OT: New Wonder Woman Unveiled

[lazypadawan]

This is from NBC's pilot for a new Wonder Woman t.v. series, unfortunately brought to be you by David E. Kelley (sigh), starring Adrienne Palicki.

The show might be good or it might suck, so I'll just critique the look here. It tries to bridge the classic look for Wonder Woman and the horrid new getup they have for her in the comics. But I'm not feeling the shiny leatherette pants; why are they necessary? Does NBC's censors have a problem with bare legs? Palicki fits what Hollywood thinks is fit, but she just looks thin, not athletic. By comparison, Lucy Lawless's Xena really did look like an Amazon warrior.

What truly annoys me is they (to use EW.com's words) "de-emphasized patriotism", or more accurately, took the the American out of the costume. Gone is the red-white-and-blue scheme and there aren't any stars but the red stars on her headband and her bustier. Apparently NBC wants to make sure this plays in Beijing instead of Peoria.

There seems to be a run on movies and t.v. shows taking American icons and symbols and diluting or even eliminating their American character with the excuse that it wouldn't otherwise work in the international market. Superman was for "truth, justice, and all of that stuff" in Bryan Singer's boring 2006 film "Superman Returns." Everyman soldier G.I. Joe became some vague internationalist quasi-military organization called G.I. JOE based out of Belgium. BELGIUM?? The upcoming Captain America movie is going to be called something else in the foreign market and the people making the film promise no flag-waving whatsoever that might offend some America hater's sensibilities.

To those who think people in Korea or Botswana won't see a movie or show with some blatant American stuff in it, I say, "Bull puckey." People have been fascinated with the Texas oil barons of "Dallas," the California beaches of "Baywatch," and the New York City of "Seinfeld" and "Sex And The City" for decades. The Sam Raimi Spider Man flicks didn't shy away from the waving flag and those movies were big international hits. Audiences aren't stupid. They know what they're getting when they tune into an American-made show or movie, just as I know what I'm getting when I watch a Chinese sword flick or a British-made series.

Here's the t.v. Wonder Woman I grew up with:



Update: knight_ander just posted that apparently Lynda Carter approves.

Comments

[designersdilemma.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

I don't mind if Cap, Diana or the Rocketeer wants to wave the flag, but I do want to say that I really couldn't stand how it was pushed into the "Spider-Man" movies. Sam Raimi tried to turn Peter Parker into a red-white-and-blue all-American superhero, but forgot to make him a New Yorker. Speaking as one myself, I really missed the quips and wisecracks that he always had in the comics, replaced by that stoic, serious sensibility that dragged everything down. The closest we got to a classic friendly neighborhood crack was in the cage-match with Macho Man in the first film, hassling the wrestler about his costume-- "Did your husband make it for you?"

Charlie don't surf, and Spidey don't gay-bash.

That outfit on Wonder Woman does look absolutely attrocious, I will say. I could understand if you wanted to emphasize her ties to Greek mythology rather than the all-American thing (she IS an Amazon princess, after all), but this is just plain generic. Give her a Xena-style leather skirt and armor. Make it red-white-and-blue in subtle tones that could work for her mythic or modern adventures. It is possible to do it both ways, here. You don't have to go for something as utterly boring as this.

Perhaps they're trying to match the skirt-less look she has in the comics now, which is also boring, and has been criticized? Reminds me of how Gloria Steinham complained when DC depowered Wonder Woman and dressed her in an all-white Emma Peel outfit in the 60's (that was Gloria Steinham, right?).

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

It might have been.

[darth-pipes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it weas Steinham. Remember seeing something about that on a comic book documentary.

Spider-Man was definitely a disappointment when he was in the costume, which was less than 1% of the time. He was so dull when he was in the costume, no wise cracks.

[designersdilemma.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

I didn't particularly like him while he was out of the costume, either. Mostly, I don't really like the actor they picked-- yeah, he was an indie darling for a while, but MAN is he whitebread. I don't much care for how they turned Mary Jane into something of a high-school tramp, either, when in the comics, she was more of a soap-opera style superbitch (and I mean that in a good way).

[darth-pipes.livejournal.com]

I thought the worst was Mary Jane dumping Jameson's son at the alter. Usually movies would make a guy like that into a total jerk and you'd be happy when he gets stood up. But the little we see of John Jameson, he's a nice guy who didn't deserve to be utterly humuliated like that.

[may-child.livejournal.com]

My objection to the new getup is that it is just plain ugly. And what's it made of? Plastic? The shininess is off-putting.

Lynda Carter, noting the similarities between WW and Xena, joked that her version of WW was the "original Warrior Princess."

[knight-ander.livejournal.com]

I'm good with the costume. The show probably won't last more than eight episodes (ala the Bionic Woman remake), but I'm willing to wait and see.

[designersdilemma.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

Yeah, that's kinda what bothers me. This won't last long, and as with "The Cape", NBC is wasting time and money they could've spent on some other superhero show. Too bad they didn't already have one before. Now, if only they could get a show about cops and attorneys in New York off the ground...

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

Heh heh. It seems like every show on network t.v. is about cops, lawyers, and doctors, mostly in New York.

Maybe NBC can make a show about a cop and a lawyer who moonlight as superheroes in NYC.

