Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines

Gr 7 Up—Wonder Woman has been popular in comic books since 1941. During World War II, she was the only visible super-heroine. As women went to work to fill the jobs that soldiers left behind, they were pleased to have a role model in comic books who was strong, decisive, and kind. Unlike the other female characters in comics, Wonder Woman was not raped or rescued. She was in control. This documentary chronicles the growth and change of Wonder Woman and other graphic superheroines, such as Sheena, Bat-woman, and Lois Lane, as well as the period in the 1960s when Wonder Woman became a fashion boutique owner (what a pity!) and Lois Lane dropped her career ambitions in favor of marriage. Many women's advocates, including Gloria Steinem, founder of Ms. Magazine, Trina Robbins, author of The Great Women Superheros, and L. S. Kim, Film Studies Professor at UC Santa Cruz, give testimony about the influence of Wonder Woman as they were growing up. Images of Wonder Woman comics and film clips of Lynda Carter playing the role of Wonder Woman on TV supplement the expert testimony. The fact that Wonder Woman has persisted for over 70 years is remarkable considering that 30 percent of the women in action movies are killed off. The DVD features two versions of the movie—censored (the review version) and uncensored. The censored version would appropriate for all age groups, and would be especially useful in media and women's studies classes.—Ann Weber, Bellarmine College Prep., San Jose, CA