Feminism at the movies

Went to see Hancock with some friends on Saturday night (only because there was nothing else worth seeing). Not a bad movie, some fun moments, but I agree with critics and other commenters that the third act doesn't really work, having a much darker tone from the rest of the movie.

SPOILER ALERT

My complaint has to do with Charlize Theron's character, Mary. If you don't know already, her character is another superhero, but after millennia of combat, she has chosen to live anonymously in an LA suburb, cooking spaghetti for her husband and stepson. It is her character who fills in the gaps for the troubled Hancock, suffering from amnesia for the past 80 years. Before these details are revealed, we must witness a battle between the superheroes (she assures Hancock that she is the stronger of the two). She kicks ass, and that's fun, and her character shows grit and courage in subsequent scenes. But in the end, she returns to suburban obscurity, after telling Hancock that his destiny is to fight crime. My question is, WTF? The audience is told that LA is controlled by drug dealers and gangs. In addition, her husband says that she watches the news "all the time." What are we supposed to think about this women, who is powerful beyond measure, who has the opportunity to help save countless people, but instead chooses to remain detached? I suppose you could make the case that she's earned a rest after many centuries of duty, but I still object quite strongly to this anti-feminist message - that when given a choice, even an extraordinary woman will choose domestic security over a life devoted to a larger purpose.

Then, tonight, we had family movie night - we watched Shrek the Third, which I hadn't seen. Besides having a charming subplot about what it takes to be a father, Fiona motivates her fellow princesses (Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty) to go and fight for themselves, rather than waiting to be rescued. The message is neither subtle, nor obscured - it's explicit and part of the larger theme of the movie - be yourself! Incredibly refreshing! Sad that an animated movie gets it right while the "grown-up" movie falls back on outdated stereotypes. The only good news is that kids, who need to proactive message the most, are the ones getting it.

ADDENDUM

My friend Betsy, in response to my objections to Hancock, said, "Isn't Mary doing the Most Important Job in the World [raising a child]?" I don't really think so. There are thousands of kids born every day and the qualifications for raising them, unfortunately, are zilch. But if you have super powers, that makes you unique, and uniquely suited for the job of helping others on a larger scale - the job that Mary says is Hancock's job, even after she tells him that she's better at it than he is. You can't avoid it - it's a totally subversive message.

I also changed my mind about my final statement in the original post - while I think it's terribly important to give young girls the message that they should stick up for themselves, the audience for Hancock - teens and 20-somethings - are probably the female cohort that is most suseptible to a message that undermines their sense that they can do MORE than just support a man in his pursuits. Yuck, it's just so retro. It really bothers me, obviously.