Why It's Time to Have a Superwoman

This is a random post dedicated to my love of superhero movies! =)
Alright, I've always been big on women kicking butt and saving the world. Yet this has been a failed attempt of the 21st century, and a couple years before then. Halle Berry as Catwoman was described as one of the worst movies. Ever. Jennifer Garner is amazing at kicking butt (hello, Alias!) and I personally think she did a great job as Elektra, even if she wasn't right for the part. But the movie was terrible. Those were really the only main attempts at superhero women in the 21st century, because both had failed miserably.

But what about before that? This article is going to be dedicated mostly to Wonder Woman. Lynda Carter played Wonder Woman in the tv series from 1975-1979. Four years is AMAZING for the 70s. Especially considering that America still was unsure about superhero movies being good. Do I think it was a cheesy show? Absolutely. Everytime that woman "twirled" into her Wonder Woman outfit, she looked like she was about to fall over. She also always seemed to have to catch her step for a second before taking off at a light prance. But that's beside the point; she LOOKED good and people LOVED her.

Women as leads are still somewhat looked down upon today. It's sad but true. Just watch the Oscars. Almost every movie where women are nominated for best actress, they are not even the only lead, they share the lead with a man. Yet, it is not the same with men. 2012-Lincoln? Django? Argo? Les Miserables? All these men did not have to share the spotlight. And yet, wasn't it Anne Hathaway who won "best supporting actress" when Hugh Jackman lost his best actor award? (He really deserved it though, beyond doubt. But that's a different story). Truth is, no matter who the lead for Les Miserables was, Anne Hathaway would have stole the show. No doubt about it. Why? One word: Catwoman. People were amazed at her spot-on performance and they were able to take her SERIOUSLY! The older generation also loved her because it reminded them of Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. Michelle Pfeiffer stole the show in that Batman movie, but was never awarded the credit she deserves because superhero movies were not welcomed yet, especially not female superheroes. Then Halle Berry came along and ruined Catwoman's name and image, possibly forever. And then 2012 hits, and Bam! Here we have a strong, smartass woman who's real power is being able to sneak around unnoticed- a cat. But guess what? She is also- *gasp* - SEXY. How in the world can a woman be all these things at once? Because, guess what, ladies and gentlemen, women are sexy. You don't need to have a woman half naked and in leather for her sexiness to show through. Anne Hathaway most definitely worked out and trained for her role, and part of it was yes, to look good in a tight onesuit, but also so that every move was perfect and believable. Anne Hathaway was very believable in her fight scenes, and that's where we find her most sexy and empowering. And we don't see her breasts at all. We don't see her in the fight scenes just trying to show off her body. She focused on having the quick, sleek movements of a cat, and that is what is so sexy about her. Why did I just spend so much time on a character that is not even part of my story? Well, I didn't. Anne Hathaway is the essence of this story. She is just the beginning of how superhero women should be portrayed, and that they are loved when portrayed this way.

 My next strong point: The Avengers. After Anne Hathaway, I was a little nervous to see Scarlett Johansson play Black Widow. Sure, I had seen her in Iron Man 2, which was a good movie. But still- they always have to bring up some form of her in lingerie, or accentuate her curves or show her in angles that makes her butt look HUGE and her waist tiny. Sure, she's sexy, but everyone knows it, so how about focusing more on the actual film than her curves? ( I may be a little biased her considering she is my boyfriend's celebrity crush). Anyways, I was impressed the second the Avengers ended. There had actually been a GREAT action movie   , a great cast, and....no romance? What? There is not one outrageous romance in this film. Sure, Thor gets a checkup on Jane and see how she's doing, IronMan calls Pepper when he's dying, but there's no crazy unexpected (but expected) romance. It would be only common for Black Widow and Hawkeye to kiss at the end of the movie, considering that she saved him and they have a huge history together. But no, there is no romance between them, just friendship. It took me off-guard and I loved it! And Scarlett Johansson seriously kicks ass this entire movie! She fights well, actually sweats (which is a first for women in a fight scene because apparently they're always angelic looking), her hair is messed up, and her face has dirt on it. Along with all of this, her costume is not skin-tight, and her zipper is not zipped down to show cleavage. It's realistic. Along with Black Widow, there is Agent Maria Hill, who also added to the seriousness and how essential women can be. She is a soldier. She saves Nick Fury from getting shot, all while bleeding. Overall, Avengers was also essential to showing how women can be strong, sexy, and needed for the outcome.

