Wonder Woman: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Since its opening, Wonder Woman has generated lots of social media chatter — and even more revenue…

In fact, close to $300 million worldwide to date. It’s the most Tweeted film of all time and is being touted as both a summer action blockbuster and the ultimate woman’s superhero film.

SPOILER ALERT  If you haven’t seen the movie yet, please see it first and then read this post.

Here are my own inspirational insights and lessons  about the movie  and my takeaways about life, business, superheroes, and women who are changing the game.

1. Never give up and be patient! The movie director (Patty Jenkins) has been producing pilots over the past 14 years, since her amazing directorial debut in Monster. She was called in to direct Wonder Woman after the first director exited, following creative differences. Jenkins may be the highest grossing woman movie director of all time. She hasn’t yet negotiated a deal for the sequel, but I hope she gets paid what she’s worth. She is a superhero!
2. Compromise in business is sometimes necessary,  especially in Hollywood.
   Jenkins didn’t originally want to cast Gail Gadot as the lead, but she picked her battles. In fact, she fought hard to keep one of the most touching and pivotal scenes in the film.
3. Unattractive women are not one-dimensional…in fact, they are sympathetic and complex.  Etta Candy and Doctor Poison were not scantily clad, seductive, or one-dimensional in the movie. They were complex characters. Etta was just “doing her job” and Dr. Poison was a science geek who was crushing on General Ludendorff, who was urging her to make poison gas.  In Monster, Patty Jenkin’s first film, Charlize Cheron won an Oscar for portraying a woman who did heinous things for love.
4. That said, Amazons should not be all skinny and fit. I loved the fact that the women on the “ladies’ only island” were self-sustaining and powerful, but I would have been OK with seeing some plus-size women in the tribe.
   
5. Weird girls can grow up to be superwomen. OK…Zeus was her daddy. But Wonder Woman was an awkward and smart kid. Some of us have been there.
6. Who survives as a woman? Of course, Wonder Woman is a warrior and superhero. But the fact that she let Doctor Poison live is  a very powerful statement. Empathy and sisterhood trumped anger. I wonder if she will resurface in the sequel. Steve Trevor’s secretary Etta also lived on.
   
7. Men can sometimes change (although most of us won’t have a lover in our lives like Chris Pine who will die for us and save the world). Wonder Woman did not allow her principles to be compromised by the man in her life. She was all good — even after she lost her lover.
8. Always carry a sword in your evening gown — just in case. Yeah…lipstick and your phone too. Women need to be prepared to fight back when they need to. Wonder Woman only took out her sword and/or crossed her arms — while wearing the “Bracelets of Submission” when things got really rough. Sometimes we need to just pull out all our fiercest weapons when we’re under attack. And not say “Sorry!”
9. Enemies are not always who you think they are. Enough said.
   
10. Disobeying your mother (even if she is a queen) can be OK. When Wonder Woman left the island to save the world, her mom was pretty pissed-off. But even though we worry about our daughters, sometimes we have to let them go off and save the world. 
    

I’d love to hear your perspectives on the movie too! And be sure to check out sheBOOM for profiles of real life wonder women.