Over the last five years or so, a new and popular trend has taken over our movie going experience. The popularity of the Super-Hero movie has become more than a passing fad, but a full-fledged genre, much like Science Fiction, Comedy, and Drama. The Super-Hero genre can also incorporate all those other genres as well, and the best do. Spider-Man 2 and X-Men are the best examples of this. Besides the heroic adventures, personal sacrifices, and drama the characters go through in the course of these films, there are also light hearted moments that give the characters a depth that goes a long way to making the audience care and believe in them. (Spider-Man riding the elevator in Spider-Man 2 is a perfect example.)
As good as these movies have been, there are others that, for one reason or another, simply fall flat. Bad casting, bad script, bad direction, or being untrue to the character are all prime reasons. While I have not seen your own CatWoman movie, I can honestly predict that this movie will, quite frankly, stink. Batman Begins, on the other hand, from all reports, is shaping up to be a huge hit. The reasons are simple: CatWoman is not faithful to the comic, and the new Batman appears to be following the Batman comic perfectly.
Most of these movies have one common thread, which is that the hero is a role model for kids. Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, the X-Men, etc. These are heroes who use their powers to do justice, regardless of the danger to themselves. To take upon themselves the responsibility to see right done, and the bad guys get punished.
For all the greatness of the best and worst of these movies, there is one HUGE problem that, as far as I can see, only you, Warner Brothers, have the best chance of filling: the female Super Hero!
All the movies listed here focus on the male members of the super hero fraternity. There are women mutants in X-Men, but they are all secondary players next to Wolverine and Professor X. In Spider-Man 2, a great movie any way you look at it, it still has one flaw I did not like. The “damsel in distress” segment. Actually, that is true of both Spider-Man movies.
What my three children need is a female Super Hero they can hang a picture of on their wall. And you, Warner Brothers, have the perfect hero to do just that.
What we need here is a strong, powerful, in charge hero that is has all the honor and integrity that her male counterparts aspire to. One who always does the right thing, does not kill or seriously injure her opponents. A hero the girls of this generation can look up to, pretend to be, and dream about.
What we do not need is a Wonder Woman who shows all leg and cleavage. That does not come across as a sexpot. Whom the man does not rescue. (Although the opposite would do nicely.) Who is not weak and timid in her personal life and only becomes strong when she puts on the red, white, and blue outfit. One who is not edgy or dangerous in a “wolverine” sort of way.
We need a good, a-typical Wonder Woman who is not played by a super-model. One who does not curse, but shows the ideal we, as parents, would be happy to watch with our three girls, and not mind them running around in the back yard quoting from the movie.
So please, Warner Brothers, the company who owns Wonder Woman, make my kids a movie you can feel proud of. Make Wonder Woman now!
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