Gal Gadot demolished gender stereotypes as she boldly took the spotlight as Diana Prince in DC’s new movie “Wonder Woman,” the first female-driven superhero movie to hit theaters since 2004’s “Catwoman.”
More than half – 52 percent – of the film’s audience in its opening weekend were female, a significant number for a genre that has been dominated by men. The movie held the largest box office for a female director, with Patty Jenkins and her crew earning a well-deserved $100.5 million during the first weekend of screening.
Freshman Waverli Chu said, “It’s amazing that a woman has finally dominated the box office. I’m honestly tired of seeing male superheroes, and hope for more movies like Wonder Woman.”
It is the first film to top the $100 million mark since Lilly and Lana Wachowskis’ “The Matrix Reloaded” opened to $91.7 million in 2003, and Sam Taylor-Johnson’s “Fifty Shades of Grey” opened to $85.1 million in 2015, according to Box Office Mojo.
“Patty’s vision mesmerized the audience. She is a real talent. Clearly, this is a movie that is resonating with moviegoers around the globe,” said Warner Bros’ domestic distribution president Jeff Goldstein. “I am sure we will be seeing a lot more of Diana Prince on the big screen.”
Gadot portrays a fierce Amazon warrior princess in her land of Themyscira, who accompanies U.S spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) in London to help end World War I. Prince learns that the lives of human beings are very different than the lives of the Gods that she is familiar with, and with Trevor’s help she navigates the ways of human life.
When they’re not dodging bullets together, Trevor desperately tries to persuade Prince not to walk around England with her sword and shield all the time. These moments successfully portray Gadot and Pine’s strong chemistry, showing another difference that sets this film apart from other DC films: the romance is just as intense as the action.
Freshman Cynthia Zhang said, “Seeing the power of a female, instead of a male, for once really makes me feel like the movie industry is taking one step into the right direction.”
A recurring problem that Prince runs into throughout the movie is her task to constantly prove herself as strong enough to fight the men in the war.
She is not allowed in the conference room to discuss the war. She is considered wrong for her theories about Ares, the God of war, and at first, she is told to “stay back” during fighting. Prince is told by the men that she “sees things incorrectly.”
This is the part where Gadot’s character is idolized. She proves that she does not need the help of a man to complete her assignment of ending the war, and leaves Trevor behind to fight Ares on her own.
Rolling Stones magazine said, “It’s one of the film’s main themes: Just because men think they know best about how the world works – whether it be warfare or social niceties – that doesn’t necessarily make it so.”
Gal Gadot will continue her record-breaking career as Wonder Woman in the D.C. Comics universe in November, alongside Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill in the collaborative film, “Justice League.”
How do you feel about Gadot’s performance as Diana Prince?