It hasn’t been a great year for women. Five months down and the gender pay gap is still at 16% in Australia, abortion remains a crime in New South Wales, and Trump is still allowed on Twitter.
Thankfully Wonder Woman is here to save the day! The much-anticipated Marvel film directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot hit cinemas today and it’s everything we hoped it would be. And then some.
It’s two hours and 21 minutes of badassery. There are Amazonian warriors, flying kicks aplenty and a truth lasso. Victoria’s Secret Model Doutzen Kroes stabs a man in the heart, for god’s sake.
The hero of the movie is of course Gadot, who, playing the title character, single handedly ends a war (with a little help from Chris Pine). As Wonder Woman/Princess of the Amazons/Diana, Gadot is strong and captivating – and also quite funny. When she is told women wear corsets to keep their tummies in, she says, “But why would someone want to keep their tummy in?” Exactly.
More than being a damn fine movie – the reviews are insane – Wonder Woman is also a massive achievement for female-led films and powerful female stories.
We all know the theory that Superheroine movies don’t make money is unfounded, but Wonder Woman is going to put an end to it once and for all.
When I walked into the 11:30am screening this morning, the cinema was filled with men. Sure, they may have just been there to see Doutzen Kroes in her Amazonian armor, but regardless of their motives, they all paid $26 to see a female superhero movie. End of story.
The best part of all? This film is an origin tale, meaning it’s only the beginning.
