From The Straits Times    |
 

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Most action hero stories, whether rightly or wrongly, have the heroic protagonist as a male lead. Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Thor, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk…heck even Bananaman was, in fact, a man (although he’s tentatively added to the list because of his parodic nature AND he never had his own movie, poor guy). We can use our common sense to work out that, given the male species is predisposed to be physically stronger than the female, superheros were thus male. Save for our favourite new heroine who has come crashing back onto our screens this month – the iconic Wonder Woman. There are, of course, a few other female superheros – we still heart you Catwoman you feline vixen you!

Forbes swiftly announced that the new blockbuster movie Wonder Woman hit over $300 million (USD) worldwide in just one week after it aired in the cinemas. Not only that, it is already 14th highest grossing movies of this year worldwide AND it is one of the highest grossing movies that is…produced by a female director. Given these tremendous statistics and universally positive feedback on this movie, we went to watch it and have a lot (and we mean A LOT) to say about it.

 

 

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It is important to note now…the movie does not man-bash.  In fact the cinematic delivery of this point is excellent – the leading man, pilot and WWI hero Steve Taylor, exudes both empathy and emotional intelligence that makes him a subsidiary hero in his own right. Also, the main villain *boo hiss* is in fact a female – Nazi poison and gas expert Dr. Maru. These characters’ genders are by no mistake…they offer the movie the balance it needs.  Otherwise, it could be seen as detrimental to the male species and proportioning most of the blame onto men for the WWI itself, which is rather unfair. However, I digress…

Wonder Woman takes the place, physical strength ‘n’ all, of the traditional male superhero.  But it’s not just her alone, oh no, as soon as the movie starts we’re greeted with the Amazonian tribe who are ALL women and who’s stance, stature and physical appearance rival even that of the great Hercules. Galloping onto our screens, these females radiate both physical and emotional strength and it is the latter that we think needs exploration.

You see, whilst Wonder Woman, dearest Diana, has indeed physical strength expected of a Demigod (she just lifts that tank right up, no f*** given) it is her emotional strength that makes her so wondrous. We’ll try not to deliver annoying spoilers (we hate those people, those people need to pipe down), but we do want to highlight how the movie curates and so brilliantly portrays Diana’s true superpower – her ability to love.

 

 

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The nurturing, loving aspect of both herself and what she gleams from the human race is what drives Diana through to her victory – she overcomes her hatred by focusing on the love and selfless actions of Steve as well as the other characters. In the final battle of all battles to end the war of all wars…Diana defeats Aries with this very simple notion – LOVE.

And whilst it is a very simple notion, it is in fact the most wonderful thing we have.  Females, by genetic default, are more inclined to love, nurture and care for others – it is the reproduction element and our ‘motherly’ instinct, sorry guys.  We don’t wish to gloat but, the female strength is formidable.

 

 

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We would like to point out, however, that Wonder Woman isn’t actually a fictional character at all – she’s very real, she’s right here and she’s everywhere.  What to find her?  It’s easy – just look around you and you’ll see her in abundance.  We like to call these, the Wonder Women of our ages.

REAL wonder women, however, do not actually stroll around with a sword, shield and bulletproof armbands (more’s the pity, I’d love that gear). They fight, instead, with the powers that they can harness: dignity, morals, sheer willpower and ability for unconditional love. Worldwide history, both past and present, is peppered with real wonder women such as Rosa Parks, Anne Frank. Emmeline Pankhurst, Malala Yousafzai, Aung San Suu Kyi to name but a few. These women showed the world the strength of both their character and the strength of their love.  We cannot possibly list them all and these are only the iconic ones that we know about…what about all the wonderful acts of love, strength and kindness carried out every day worldwide that go unnoticed?

 

 

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And talking of wonder women, we cannot neglect to mention that Wonder Woman ‘17 herself, actress Gal Gadot, was in fact pregnant when she filmed some scenes – 5 months pregnant at that. Oh, and if that isn’t hardcore enough, her background is just as inspiring. She was Miss Israel at the age of 18 and went on to star in the Miss Universe competition. She served in the Israeli military for two years at the tender age of 20, before becoming a model and THEN becoming an actress…doing all of her own stunts in ‘Fast & Furious’ action movies prior to her starring role in Wonder Woman. Wow, what a role model for future generations of females to follow. She is a force to be reckoned with.

If all of this isn’t proof that wonder women are real, we don’t know what is.

 

 

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