Here's Why James Cameron Isn't Totally Impressed With Wonder Woman

Director also reacts to the idea that movies are bad at depicting powerful women

UPDATE: Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins is responding to James Cameron's critique of the film.

"James Cameron's inability to understand what Wonder Woman is, or stands for, to women all over the world is unsurprising as, though he is a great filmmaker, he is not a woman. Strong women are great," she wrote on Twitter. "His praise of my film Monster, and our portrayal of a strong yet damaged woman was so appreciated. But if women have to always be hard, tough and troubled to be strong, and we aren't free to be multidimensional or celebrate an icon of women everywhere because she is attractive and loving, then we haven't come very far have we."

She continued, "I believe women can and should be EVERYTHING just like male lead characters should be. There is no right and wrong kind of powerful woman. And the massive female audience who made the film a hit it is, can surely choose and judge their own icons of progress." 

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James Cameron may not be the biggest cheerleader for Wonder Woman in the Hollywood community.

While the big-screen project earned rave reviews from critics and impressive box office ticket sales across the country, one Hollywood director has a different take on the love and appreciation surrounding the film.

"All of the self-congratulatory back-patting Hollywood's been doing over Wonder Woman has been so misguided. She's an objectified icon, and it's just male Hollywood doing the same old thing," James shared with The Guardian. "I'm not saying I didn't like the movie but, to me, it's a step backwards."

He continued, "Sarah Connor was not a beauty icon. She was strong, she was troubled, she was a terrible mother, and she earned the respect of the audience through pure grit. And to me, [the benefit of characters like Sarah] is so obvious. I mean, half the audience is female!"

During his long career, James has been recognized for creating unforgettable female protagonists including Rose (Kate Winslet) in Titanic, Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton) in Terminator and Neyriti (Zoe Saldana) in Avatar.

Despite the success, James found himself almost at a loss for words to explain why movies don't do the best job at depicting truly powerful women.

"I don't—I don't know. There are many women in power in Hollywood and they do get to guide and shape what films get made," he shared. "I think—no, I can't account for it. Because how many times do I have to demonstrate the same thing over again? I feel like I'm shouting in a wind tunnel!"

Regardless of James' opinion, E! News confirmed back in July that Gal will return for Wonder Woman 2 as Diana of Themyscira. In fact, the studio already has a tentative release date for the highly anticipated sequel set for December 13, 2019.

"Thanks to ALL of you for making #WonderWoman a success," Gal shared on Instagram after the film reached another box-office milestone. "Wonder Woman has the best fans in the world."

(Originally published August 24, 2017 at 3:50 p.m. PST)