This finally leads to my my main point. Marvel or DC Comics is ready to have a main superhero female take the lead. They need to stick to guidelines, though. Here's what I think they should be 1) Christopher Nolan preferably needs to be involved, if not producing/directing. Everyone takes him seriously, therefore they will take the movie seriously. 2) People need to stop being scared of covering women up. This whole idea that "sex sells" while it is sadly, true, is something that only these kinds of people can change. Christopher Nolan could be the man to put women on the spot as smart with a little sexy; not the other way around. Costumes need to be modest, so that the women will be taken seriously. They need to be shown as sexy in another way. 3) Stay true to the characters' stories. If the movie is a little unrealistic, but the plot and acting is dead on, people will still love it. 4) I think Zack Snyder will do a great job for Man of Steel this year, but honestly, I don't trust this man around women. Just take a look at 300, Watchmen, or The Spirit. Lots of nudity, lots of objectifying women. He did so still with Scarlett Johansson in the Spirit, and it was rated PG-13. He is a great visual director, and is great with superhero movies. But if he's going to deal with a female lead, I think I have a right to be skeptical. 

So now we have Batman, Superman, Green Lantern....who's missing? Our Amazon princess. Wonder Woman. I completely understand why people back away from this goddess. It could be one of the hardest films to ever make. You have Diana's home to create (another world), you have her flying the majority of the time, and you have a cheesy costume and cheesy props to somehow make them look as awesome as in the comic books. (Her Lasso, her bracelets, her star-spangled onesie are all going to be difficult). However, this woman is a warrior, and one of the first superheroes ever. She deserves a great movie. And after Thor, which dealt with a whole other world and lots of space-stuff, I'm optimistic that Wonder Woman's home can be done. Superman is flying in the Man of Steel, and it is the farthest from cheesy I have ever seen flying been. Along with these problems, casting would surely be an issue. But here's an idea: Why not pick a serious actress? When I type in Wonder Woman on Google, here's a fan-made picture I get:

Sure, she's sexy. No one can deny that Megan Fox would look great in a Wonder Woman costume. But no one takes her seriously! She is used, sadly, as a sex symbol in culture today. We need someone who has done great work and is not associated with sex when we look at them. Here's my list of actresses and my reasons why:

1. Rachel Weisz. This woman is a fantastic actress. And as seeing her in Evelyn in the Mummy movies, she has a knack for kicking butt. And, after Christian Bale, Robert Downey Jr, and Edward Norton have all played leading superheroes, I do not think she is too old. She is beautiful and looks so young for her age. 

2. Erica Durance. I'm not completely sure she would be great as Wonder Woman, but my goodness, this woman deserves some more credit. Since her being Lois Lane ever again is lost, I think she deserves a shot as a superheroine. 









3. Evangeline Lily. Again, not sure how amazing she would be, but this girl proved she can be tough. Just watch Lost and you WILL take her seriously as an actress.








4. Olivia Wilde. This woman is gorgeous and a serious actress.









5. Adrianne Palicki. Albeit, she was just in a failed Wonder Woman tv series that never released more than a pilot episode. There were some issues with the show that didn't have to do with her, and I think she could have potential in the right hands. On one hand, this costume is ridiculous, ugly, and looks like she is going to pop out when she jumps. But give her the right outfit, and who knows? She was great in G.I. Joe.

I really think that a great movie could be made. I think that Wonder Woman has been in the books too long and needs to be appreciated.

Maybe it is not the time though. Maybe Wonder Woman still needs to be eased into society in order for her to be taken seriously. I have other ideas for that as well. 

1) Black Widow and/or Catwoman. The movies they were in did great, why not take the actresses even further? They have their own comic books, you don't need to start off with someone as strong as Wonder Woman.

2) The Phoenix/Jean Grey. This movie is long overdue anyways, and I'm not sure if they will ever make one in the future. She is one of my favorite characters ever, and her story is so complex it DESPERATELY needs a movie to put it all in perspective. I mean, the Phoenix destroyed half of the world and a  huge chunk of the universe. C'mon. What else can she wreak havoc on to be noticed? And, here's the advantage: Brett Ratner DESTROYED X-men 3 so much, that fans would be happy for anything remotely close to the Phoenix. He literally slaughtered Jean Grey's name for the time being. But hey, if Famke Janssen would like to revive that name one day, it could be a great movie. Personally, I think they need someone younger and unknown for Jean Grey. 

3) Emma Frost and/or Mystique. They might as well start with an Xmen female. There are so many of them with so many interesting stories, it seems like a sin to only pay attention to Wolverine (even though Hugh Jackman is amazing). However, Emma Frost is known for her scandalous clothing, so that may be a difficult one. She has such cool powers though and the love triangle between her, Scott Summers, and Jean Grey is heartwrenching.