are tipped to Drango's mission, with Major Steve Trevor dispatched to engage him in a dogfight over Paradise Island, home to the all-woman Amazons in the Bermuda Triangle, that sees both aviators downed in combat.

Enter Wonder Woman, or Princess Diana, who discovers Trevor, wounded and unconscious, on the beach and, despite her mother Queen Hippolyta's (Cloris Leachman) objections, helps nurse him back to health before, again defying Hippolyta, winning the athletic tournament while in disguise to determine who will return Steve back to the United States.

Once in the US, Ross's script has Wonder Woman roaming Washington, DC, as a fetching fish out of water in her celebrated fetish superheroine costume. While foiling a bank robbery that involves repelling bullets with her bracelets, she attracts the attention of Ashley Norman (Red Buttons), a talent agent who is also part of a Nazi spy ring that includes Marcia (Stella Stevens), Steve's secretary. And once Von Blasko learns that Drango failed his mission, he vows to complete it in the new, improved XV-13. (Does it remove ring around the collar too, I wonder?)

Particularly in the early going, Leonard Horn's direction stresses the camp factor. Mars obliges with an encore performance of his deliberately overripe Teutonic accent from "Young Frankenstein" while another "Frankenstein" alum, the always reliable Leachman, plays the ruler of the Sapphic idyll like the paranoid misandrist cousin of Phyllis Lindstrom (her "Mary Tyler Moore Show" character). And check out the mugging by Lyle Waggoner and especially Braeden during their dogfight while Buttons gets off a hilarious sighing eye-roll when, confronting Wonder Woman, he begins to fire his pistol at her having already seen her deflect a machine-gun magazine of rounds.

Playing the straight woman to all these cut-ups, Carter is more than just T&A eye candy although her acting chops are certainly not as head-turning as her physical appearance despite some fairly stirring feminine-positive pep talk (a nod to Marston's distinctive conception of female empowerment) that may or may not be undercut by the climactic catfight for the ages her Wonder Woman has with Marcia as Stevens, the ringleader of the local Nazis, makes the most of her modest performance skills.

The special effects are par for the course for 1970s television, and don't even sweat the stock aerial footage used to depict the chameleonic German super bombers. (Is that a Heinkel He 111 used in the 1969 movie "The Battle of Britain"?) But, in a neat inversion of convention, it's Waggoner's Steve Trevor who winds up being the "damsel" in distress who needs to be rescued by Wonder Woman while their sparks of attraction keep the door open for romance. So, although "The New Original Wonder Woman" is hardly a masterpiece, there is enough entertainment here to pique interest in pursuing further developments.

AWESOME, SIMPLY AWESOME

[Elysia · 10/10 · 13 April 1999]

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!

The lasso compels you to tell the truth!

[kelboy10 · 7/10 · 22 November 2023]

From deflecting bracelets to the lasso of truth Wonder Woman propels onto the tv screen. This pilot brings the first successful live action interpretation of arguably the most popular female protagonist to be adapted from comic to screen. Although it appears dated in comparison to nowadays this series still manages to bring a lovable warm charm and as Diana Prince (Lynda Carter) presses all the right buttons. There is a subtle difference in the way she transforms from a cute everyday woman to a sassy empowering goddess.

The memorable scene with Ashley Normans (Red Button) as a double crossing showman to a devious Nazi informant is quite intriguing to say the least. The idea that if a meta-human was to live in our world would they instantly be exploited to make money? It seems feasible to me.

(Lyle Waggoner) is Steve Trevor and anybody who knows anything of Wonder Woman would know he is the first man Diana experiences as they cross paths on the shores of paradise Island or more recently know as Themyscira. The Island full of beautiful women highly trained and skilled in combat seeking peace away from the world of man. Lyle Waggoner plays as good part and has good chemistry with Lynda Carter. There is a cuteness to Diana outside her alter ego as Wonder Woman. It's difficult to fault any acting in this early pilot although it does seem to take itself slight more serious than say Adam's Wests Batman. (Henry Gibson) is great as the babbling baddie Nikolas as well as being accompanied by Marcia (Stella Stevens) and Captain Drangel (Eric Braeden).

The direction is nothing too fancy but doesn't really need to be, although the stunts are very dated and show nothing more than Wonder Woman shoving and pushing her foes to the ground with force and strength. The physical presence of Lynda Carter is impressive she certain looks the part and is sexy doing it. You can tell they are working to a budget with some of the action sequences and keeping it more basic with what's possible for the time.

