Wonder Woman!

[Derec]

Identity politics?
Oh.
Right.
You have to hate the movie because it doesn't star a white male. That makes you feel less manly or something, right?

That's not what he is saying. I think he is right that movies staring women and (certain) minorities get automatic bump with critics because of political correctness.
I.e. would a movie with a male superhero but otherwise the same have gotten the same high RT or MC rating? Probably not. That is not to say that the movie is necessarily bad, just that it probably gets a bonus with critic scores.

But WW might be on the receiving end of a different kind of identity politics. Namely, the movie is being hated by some Muslims because Gal Gadot is, *gasp*, Israeli. Lebanon even banned the movie from cinemas.
'Wonder Woman' banned in Lebanon because lead actress is Israeli

There have also been some other quite nasty reactions on the Internet around her being Israeli.

And so on.

My personal opinion is that the number of superhero movies is too damn high. I have grown bored of the genre years ago. I think Gal is nice looking though, so there's that.

 

[repoman]

Not exactly, if there were quite a few recent (there were some in the early to mid 2000s) female helmed action movies, then this would not be given an automatic bump. There are a lot of male led and coed ensemble action movies now. I think it is more of a numbers game. If a female led and directed movie is truly a terrible or mediocre movie in a time of true statistical under representation that is bad for everyone, even people who are anti-PC.

Granted it seems to have gotten the structure of the plot and other aspects right, judging by the reviews I have seen.

Also, it seems like one major reason it may be better than the other ones is the narrower focus, not to deny the talent in the movie as well.

I would say that DC's current underdog status compared to Marvel was equal for critics being tempted to soft pedal a stinker as being ok if that was the case.

A major bomb could be a mortal wound to DC at this point.

Also, Derec if you are gonna post pics, can you get smaller ones? Christ!

 

[KeepTalking]

Identity politics vs. Muslims hate it.

What is an alt-right conservative supposed to think or do in the face of such alt-reality twisting themes?

 

[Underseer]

Identity politics?
Oh.
Right.
You have to hate the movie because it doesn't star a white male. That makes you feel less manly or something, right?

That's not what he is saying. I think he is right that movies staring women and (certain) minorities get automatic bump with critics because of political correctness.
I.e. would a movie with a male superhero but otherwise the same have gotten the same high RT or MC rating? Probably not. That is not to say that the movie is necessarily bad, just that it probably gets a bonus with critic scores.

But WW might be on the receiving end of a different kind of identity politics. Namely, the movie is being hated by some Muslims because Gal Gadot is, *gasp*, Israeli. Lebanon even banned the movie from cinemas.
'Wonder Woman' banned in Lebanon because lead actress is Israeli

There have also been some other quite nasty reactions on the Internet around her being Israeli.

And so on.

My personal opinion is that the number of superhero movies is too damn high. I have grown bored of the genre years ago. I think Gal is nice looking though, so there's that.

Yes, of course you think that.

But then, you live in a propaganda-fueled fantasy world divorced from reality in which white people are the "victims."

 

[blastula]

Did anybody else get an anti-science message when Ares was saying how he whispered formulas and bomb instructions to humans? Did I mishear that?

 

[Jayjay]

Did anybody else get an anti-science message when Ares was saying how he whispered formulas and bomb instructions to humans? Did I mishear that?

Looking forward to the movie, but if that is the case, why didn't he do it two thousand years ago? Did Ares just invent bombs last century, or was he such a good sport before?

 

[blastula]

Well that's in line with why the gods always only fight with technology no better than what's available at the time. Why does a god even need a sword?

 

[EricB]

I am the only one who watches something like this and wonders why the female lead never looks like she works out at all or has trained more than a couple of weeks? Sure, I am not expecting an MMA champion to star in a feature film (I sure hope not) but a little real effort in the gym might actually do some good.

 

[bigfield]

I am the only one who watches something like this and wonders why the female lead never looks like she works out at all or has trained more than a couple of weeks? Sure, I am not expecting an MMA champion to star in a feature film (I sure hope not) but a little real effort in the gym might actually do some good.

