I wonder if on May 5th of last year, in the midst of The Avengers‘ first record-breaking weekend, some studio guys at Warner Bros. were kicking themselves because Joss Whedon was once on their payroll. His mission: to bring a live-action Wonder Woman movie to the big screen, a mission that eventually failed, but it’s one that a revolving door of other filmmakers haven’t enjoyed much success in accomplishing either.
But why? Why is Wonder Woman such a tough nut to crack? The easy answer is that it’s because she’s a female hero, but unlike her contemporaries like Superman and Batman, she doesn’t have a straightforward, consistent origin that’s been more or less unchanged for 70 years.
So go with the path of least resistance and keep it simple: an Air Force pilot named Steve Trevor crash lands on the island of Themyscira, home to the mythical Amazon tribe of warrior women who have been hidden from the world for centuries. Princess Diana returns with Trevor to the “world of men” where she uses her super-powers to fight for truth, justice and the rest.
Throw in a heavy dose of Greek mythology, and make Ares the God of War the bad guy and you’ve got a helluva movie going. Need a hint to do it right? Check out the animated Wonder Woman movie that Warner Animated released in 2009. It’s not perfect, but it shows that a Wonder Woman movie can be done, and done well.
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Published: Jun 22, 2013 08:33 pm