Story wise it's pretty much the opener, the narrative of Diana's journey venturing out to discover the world of man for the first time. All in all its the one I am most familiar with, this isn't a bad thing it's just I'm looking forward to discovering new stories as I haven't read many of the comics.

The title sequence is cheesy yet catchy, allowing the audience to not over analyse and hopefully escape reality as well as enjoying the ride.

Two Released versions of the same film!

[adam_productions · 10/10 · 12 August 2007]

After the 1974 tele-movie starring Cathy Lee Crosby, Warner Brothers and DC comics went back to the basics and released The New Original Wonder Woman tele-movie in 1975.

Starring newcomer Lynda Cater representing the classic comic book heroine is brought to life in one of the finest casting ever! This movie is adapted from the original All-Star Comics #8, 1941; Sensation Comics #1, 1942 and Wonder Woman #1, Summer 1942.

No-one would ever imagine that the 'wonder-spin', the way in which Diana Prince would change into Wonder Woman would be so memorable that it would later become her signature 'visual motif' in comic books and television appearances in the final two seasons of The Super Friends TV show and Justice League Unlimited. Lynda's idea would further develop from the dissolve (in the first 3 episodes) to a burst of red/white/blue light that remained in the entire series run.

This story set in world war two would showcase fine performances from already established actors of the time: Stella Stevens, Red Buttons, Cloris Leachman, Henry Gibson and John Randolph to name a few.

What is also unusual about this film is that there are two release versions of the same story. What is notably different is the opening credits, some camera angles and the performances.

Each film has the same story, but the title opening of the 1975 film begins after a tank explodes a wall in the 'old' news reel and reveals The new Original Wonder Woman title. This is followed by an animated sequence which shows Wonder Woman leaping from a tall building, landing and deflecting bullets. This sequence was replaced in the TV series with her tossing her magic lasso instead. I assume that the bullet deflecting in the animated sequence may of been regarded too violent in animation at the time which may explain the replacement, however just before the zoom into her face, the bottom panel does indeed reveal a man with a gun which was not changed in the TV series.

One line was added in the revised version: "Even if I have to earn some money first". In the original film, the scene cuts to a wider shot of Diana nursing Steve instead of the close up in which she says this line. There are other notable differences in the edited style of the films as well as the performances. The acting was played far more serious and straight in the 1975 movie than the campy revision. For example, Ashley (Red Buttons) Norman rolls his eyes toward the final scene firing at Wonder Woman, but in the 1975 film he does not. Instead he had a stern, grim, determined look.

When the time came for a TV series to be considered the film was retitled, Wonder Woman, and presented as the pilot in 1976. It featured the campy performances, the additional dialog, different camera angles and of course, the new revised animated credits. Two TV specials followed adapted direct from the original comics: Wonder Woman meets the Baroness Von Gunther (from Wonder Woman 1942) and Fausta The Nazi Wonder Woman (from Comic Cavalcade 1943). Gone was the title, the New, Original Wonder Woman. The DVD release features the pilot edition and Warner Brothers has not yet released the original film as shown in 1975. It has been televised on television, but the campy version edited version is confused as the same film, but in fact there are two versions. Perhaps the original is the director's cut by Leonard Horn.

In any case one of the other most memorable moments is the song itself. Simple, effective and very colorful. The original film and series had a sense of charm and the campy moments suited the era and style of the comic book made flesh. Lynda Carter made her a real woman, powerful, yet very compassionate. The very essence of Wonder Woman, unlike many heroes is that she actually cared about everyone, fought for what is truth and justice, but, would also take that extra step to reform villains. She truly believed people can change for the better and had no problem saying it and showing the way.

EXCELLENT

[jezabelbabilonian · 10/10 · 10 January 2004]

The way "LYNDA CARTER " portraits the true "WONDER WOMAN ".... is Incredible ..There will be no other to do such a GREAT JOB... It`s exactly as the COMIC BOOK ... WOULD LIKE A WONDER WOMAN REUNION W/ WONDER GIRL ( DEBRA WINGER ).. show be doing the Casting for the NEW MOVIE.. Her role should not be played by no other but HERSELF !!

