What's the Deal With Women Superheroes on Screen?

If you're a regular viewer of superhero movies, you probably would have noticed how poorly female superheroes are treated on screen. Some of the most loved female heroes have either been bumped to minor roles in comic book movies, or in worst cases headlined some of the worst movies over the past two decades.

Given the current crop of superhero movies, you would expect to see at least some films devoted to women superheroes. No such luck. If anything Hollywood seems to be deliberately avoiding making films based on female heroes. Take for instance Wonder Woman. One of the most beloved female DC characters of all time was caught in movie development hell for a long time. Even when DC had appeared to get the ball rolling for a Wonder Woman TV series, the show was cancelled after its pilot episode.

1) The X-Men franchise:

The X-Men have some of the most famous female superheroes. Yet we've barely seen anything from them on screen. Mutant goddess Storm was reduced to spending the entire two movies behind the controls of the X- Jet. Bryan Singer spent the entire second X-Men movie building up Jean Grey's split persona as the destructive Phoenix, for Brett Ratner to keep the character in silence for the whole of The Last Stand. It seems Fox are afraid to unleash the full potential of their female mutants, even if the mutant's power is an essential story device.

2) Fantastic 4:

Yet, another one of Fox's disaster movies. The Fantastic 4 members were terribly cast. With the exception of Chris Evans as The Human Torch, Loan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis and Jessica Alba should stay clear of superhero films in the future. Perhaps the worst in the bunch was Alba as the Invisible Woman. Were the guys behind Fantastic 4 unsure of Alba's looks? As she was constantly changing contact lenses and hair colour in attempt to look more Barbie as the film progressed. Perhaps they should have focused less on making Alba undress in every F4 movie, and more so on character development.

3) Elektra and Catwoman:

Two of the most beloved female superheroes from Marvel and DC have had the misfortune of starring in perhaps two of the worst comic book movies to date. Despite impressing in Daredevil, Jennifer Garner was forced to endure a 2005 spinoff movie, with ridiculous plot lines and terrible acting. I though Garner was one of the only few highlights in Daredevil, showing that female heroes can have substance, yet all that was in pushed aside in Elektra, as Garner just became a device for action sequences.

Catwoman is a different beast all together. Halle Berry is awkwardly cast (and no it has nothing to do with her race) as she is stripped of any essence of the beloved DC character. This is not the Selina Kyle from the comics. No, Berry's Catwoman lacks any presence or motivation, and it's hard to believe why she takes up the mantle 0f Catwoman if it's just to get revenge on a few who wronged her. Did I mention the movie is ridiculed by terrible dialogue and CGI? I just hope Anne Hathaway restores Selina Kyle to cinematic glory and she isn't just in The Dark Knight Rises movie as someone for Bruce to bed.

I only have such a gripe with how women superheroes are portrayed on screen because it reflects how Hollywood is still living in the dark ages. There are tons of female characters from the comics that deserve movies. I'm sure audiences would have preferred a Wonder Woman or Black Canary movie far more than the recent DC flop Jonah Hex. If Marvel and DC continue to portrayal female heroes this bad, then I expect future movies such as Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow to be box office flops.

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Women In Science Fiction And Fantasy Break The Mold

Women in science fiction and fantasy films are free from stereotypical restraints often slapped on other female characters. In traditional sitcoms especially, women seem to be thrust into unoriginal character molds, either quirkily manic, the lovable hot girl whom all guys want or a passive aggressive, mean middle-aged mother.

Most female characters seen in science fiction tend to be more complex than that. They usually have complicated romantic storylines, just as in other dramas, and yes, they're often pretty hot, too. However, sci-fi writers tend to give women more credit for their intelligence, empathy and kick-ass abilities than writers of other series do.

The great thing about women in science fiction is the range of personalities that are represented. These women are often operating in outer space, such as the much praised Star Trek heroines Seven of Nine from Star Trek: Voyager and Nyota Uhura, a character that made waves for being part of the first interracial kiss on television.

Storylines set in outer space actually provide a fantastical and fascinating place for a plot to unfold, especially as it relates to women. In addition to the romantic storylines that inevitably come up, living in a limited space such as a space ship and dealing with the unpredictable natures of intergalactic enemies will bring out multiple facets of a character's personality. This gives writers an opportunity to develop interesting, dynamic female roles that go beyond slapstick humor or trivialities.

Of course, there are plenty of sci-fi heroines who have made their mark by kicking butt back on Earth as well.

Sarah Connor, mother to the all-important John Connor in the "Terminator" series, is probably one of the most memorable take-no-prisoner's women in sci-fi history, at least as she appears in "Terminator 2: Judgement Day." Her dedication to keeping her son safe and trying to save the world transform her from a scared damsel in distress into a hardcore femme fatale.

Let's not forget Agent Scully, the "X-Files" heroine who was the ultimate strong woman of the 1990s. As the rational scientist throughout most of the show, who based her beliefs on evidence rather than faith, Scully was a departure from the stereotype that men are rational while women believe solely in what they feel. Gillian Anderson's portrayal of the smart, tough character left a lasting impression on viewers for years to come.

Going further back we have Jaime Sommers, the main character in "The Bionic Woman." Sommers becomes superhuman when she is saved from a skydiving accident by receiving bionic implants. She becomes a CIA operative in exchange for the life-saving implants, an agreement arranged by her boyfriend, "Six Million Dollar Man" Steve Austin. Sommers is an example of the survivor character, who is alive against the odds and now not only has to come to grips with the way her body and entire life has changed, but also has to fend for herself during dangerous undercover operations. She is a complex, interesting character whose storyline and personality traits enhance the show dramatically.

These are but a few of the fascinating female characters with which science fiction shows are populated. The genre continues to push the limits with storytelling and character development, which no doubt means there are more exciting, memorable heroines the world has yet to meet.

Matthew DiConti
Author
Moorpark, CA
http://www.matthewdiconti.com/

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Women in Film honors Annette Bening, Katie Holmes (AP)

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Annette Bening, Katie Holmes, CBS President Nina Tassler, director Pamela Fryman and cinematographer Reed Morano have been recognized as leaders in their fields by Women in Film.

The nonprofit group honored the women Thursday at its annual Crystal and Lucy awards ceremony in Beverly Hills.

In accepting her award, Bening said she is "entering into a new phase" and "beginning again" and hinted at some interesting projects in the coming year. Holmes thanked her parents, who were in the audience, and husband Tom Cruise, "whose commitment to his work and family inspires me daily."

Tassler oversees primetime, daytime and late-night programming at CBS. Fryman is a director of "How I Met Your Mother." Morano's credits include 2008's "Frozen River."

Elizabeth Taylor was also recognized for her humanitarian efforts. Her granddaughter Naomi Wilding accepted the award.

Women in Film President Cathy Shulman dedicated the evening to Laura Ziskin, the "Spider Man" producer and Stand Up To Cancer co-founder producer who died earlier this week of breast cancer.

"Bridesmaids" star Melissa McCarthy sang and danced as host of the fundraising event at the Beverly Hilton hotel, where Martin Sheen, Geena Davis, Neil Patrick Harris, Elle Fanning and Jenna Elfman were among the celebrity guests.

Women in Film was established in 1973 to help women succeed in the entertainment industry by providing scholarships, classes and other services and support.

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Online:

www.wif.org

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