I went to see Wonder Woman the other night. It was, as I’d expected, given the massive amounts of press, excellent. Here are two reasons why I liked it, and how it empowered me:

1. I realized that I’ve never seen a female superhero on film before. Yes, I have seen heroines who have withstood great emotional and physical traumas, and should be referred to as ‘superheroes,’ but I’ve never beheld a female Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne. The neat, packaged, blockbuster superhero was never for my sex. Wonder Woman is the woman I never knew I needed, the superhero that speaks to me, to my sisters, to my girlfriends in ways that Tony and Bruce never could.
2. Watching Diana cross no man’s land was one of the most magnificent moments in recent filmic history. I don’t want to spoil the plot, so I’ll say this: Diana’s determination and bravery made me cry. Seeing bullets flying at her face, watching her defend herself and kick ass, it’s what I’ve been needing for a while. It felt so cathartic, and also so symbolic. A woman enters a territory that no man will dare to cross, setting a precedent and defying expectations.

(Gal Gadot is obviously fabulous. She’s probably the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. And yet, the film writes her beauty into the script in an irreverent way, allowing moviegoers to view her as a peer rather than an idol.)

While I don’t think Wonder Woman is out to change your life and your perspective, it gifts you with a contemporary, progressive female superhero. And, of course, it’s always heartening to see a woman-helmed film do so well.