Not that great

[Joxerlives · 5/10 · 28 December 2011]

The New Original Wonder Woman

Now we're talking! Weird that after setting the Crosby film in the present day they then decide to go back to her origins in WW2. Here we have Henry Gibson as the allied agent undercover as a Nazi who will later recur as a villain in later seasons. The plot of the German's attempting to bomb Washington seems ludicrous but was actually something they planned, pretty late in the war. The Norden bomb sight was also a real WW2 artifact. It seems a bit off that Steve Trevor bails out almost directly into the arms of one of the world's most beautiful women whilst the Nazi pilot is presumably eaten by sharks? (This is of course the era of JAWS-mania so sharks were pretty much obligatory)

The airplane battle is pretty ludicrous and lame, especially when it keeps flitting from black and white to colour. Amazingly in this ep whilst WW saves the pilot of the German bomber she appears to kill the entire crew of the U-boat. The commentary with Lynda is great, especially her appreciation of the effortlessly handsome Lyle Waggoner (Steve Trevor knocked out for the first time! Also under truth serum twice), even though they apparently didn't get on. Also love the scene where Cloris Leachmen Amazon Queen get's quite flustered at the idea of a man on Paradise Island, biting her hand in the time honoured fashion at the thought (maybe the Amazon's aren't quite so misandrist as we presumed?)

We have the proper costume for the first time although it has the gold cones over the breasts which doesn't really work for me. That said Lynda looks the business, she's stunning and looks as though she's just walked out of the pages of the comic. No offence to the late Christopher Reeve but no one ever embodied a superhero so effortlessly perfectly as Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman. Nice scene where we think she's going to wear the mini-skirt (as in the 40s comics) only to peel it off and reveal the hot pants. As the commentary from the producer states, a star was born in that moment, her look was so amazing that it entered the public consciousness, much like Dollhouse got a second season purely on the grounds of the Eliza Dushku-as-a-whipcracking-black leather clad-dominatrix scene The Amazon Olympics are cool (I was totally fooled by Lynda's blonde wig) although it strikes you as reminiscent of something Hugh Hefner would stage at the Playboy Mansion. 'Bullet's and bracelet's' strikes me as rather a weird game and surely not one dating back to ancient Greece. Equally Paradise Isaland seems to lack the industry to produce her invisible plane. We see WW perfectly imitate a voice Terminator style, which she will do several times over the series (why doesn't she just make the captured spy do it with her lasso?).

We have WW actually working to raise some money but again the last time she ever has to do so. The bullets-and-bracelets show is daft although the sight of the Nazi-agent little old lady with the Tommy gun is worth it. Also as Lynda points out, when Red Buttons is shooting at her in the later scenes his expression is quite hilarious, he knows this is a futile gesture. One question, where does she land her invisible plane? I'd love to see an ep where someone walks into it and bumps their head!

5/10, not that fond of the WW2 eps

Excellent Adaptation

[hroyalh · 9 April 2000]

This was the pilot to the TV series. I remember stumbling across it when it originally aired and fell in love with Lynda Carter. I was amazed at how much she looked like the comic book heroine. I was also pleased that the producers stayed true to the comic book legend, given that society at that time was still uncomfortable with strong independent-minded women. Unfortunately, the subsequent TV series, especially the "updated" 70s version, discarded the strong Amazonian theme. I'm looking forward to the movie and hope Lynda Carter can participate somehow, even as a cameo.

A PROMISING START

[asalerno10 · 8/10 · 9 May 2022]

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.

Get Us Out From Under

[celeron-2 · 10/10 · 24 February 2001]

Great Hera! The New Original Wonder Woman series that aired on ABC and took place during World War II was PHENOMENAL for the times! Lynda Carter was and always will be Wonder Woman as far as I'm concerned. The show was campy as was the original comic yet it remarkably preserved the vision and integrity of the original comic book's creator, William Moulton Marston. That vision was about unlocking the good in all of us, even Nazi's! And it would take a fearless yet gentle Amazon to do the job. It's a shame the show had to be modernized when it got picked up by CBS. Somehow, the 1970's setting didn't have the innocent charm that played out in the 40's version.

Comic book fun.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 1 October 2020]

This first episode is outrageously entertaining, the pilot episode, and introduction to Wonder Woman, played by the real life goddess that is Lynda Carter.

Here we see how she ends up on Earth, the background, her relationship with Steve, even the origins of her outfit.

It's fun, energetic and an incredibly uplifting watch. Naturally it's as camp as Christmas, Cloris Leachman is outrageous as Queen Hippolyta, the old lady with the machine gun even more so. Some of those German accents are a little dubious to say the least.

I haven't seen any of these since I was a kid, I love them as much now as I did back then.

Great fun, 8/10.

