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Wonder Woman

Last night, Habibi and I got out of the house like normal human adults and went to the movies.  I know, weird.  Of course like any 30-something wife and mom, my favorite thing to do on Date Night with my husband is watch gorgeous women run around in their underwear.  It renews my heart for my love affair with cookies and wine.  We saw Wonder Woman.

I am undoubtedly a Marvel girl.  I am loyal to my brand and will (almost) always choose Marvel characters and movies over anyone in the DC universe.  (I know.  Nerd alert.  But don't worry, I don't dress up.)  It isn't that I dislike Batman, Superman, or any of their...co-workers (??), it's just that I like The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, and Thor better.  I was a big fan of the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight Trilogy, but I can't say the same for the most recent incarnations of some of America's favorite superheros.  Sure, Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill are easy on the eyes, but the Superman movies of late were not to my liking.

So when Habibi announced that he wanted to see Wonder Woman, my expectations were rather low.  I didn't like the first two Superman movies, Suicide Squad was mediocre at best, so why would this one be any different?  Then I re-watched the second of the recent Superman flicks and found I liked it a little better.  Shortly after that, I began hearing rave reviews for W.W. and thought that maybe, just maybe, I'd give DC another shot.

I went in to the theater expecting yet another hyper-sexed, arrogant, one-dimensional female superhero.  I mean, isn't that what they all are?  Every female superhero has been either lame or a pervert's dream.  Consider:  Supergirl?  Are you serious?  And I like the character of Black Widow, but Scarlett Johansson has yet to deliver a performance that isn't somehow "enhanced" with her sexuality.

I left the theater impressed.  Granted, Wonder Woman was more scantily clad than most of her male counterparts, but there was nary a butt cheek in sight.  If her cleavage was visible, it wasn't memorable.  She was humble but confident as the kind of superhero who recognizes her naivety, but knows what she's capable of.  She was compassionate and caring (fawning over a baby, or wanting to help a team of horses because she felt they were being treated unkindly), but a total badass who walks onto the battlefield -without a second thought- under the rapid fire of enemy machine guns.  Even her origin story didn't stop awkwardly to over-explain things in a way that was insulting to my intelligence.  Sure, I had to suspend my disbelief a bit, but I'm OK with that when it comes to superhero/action movies.  It wasn't over the top either way, which kept the plot moving along smoothly.

Ultimately, it is a movie filled with the beauty of self-sacrifice that emulates the Gospel story in ways you can't miss.  (Anyone else catch the Savior crucifix pose of the heroine sent to save the world from evil during the climactic battle scene?  Or the divine forgiveness of mankind's sins, even though it deeply cost Diana/W.W.?  Or the descent of a deity from paradise to earth?)  Plus, the fight scenes are simply epic.  I could watch the Amazons in battle all day.  Antiope (Robin Wright) keeps it tight by springing from another warrior's shield and firing a trio of arrows mid-air while under enemy fire.  Every Amazon woman engages in some kind of impressive combat acrobatics, all while looking supafly.  Even the comedic moments of the movie were well timed and very well delivered, creating a superior blend of action, drama, and comedy.  Perhaps the thing I liked best about the movie was that it was pro-woman without being anti-man.  The protagonist was strong and feminine, uncorrupted by mankind's politics and agendas,  In my opinion, she was an ideal feminist as one who seeks equality and peace, but isn't afraid to get her hands dirty.  She respects life in all its forms (including the lives of the enemy Germans) and doesn't once get on a soapbox about women's reproductive rights.  It was refreshing.

On the way home from the theater, Habibi and I discussed the movie and how it really was an ideal escape from reality that also served as a nice reminder of what things are really important in life: peace, justice, ice cream, etc.  We both agreed that Wonder Woman is the kind of straightforward superhero movie -and character- that the world could use right now.  It wasn't a perfect movie, but I could really appreciate its depth and humor.  Maybe it was the fact that it was directed by a woman (Patty Jenkins), or maybe it was just the main character herself.  Either way, I returned home last night wanting to put on an old dance costume and fight bad guys.

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