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

[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.