Two Wonder Women

[angeian01 · 10/10 · 24 August 2006]

As great as the pilot "Wonder Woman" is there were in fact TWO versions of THE NEW ORIGINAL WONDER WOMAN. The first version which is NOT available on DVD is the tele-film made in 1975 which actually has the complete title at the beginning of the credits of the film. A tank explodes a wall in the 'old news reel'and then the complete title appears. In the animated sequence Wonder Woman deflects bullets off her bracelets and punches the bad guy. This animated sequence was replaced in 1976 with the lasso toss instead. This is due to the fact that 'punching' was too violent in the 1970s. Other notable differences were different camera points of view but the story is essentially the same. When the first season of additional 11 episodes were planned in 1976, the pilot was re-cut, complete with campy overtones and the animated introduction is what we see today which is available on DVD. Unfortunately the REAL New Original Wonder Woman film has yet to be released.

Wonder Woman Twirls

[Cineanalyst · 5/10 · 31 December 2020]

Based on this TV-movie pilot for the series (apparently following a prior try the year before with another cast and concept), "Wonder Woman" with Lynda Carter ranks somewhere between George Reeves's Superman, as represented by the TV-movie pilot "Superman and the Mole Men" (1951), and Adam West's Batman, which was (arguably) good enough to be turned into a theatrically-released film in 1966. It's probably closer to "Batman," as it's in color, too, and goofy enough to be fun.

I wanted to see this after "Wonder Woman 1984" (2020), which besides featuring Carter in a cameo, has a plot that revolves around television. So, checking out Carter playing Wonder Woman as conceived for TV seemed natural. To get the obvious out of the way, it's a lot different than the Patty Jenkins - Gal Gadot movies, although Diana Prince rescues Steve Trevor from a plane crash and aids the Allied caused in one of the world wars as she does in the 2017 "Wonder Woman."

In this one, though, the Amazon inhabitants of "Paradise Island" largely frolic around in lingerie, and the Wonder Woman outfit is more akin to swim wear than to armor. That could've been overlooked as poor production values, too, if not for the consistent paradoxical sexism throughout the picture. It's not only laughable when Wonder Woman reprimands the Nazis for their treatment of women because the dialogue in wonderfully bad, but also because of the irony of how she's treated in this American scenario. Granted, it's pretty funny that this post-sexual revolution show puts the Amazon in 1940s USA, which results in everyone gawking at her as she walks down a street. Less amusing is how Trevor and his commander joke about getting an ugly secretary, and that Prince winds up being that secretary (she wears glasses, by the way, which supposedly makes her less attractive--something that was made into a good gag in the 2017 movie). Not that being a secretary is bad work, but this is the most powerful woman in the world we're talking about. And that twirl! Geesh, female empowerment by twirling--I mean, spinning--for the male gaze; I don't know whether that's more offensive or comically ridiculous.

I do like, however, that the first thing Wonder Woman sees fit to do in the New World is to make some money, and being quite the "new woman," she puts on a stage act with her stop-motion trick of deflecting bullets. She also occasionally plays nurse. A lot of humorously obvious editing in this one to display all of her superpowers. And at least Wonder Woman flies her own invisible plane, such as it is. The Nazis are cartoonish buffoons, and there are spies everywhere. The actors generally seem to be in on the joke. And although I prefer the Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL score, the theme music here is catchy. Silly fun.

Looks like it came straight out of the first comic book

[broadfoot · 2 September 2002]

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 [e-mail]

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.

Great start to a WONDERful series

[GoettingRx-1 · 10/10 · 31 August 2006]

The pilot episode of Wonder Woman was a fabulous, all-star feature-length television film that remained extremely true to the original 1941 comic-book origin as written by William Moulton Marston (under the pen name Charles Moulton), famous psychiatrist and inventor of the lie detector. Lynda Carter, although a very green newcomer at the time, shone in the lead role that would make her famous. Any future attempts to bring Wonder Woman to the screen will obviously be compared to Ms. Carter's portrayal, and even modern computer-enhanced effects will be hard pressed to overshadow her legacy. Cloris Leachman portrayed Wonder Woman's mother, Queen Hippolyte, a character with roots back to ancient Greek myth. Despite her star power and my own affection towards Ms. Leachman, I prefer Carolyn Jones' portrayal of the Queen in later first season episodes, and I find Beatrice Colen to have been the most regal of the three Queens. It would be my hope that, if a Wonder Woman movie were to materialize in the foreseeable future, that Lynda Carter herself would portray the Queen. Not only would this acknowledge her unforgettable run as Wonder Woman, it would also be appropriate in that more recent comic-book story lines explain that Hippolyta was the WWII era Wonder Woman, and the circle would then be complete.

Wonder Woman!!!

