‘Woman’ gets movie spotlight, with high expectations

Latest Pokemon feature film to premiere at Japan expo

LOS ANGELES, June 3, (Agencies): More than 70 years after she first burst upon the scene in her red bustier and blue shorts, Wonder Woman is finally getting her turn in the movie spotlight, and expectations could hardly be higher.

“Wonder Woman,” with the title role played by former Israeli army soldier Gal Gadot and out in movie theaters worldwide this week, is the first female superhero film since 2005’s box office dud “Elektra,” and the first to be directed by a woman.

“I feel it was a lot of expectation resting on the shoulders of this film and resting literally on the shoulders of Wonder Woman,” said director Patty Jenkins, whose budget was more than $150 million.

“We tried to make a movie for everybody a la the grand classic films from ‘Superman 1’ to ‘Indiana Jones,’ so I hope we actually get a little of everyone,” she added, referring to hopes that both men and women would see the movie.

Since her inception in 1941 in DC comic books with her patriotic red bustier embossed with a golden eagle and blue shorts with white stars, Wonder Woman has become a symbol of female empowerment in a comic book world dominated by male superheroes like Batman, Superman and Iron Man, and by male fans.

Actress Lynda Carter became the embodiment of Wonder Woman when she played her in the highly popular 1970s television series.

But times have changed. Last year Wonder Woman lost her position as an honorary ambassador for the United Nations after a grass roots petition slammed the character as “a white woman of impossible proportions, scantily clad ... the epitome of a ‘pin-up’ girl.”

In the film, Wonder Woman’s red and gold bodice doubles as a suit of armor in fight scenes in which she darts and dodges bullets, knives and thunder bolts.

“I love the costume,” Gadot said. “I think it’s beautiful, I think it’s practical, easy to move in and to fight. And I also think it’s sexy.”

The Warner Bros movie returns to the origins of Diana Prince, growing up in an all-female paradise island of Amazonian warriors who teach her knowledge, language and fighting skills.

When American pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes there, Diana learns about World War One and leaves the island to follow Steve to the front lines to vanquish the war god.

Gadot, 32, says the Wonder Woman created by Jenkins is far from perfect, and that’s what makes her interesting.

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The 20th Pokemon feature film, “Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You!” will world premiere at the Japan Expo in Paris in July before its release in Japan on July 15.

The popularity of augmented-reality game Pokemon Go has spurred interest worldwide in all things Pokemon.

The Japan Expo convention, held every year in Paris, France, focuses on Japanese popular culture including manga, animation, games and music. In recent years, attendance has been increasing from other European countries. Over 200,000 people visit the convention each year. This year’s Japan Expo will be held from July 6 to 9 at Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre.

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For its eighth edition, the London Indian Film Festival will present award-winning pics from Cannes, Berlin, and Venice. This year, the fest puts the focus and Brexit themes.

Opening June 22 with “The Black Prince,” by Kavi Raz and starring Shabana Azmi and Jason Flemyng, the event runs until June 29 with films unspooling at 11 theaters around London. The closing night film is Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s “Sexy Durga,” which has been winning acclaim on the fest circuit.

“We are delighted to bring London audiences a carefully curated selection of the very best new Indian and South Asian independent cinema; all films are English subtitled, offering a rare window into over a billion South Asian lives,” said fest director Cary Rajinder Sawhney.