Yes, the movie’s been out for a little while, but I only just got to see it.
When I sat down in the theatre before watching Wonder Woman, I knew that it was going to be an enjoyable experience—one that I would never forget. What happened over the course of the movie was a bit more than I could have imagined.
Growing up, I had a picture book where the objective was to find things in the pictures and count them. The setting was a medieval fantasy world and it followed the journey of a group of adventurers. The book didn’t tell their story in any way but the illustrations, so I was free to make up my own tales of who these brave characters were. Among them was a female knight, something kind of rare back in the early 2000s (at least in the media I was exposed to). I thought she was just the coolest to the point where I wanted to be just like her.
Mulan and Éowyn were another two characters that I looked up to, reenacting the scene where Mulan climbs up the pole with my barbie doll on the leg of the kitchen table. Every time Éowyn removes her helmet and kills the Witch-king of Angmar, I STILL get excited.
Somehow, Wonder Woman wasn’t on my radar. I wasn’t really into comics when I was younger and I guess superheroes weren’t really all that appealing at the time. Whether due to bad marketing or just never having it seem available to me, who knows?
So when I sat in the movie and watched Diana deflect bullet after bullet, leaping through the air with her sword held high, I could only think of one thing. Again and again.
“Where was this movie when I was eight?”
Seriously. I know that Wonder Woman was around when I was growing up, but I honestly wish that I had had THIS FILM when I was younger. I cannot quite describe the feeling of watching a movie and feeling, for once, that the hero was one I could identify with. One I could dress up as and not have to change anything about me aside from donning a costume. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve watched many of the new Marvel movies and other franchises featuring cool characters that fit the same bill. Yet, this was the first time I felt that I could be something badass. Not just the sole female member of a trio (Hermione) or a similarly secondary character. I have a main character that isn’t from a “girl movie” like so many of my other favourite characters (sorry, Rapunzel and Mulan).
There aren’t really any words I could say to fully encapsulate how incredible this movie was for me. Finally having a superhero that feels like “mine” after watching countless badass dudes or girls-in-groups like Gamora and Mantis.
This is a superhero I can claim. For once.
I know people have certain feelings about the movie based on the actors involved or other things. I acknowledge your thoughts and validate them. This post is based on my own experience and it comes from a place of various kinds of privilege, I know. I do not claim that Wonder Woman is perfect or beyond criticism.
juliameadows 