Wonder Woman shattered the box office with $800 million, becoming the highest grossing domestic superhero film. And yet, not everyone was a fan. Legendary director James Cameron has appeared as a scathing critic of the superheroine’s origin film.
Speaking with The Guardian, Cameron was asked what he thought about the film. Given that he’s written and focused on fiercely strong women in his own films, you would think he would be behind it. It appears he’s very much against the film.
All of the self-congratulatory back-patting Hollywood’s been doing over Wonder Woman has been so misguided. She’s an objectified icon, and it’s just male Hollywood doing the same old thing! I’m not saying I didn’t like the movie but, to me, it’s a step backwards. Sarah Connor was not a beauty icon. She was strong, she was troubled, she was a terrible mother, and she earned the respect of the audience through pure grit. And to me, [the benefit of characters like Sarah] is so obvious. I mean, half the audience is female!
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A bit harsh, I would say. I think Cameron misses the mark here. Heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman are supposed to represent the best of us. Humans are flawed. Deeply flawed. Superheroes have their flaws but not like us, they’re supposed to overcome it and be better, make the best choices because of it. That’s exactly what Diana did. She was given the choice to give into her anger and loathing. She was given the choice to create chaos and destroy lives with her incredible strength. But she didn’t. She used compassion in the face of unrelenting hatred. Just because she’s beautiful, that doesn’t diminish her actions. It’s such an infinitely frustrating opinion that she can’t be beautiful and be a heroine.
Wonder Woman is not a step backwards. It’s a step forward not just in the superhero genre, but as films in general. Cameron has most absolutely helped the path for Wonder Woman to become successful. There’s no denying that. But just look at Hollywood since Terminator 2. Not much has changed. It’s been a male dominated market with male heroes and female damsels. Hell, Sarah Connor was even in a damsel in the first Terminator. Obviously there have been exceptions, but not to this popular degree. Because of Wonder Woman‘s success as a story about a heroine, this opens the door for more female-driven films.
So, respectfully, James Cameron, I wholeheartedly disagree with your opinion. Wonder Woman is a shining beacon for women, along with Sarah Connor, Ellen Ripley, newcomers like Rey and so many others. She has just become the symbol for female-led success in Hollywood. We can only hope for the path to be continued.
What do you think of Cameron’s comments? Let us know! Be sure to come back to Geek Girl Authority for more Wonder Woman news! Speaking of, Wonder Woman will be released digitally in 5 days! And physically released on September 19th.
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