[pmullan-54285 · 10/10 · 13 June 2016]

How can you not get excited in the opening moments of this Pilot? The opening theme storms in and gets you excited, just ready for the awesomeness that is Wonder Woman. Fabulously played by Lynda Carter, who makes the role her own (She basically is Wonder Woman)and provides so much personality that could've been discarded had she not been in the role. She is young here, but she will be a bovine babe by the time Season 2 comes along and she proves to be so fluffy and adorable as she is heroic, sassy and cheeky. She kicks absolute ass throughout the whole tale and her charming naivety is more than fun to watch. Seeing her get used to the real world is only ever really seen in this pilot, but it is very fun and enjoyable to watch. It's obvious that Lynda is having fun in the role and she would go on to prove that her character is more than just a sex icon. She is brimming with enjoyability and so is the pilot. It's the best pilot to sit down and have fun with, I won't say anymore.

Faithful to the early Comics--Complete Camp

[lehartter · 9/10 · 5 January 2006]

This version of the character was to eliminate the images of Cathy Lee Crosby as superspy Wonder Woman (which, ironically, is what this program evolved into--spy Diana Prince couldn't do her job unless she was Wonder Woman).

The storyline faithfully adapts the "origin" and early career of Wonder Woman from Wonder Woman No. 1 and All-Star Comics no. 8. The only thing not adapted is a story line of how Wonder Woman meets an Army nurse named Diana Prince, who is a virtual twin, and swaps identities--paying Diana to join her fiancé in South America. Instead, while Steve recovers in the hospital, she poses as a nurse.

The special effects get more expensive treatment than later, regular episodes, while Stella Stevens steals the show as the evil villianess spy, in vintage Joan Crawford and Bette Davis costumes. Wonder Woman's amazing transformation is adapted from the original comics; in the stories, Diana wore her costume under her clothes, and at a high speed, or running, pulled them off as she added her boots and tiara either from her purse, satchel, or a hidden compartment in her office desk. Lynda ad-libbed the spin in rehearsals, pulling at her dress and nurse hat, and fading out as Wondie fades in, pulling away the dress and folding it. This elaborate, layered shot cost a great deal of money in the early 70's studios, and didn't allow for a fast-action emergency change, meaning that after two more specials, it was scrapped for the thunderclap and explosive light sequence.

By the way, interestingly, her branch of service is changed to Navy, where she is a Yeoman. In the comics, Diana is an Army nurse (and therefore an officer--Lt.) who was skilled enough in office work to be hired by Steve after his recovery. The change to Navy is more reflective of the women actually serving in the War Department in the era--the Navy was the first branch to approve use of women in non-nursing roles.

Lastly, the classic cat fight sets the stage for later specials (Fausta, and Baronness Von Gunther) but make Wonder Woman look weaker. IN the comics, there were usually scantily clad amazons, villianesses who somehow ended up partially disrobed, and other undressed cartoons, in addition to the title character's outrageous costume. Odd that the comic version was high in demand by GI's!

Great, fun pilot except....

[wkozak221 · 9/10 · 11 February 2020]

I love period tv series. This was a great series in the first season. Then it went downhill. The pilot is fun. It is slightly over the top here and there but fun nonetheless. The only problem I have is Cloris Leachman. For a queen she sounds like an airhead.

Lynda Carter Rocks !

[sandcrab · 1 October 2004]

Catch the full first season on DVD....A genuine TV classic! The special effects used in this series were unheard of in this era ! The filming was pretty bad but the quality was good....The term 3 gapper originated with this series and Lynda...I'd rather watch Lynda Carter than Arnold the putz any day...Bullets and bracelets, sex and chutzpah, oh my ! The plots are corny but pretty much follow the comic book routines...Good light entertainment and a healthy dose of what a really gorgeous female can do for the production ! I'll bet pantyhose sales went off the charts when this show aired...Even Stella Stevens looked fabulous in the first episode but she wasn't up to Lynda's beauty !

The only thing awesome about NOWW is Lynda herself

[paulo20 · 30 October 2000]

The rest is almost painfully awful (even with the nostalgia aspect factored in). Of course the camp is intentional but that doesn't mean it's successful as, say, in the Batman TV series. That show was completely self-mocking and gleefully silly. This one uses the Nazis, employing them as clownish villains with a `nefarious' plot to bomb the U.S. with one plane. Ridiculous. But Lynda Carter (who is absolute knockout and whose sexiness manifests from her not trying to be sexy) admirably makes the role of Wonder Woman her own, unfortunately too much her own as it has been and forever will be impossible to see her and not think of the DC comics heroine.