I notice it too but it's not a mystery: Hollywood's beauty ideals are thin women and lean, muscular men, and beauty trumps realism in this art form.

 

[prideandfall]

Movie-going audience's beauty ideals are thin women and lean, muscular men, and beauty trumps realism in this art form.

fixed that for you.

 

[EricB]

I am the only one who watches something like this and wonders why the female lead never looks like she works out at all or has trained more than a couple of weeks? Sure, I am not expecting an MMA champion to star in a feature film (I sure hope not) but a little real effort in the gym might actually do some good.

I notice it too but it's not a mystery: Hollywood's beauty ideals are thin women and lean, muscular men, and beauty trumps realism in this art form.

Oh, I know it is not a mystery. But given that I have seen many women complain about the movie "false empowerment" or something like that, I am surprised there was not more commentary about how it looked like she could barely swing a fly-swatter, let alone manage a sword and shield.

 

[Underseer]

I am the only one who watches something like this and wonders why the female lead never looks like she works out at all or has trained more than a couple of weeks? Sure, I am not expecting an MMA champion to star in a feature film (I sure hope not) but a little real effort in the gym might actually do some good.

She and the other actress had a very specific workout regimen and a very specific high calorie diet designed to help them out on muscle.

If the lead looked scrawny, it was probably because many of the Amazonian extras were actual athletes.

 

[Cobalt]

As it concerns the story, such as it is, her power doesn't stem from her muscles. Did Ares in the film look like the Hulk?

 

[Underseer]

She's not huge, no, but she's not scrawny either.

 

[jab]

WW in WWI??? Not for me. Why not make it the American Civil WAr, or the Napoleonic Wars, or Joan of Arc's war, or the Spaniard vs. the Aztecs?
Yawn.

 

[Derec]

Well that's in line with why the gods always only fight with technology no better than what's available at the time. Why does a god even need a sword?

 

[funinspace]

I am the only one who watches something like this and wonders why the female lead never looks like she works out at all or has trained more than a couple of weeks? Sure, I am not expecting an MMA champion to star in a feature film (I sure hope not) but a little real effort in the gym might actually do some good.

She and the other actress had a very specific workout regimen and a very specific high calorie diet designed to help them out on muscle.

If the lead looked scrawny, it was probably because many of the Amazonian extras were actual athletes.

Ok, so they improved from the 1970's TV WW... Then again the Batman movie with Michael Keaton wasn't exactly a muscle bound guy.

There are some like Michiko Nishiwaki who can actually look more the part:

 

[Underseer]

She and the other actress had a very specific workout regimen and a very specific high calorie diet designed to help them out on muscle.

If the lead looked scrawny, it was probably because many of the Amazonian extras were actual athletes.

Ok, so they improved from the 1970's TV WW... Then again the Batman movie with Michael Keaton wasn't exactly a muscle bound guy.

There are some like Michiko Nishiwaki who can actually look more the part:
View attachment 11440

While I personally like athletic bodies, I think what we got in the movies was more than good enough.

 

[Underseer]

WW in WWI??? Not for me. Why not make it the American Civil WAr, or the Napoleonic Wars, or Joan of Arc's war, or the Spaniard vs. the Aztecs?
Yawn.

Actually, I think World War 1 is a better fit for a classic Wonder Woman vs Ares story.

During the lead up to the war, there was a series of heartbreaking diplomatic disasters in which diplomats almost managed to prevent a war that no one really wanted. The story of how that war started almost sounds like manipulation by the comic book version of Ares.

Further, we find that

Show

Ares altered the terms of the armistice to make the next world war inevitable.

 

[EricB]

I am the only one who watches something like this and wonders why the female lead never looks like she works out at all or has trained more than a couple of weeks? Sure, I am not expecting an MMA champion to star in a feature film (I sure hope not) but a little real effort in the gym might actually do some good.

She and the other actress had a very specific workout regimen and a very specific high calorie diet designed to help them out on muscle.

If the lead looked scrawny, it was probably because many of the Amazonian extras were actual athletes.

She looked scrawny because she was scrawny. No real LBM in any of the critical areas for fighting prowess/athletic ability, and this was true regardless of who she was standing next to.