A character's outfit helps define who the character is in the context of the film — particularly
when it comes to period pieces and superhero movies.
Seemingly tiny incorrect details can cause a huge uproar among fans.
From metal bikinis to sparkly hot pants, let's take a look at some of the most controversial
movie costumes — and the explanations behind them.
Karen Gillan in Jumanji
In September 2016, audiences got their first look at a set photo from Jake Kasdan's Jumanji:
Welcome to the Jungle, a new adventure inspired by the beloved 1995 Robin Williams film.
In the photo, Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black are each wearing jungle-appropriate
outfits…alongside co-star Karen Gillan, who's wearing what amounts to child-sized
clothing.
The photo prompted immediate criticism, prompting Gillan to try and defuse controversy by telling
The Hollywood Reporter, "The payoff is worth it, I promise!"
The Hollywood Reporter later revealed that the first footage for the film does explain
Gillan's skimpy outfit.
"The plot involves four high-school students who are forced to clean out the basement of
their school while in detention.
They find an old video game (rather than a board game) and each chooses a character to
play."
So is the costume meant as tongue-in-cheek criticism of how video games portray women?
Maybe!
We'll have to wait and see.
George Clooney in Batman & Robin
Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin was a disaster, to put it mildly.
Setting aside the cartoony elements, the terrible dialogue, and poor plot choices, fans will
never forget the costumes — specifically the Bat-nipples.
"You can milk anything with nipples"
Schumacher explained his reasoning in a Batman special,
"The bodies for the suits — the inspiration for them are Greek statues that have perfect
bodies.
And, so, we're molding this perfect body in rubber, and they're anatomically erotic.
So, it never occurred to me not to put nipples on the men's suits because I didn't know the
male nipple was a controversial body part."
Ryan Reynolds in Green Lantern
Oscar winning costume designer Ngila Dickson came up with the unique idea that Green Lantern's
costume should be a manifestation of his power.
That could have led to some pretty cool visuals — but as fans immediately realized when
the first images of Green Lantern were released, the special effects just weren't up to the
job.
"Woah green!"
Wow
"I know, right?!"
Even star Ryan Reynolds also complained about how the costume made his job much harder to
do, saying,
"It's brutal doing a film where you're wearing a motion capture suit for the whole time.
I didn't even get to see the Green Lantern suit until the first trailer.
I never even knew what it looked like."
Rebel Wilson in Pitch Perfect 3
Even before Pitch Perfect 3 finished filming, the production caught flak after Rebel Wilson
posted a photo online of herself alongside co-stars Brittany Snow and Chrissie Fit, causing
fans online to accuse the film of size discrimination because Wilson's outfit had sleeves, while
her costars had bare arms.
That's right.
This was the start...of "sleevegate."
Costume designer Salvador Perez ultimately took to Twitter to try and put out the fire.
"I let each actor decide how their costume fit, it was their choice.
Rebel, Ester & Hana Mae wanted sleeves."
In another photo posted by Kelley Jakle, each of the stars are seen wearing a variety of
styles of the same sailor top.
It appears that the photo that ignited the controversy in the first place may have been
taken out of context.
And that was the end...of "sleevegate."
Margot Robbie in Suicide Squad
Harley Quinn's big-screen debut in David Ayer's Suicide Squad was one of the movie's biggest
draws, especially since Margot Robbie was playing the famed villain.
As with any other comic book character, a lot of media attention focused on her costume
— particularly how much of it was missing.
When asked about her body-hugging costume, Robbie told The New York Times that Harley
was, quote, "wearing hot pants because they're sparkly and fun."
But the actress personally felt self-conscious about the outfit.
Ayer defended the look by saying that he "didn't think denim overalls would be appropriate
for that character."
Because that clearly was the only other possible choice.
Ryan Reynolds in X-Men Origins: Wolverine
You may have blocked it from your memory, but Ryan Reynolds played Deadpool before Deadpool.
Unfortunately, during his first outing as the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine,
the filmmakers decided to make the brave, bold choice of doing everything they could
to insult the character's fans.
They took away his comic book outfit, including his iconic mask, and they sewed his mouth
shut — leaving a character who's literally referred to as "the merc with a mouth" physically
unable to speak.
Studio ADI, who applied the creature effects for the film, made a video explaining their
whole side of the Deadpool tale.
The artists believe the studio didn't intend for Deadpool to be fully formed in Wolverine,
just a setup for what he could become in a later film.
"This is sort of a pre-Deadpool.
If you think of this as an embryonic Deadpool it might make more sense."
Bryce Dallas Howard in Jurassic World
Though audiences generally loved the big, dino-action, there was one big problem with
Jurassic World for some fans: Bryce Dallas Howard's heels, which somehow stay magically
glued to her feet even when running from a T-rex through mud, rain, and wet concrete.
But Howard defended the choice, telling Yahoo!
News, "I'm better equipped to run when I have shoes on my feet.
So that's my perspective on it.
I don't think she would carry around flats with her.
I think she's somebody who could sprint a marathon in heels…For me, it was actually
logical for her to be in that very illogical situation because she doesn't belong in the
jungle and yet she finds herself there and has to adapt."
Sylvester Stallone in Judge Dredd
In the comics, Judge Dredd famously never reveals his true face, a decision that's symbolic
of his dedication to his job.
There is no other, secret identity.
His helmet isn't a mask — it's who he is.
So it was a huge problem for fans when star Sylvester Stallone took his helmet off less
than 20 minutes into the film.
The reason was simple: Stallone's celebrity was more important than the source material,
and he wanted to showcase that famous face.
After all, what's the point in signing a superstar to a role when you never get to even see him?
As Judge Dredd writer Alan Grant said, "The story was subservient to Stallone, who, I
think, takes himself too seriously."
Or in other words:
"I am the law!"
Carrie Fisher in Return of the Jedi
Princess Leia's metal bikini struck an immediate chord with adolescent male fans of the Star
Wars series from the moment it debuted in Return of the Jedi.
But while the outfit was based on Frank Frazetta's legendary painting The Princess of Mars, plenty
of critics have since found the "slave Leia" costume to be a prime example of sexual objectification
— a sexist treatment of the series' only notable female character at the time.
Carrie Fisher, who played Leia and had to put up with decades of discussion around the
outfit, warned Daisy Ridley, star of The Force Awakens, "Don't be a slave like I was…
You keep fighting against that slave outfit."
Fisher later tweeted, "That chain only 'enslaved' me until I could use the frabjous thing to
KILL THAT DROOLING SWOLLEN SUPERTONGUED SLUG & whirl him off into infinity."
As always, Fisher had the last — and best — word.
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