[designersdilemma.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

My point is that they already did, kinda, in "Heroes". Maybe my sarcasm was laid on a bit too thick, there. It just seems so ridiculous to keep constantly cancelling shows only to greenlight stuff that's just slightly retooled from it. "Heroes" is gone, but "The Cape" and THIS are put to series-- wouldn't it have been easier to just try and work with what they already had, the existing fanbase, and simply find a new creative team to give it a better direction?

"Law & Order" being replaced by "Law & Order LA" makes even less sense. What killed that show as how it got reshuffled in so many bad timeslots after Jay Leno sabotaged NBC's 10pm line-up.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Um, is she supposed to look like she's wearing hooker pants?

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

They look like something Dov Charney designed for American Apparel and would have a 14-year-old model.

[angelskiss.livejournal.com]

I'm not bothered by the updating of the costume. Sometimes it's nice to get a fresh look. (And I grew up with Lynda Carter.) What bugs me is the de-Americanizing of it.

[rkc-erika.livejournal.com]

The costume is a live-action version of the newest updated version that they put into the Comics this year.

I don't have a problem w/ the lack of stars and stripes. WW is the one character who hasn't had any real updates to her costume over the years, unlike Bats and Supes gets in the comics. The stars and stripes were there when she came into being because she was a superhero during a time when the world was at war - I've got no problem w/ toning down the patriotic flares. I like the leggings also - it's nice not seeing her butt-cheeks hanging out.

I do think the fabric looks like it's in danger of squeaking though. Other than that, I like it.

[knight-ander.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much what I wanted to say. :)

[rkc-erika.livejournal.com]

Wait - I just blew up the pic and am looking closely at it - she's got stars going down both of her legs on the outside of them - so the stars are still there.

[knight-ander.livejournal.com]

Good eye! I should have noticed that too when I made this icon. Whoops.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

Oh okay. Forget everything I said but for the shininess of her pants.

[matril.livejournal.com]

My main issue is one that doesn't seem to bother anyone else - it would be incredibly uncomfortable, if not impossible, to do any fighting while wearing a freaking corset. It works all right in a comic book depiction, but in real life it's all too obvious how tight and constricting it is. Surely they could have stayed true to the essence of Wonder Woman's costume without making it quite so ridiculously impractical.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

I would be sweating a lot in that outfit.

[darth-pipes.livejournal.com]

I seem to recall you and I having a reverse disagreement on the change in Wonder Woman's costume last year. I hated changing the practical look while you mentioned you didn't mind her wearing pants. What changed? ;)

We both agreed that we hated the de-emphasized patriotism, which is part of an ugly trend in Hollywood. GI Joe as an internationl peace-keeping force in Belgium. *shudders* I won't even see the new Captain America because of the internationalism they're trying to impose on everything.

Not to mention David E. Kelley is producing this. That means this show is going to be ridiculously political. He can't help himself. Joss Whedon, someone with a lot of comic book experienc, would have been a better choice for this project. I think he was attached to direct the aborted WW movie although Whedon can't make up his mind on everything and always seems to have issue with studios (and vice versa).

Anyway, onto the costume! In this case, I can see modernizing it for the new era. I don't think bare legs is practical for fighting crime and the bare legs/skirt look would just look kind of odd. At the same time, the costume is ugly and restricting. The shineyness of it makes it look like some kind of adult Halloween costume. No sense of imagination at all. I'm shocked they actually kepte the blue/red colors. Nothing wrong with emphasizing her Amazon background but they should have put some stars on it too.

I've been a fan of Adrianne Palicki since Friday Night Lights. Was glad to see her get the role.

[designersdilemma.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

"Captain America" is being directed by "The Rocketeer" helmer Joe Johnston, so I think he'll be waving the flag enough. They're calling it "The First Avenger" internationally, I think, partly to boost the new "Avengers" film, and also because ol' Cap doesn't have as big a presence outside our own borders. As for the de-emphasized patriotism angle, I think that's mainly due to how cynical and sarcastic people are, rather than anti-American-- it's just hard to take all the red-white-and-blue costuming seriously after a while. Hell, Stan Lee didn't even want to bring Captain America into the 60's era of Marvel Comics because he thought the character was nothing but a jingoistic propaganda tool from World War II-- that's exactly what he WAS, of course, but in the modern era, he's been turned rather wonderfully into a living embodiment of everything that's noble and decent about America. I was never prouder than when he went after the Taliban post-9/11, or stood his ground against Iron Man and the federal superhuman registration during the "Civil War" storyline.

As for "GI Joe"-- the movie was fun, and I don't mind them being an international force, frankly, if for no other reason than we got to hear Mr. Eko speak in his natural British accent. "Don't make me shoot a woman!"

As for WW, I'll say again-- she's a mythic character. If you want to downplay the patriotism, at least play up the Amazon in her, please.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

They're hooker pants!

Well, it could have been worse, i.e. Aaron Sorkin or Ryan Murphy, but I just find Kelley's overall style annoying. Everything is about Boston or lawyers and it's full of his "quirky" touches like the same-sex bathrooms in "Ally McBeal" or shoe store/law office in "Harry's Law."

[designersdilemma.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

I dunno. At least Sorkin might've dressed her in star-spangled panties.