In the world of Robert Rodriguez's We Can Be Heroes, not all heroes have superpowers.
Just look at Ms. Granada, played by Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
Granada doesn't have a costume, a code name, or special abilities, but when the world needs
the Heroics, there's no one better to lead the charge.
After an alien spacecraft attacks two of Earth's most powerful heroes, the Heroics learn that
more ships are on the way.
A lot more.
And so, the Heroics' support staff leaps into action - and from the very beginning, there's
no doubt who's running the show.
As this scene shows, Ms. Granada may not be on the front lines, but she's the one calling
all of the shots.
"We've never dealt with anything like this before."
"That's impossible."
"Which heroes should we send, ma'am?"
"All of them.
Call the president.
He's the only one that can authorize a full-scale Heroic attack."
"It's before noon.
He'll still be asleep."
"Wake him up!"
Chopra Jonas' forceful charisma is striking for viewers who haven't seen her before, but
it's been a running theme throughout her acting career.
In her breakout movie, Aitraaz, Chopra Jonas plays a woman who stops at nothing in her
hunt for power.
Similarly, in Seven Sins Forgiven, Chopra Jonas stars as Susanna Anna-Marie, who has
no qualms about killing each of her six husbands when their personality flaws prove too much
to deal with.
Chopra Jonas shows the same fortitude, grit, and resolve when she plays heroes, too.
For Mary Kom, in which she plays the real-life boxer who's famous for winning a record eight
World Championship medals, Chopra Jonas nabbed all kinds of award-seasons gold.
On the TV thriller Quantico, Chopra Jonas starred for three seasons as Alex Parrish,
a tough-as-nails FBI agent, terror suspect, and, ultimately, CIA operative.
If you want steely strength, you cast Chopra Jonas.
She never fails to deliver.
Of course, Chopra Jonas doesn't only play hard, unyielding badasses.
Over the course of her almost-20-year career, she's appeared in everything from superhero
thrillers like Krrish to comedies.
Just look at Chopra Jonas' performances in movies like Barfi!, Baywatch, and Isn't it
Romantic.
When it comes to comedy, she has the chops.
"Miss A Capella Vox, would you please refrain from using your high voice.
Every dog in the neighborhood has surrounded our building."
She has to walk a very fine line in We Can Be Heroes.
Lean too much into Granada's hard edges, and she becomes too serious for a lighthearted
action-adventure movie.
Go too far the other way, and she loses the ferocity that makes her special.
As this scene proves, Chopra Jonas found the perfect balance.
Ms. Granada doesn't have any straight-up jokes in this scene, but the humor comes across
in the way she moves and the way she talks.
"Sharkboy and Lavagirl.
They still married?"
"This isn't a two-hero job."
"Look…"
"Okay, so we'll send three.
Happy?"
The emotional highpoint of this scene comes at the end, when Ms. Granada convinces Marcus
Moreno to rejoin the Heroics.
"Excuse me, Marcus.
What are you still doing here?
When I said everyone, I meant everyone."
"I can't suit up.
I promised my daughter."
"Okay, well, I'm sorry.
They'll need all the help they can get, and you know it.
It's time for you to rejoin the team.
Time to be a Heroic again.
That is an order."
This is a theme that pops up again and again in Chopra Jonas' career.
Many of her movies are about working to overcome adversity and become a better person.
Mary Kom, for example, had to overcome an indifferent coach, a disapproving family,
and a non-stop parade of powerful opponents in order to make her dreams a reality.
In Fashion, Chopra Jonas plays a model who struggles to maintain her decency, reputation,
and health while navigating the cutthroat world of high fashion.
In Bajirao Mastani, she's a noble's wife whose marriage is shattered when he has an affair
- and yet, when her husband's mistresses' life is threatened, she steps up to save her
anyway.
Not every character that Chopra Jonas plays is so inspirational, but there are enough
of them in her filmography to make her a legitimate role model.
And that makes her a great fit for We Can Be Heroes.
Striving to make yourself better is what the movie is all about - and as this scene shows,
nobody's better at giving you a push than Chopra Jonas.
"Yes ma'am."
"Good."
Thanks for watching.
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