Which actress makes the best action heroine?
 

Iron Man 2 is coming out soon, with Scarlett Johansson playing the Black Widow. I haven't seen the movie, obviously, so I could be wrong, but I have a hard time believing that ScarJo could kick my ass. She's just too soft and girly. It's not the first time I've had reservations about an actress playing the bad ass--I couldn't really buy Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft either; those legs look awesome in an evening gown slit up to mid-thigh, but they looked spindly in lycra pants. Kate Beckinsale is another; I just don't think she is really intimidating. So which actresses do make believable action heroines?

My list, in no particular order and incomplete--

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Michelle Yeoh--she cut her teeth in martial arts films, and can sell the bad ass.

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Summer Glau--she surprised the hell out of me in Serenity; she doesn't strike you as "powerful", but she displayed remarkable flexibility, balance and control in the bar scene.

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Linda Hamilton--Famously butched up and bad ass for T2.

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Michelle Rodriguez--Has that "tuff chick" vibe down to a science. She made Kristanna Loken look like a girl scout in Bloodrayne.

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Carrie Anne Moss--Even knowing it was all done with wire work and camera trickery, Trinity was a believable bad ass.

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Milla Jovovich--There was a time when I put her in the Jolie/Beckinsale camp; I think she's much better at "tough" now.

My number one tuff chick--
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Zoe Bell--Okay, it's a bit of a cheat. She's a stunt woman first, and an actress second. But there is absolutely, positively no doubt in my mind that Zoe Bell, or any character she is playing, can kick my ass, easily; probably with one, or both, hands tied behind her back.

I still have a thing for Lucy Lawless, corny I know, but in her Xena prime she was pretty fun to watch.

and yes, i know she is about to be naked in Spartacus, I hope to see it.

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Sigourney Weaver--Ripley was one of the pioneers of bad ass chicks

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Katee Sackhoff--A tougher Starbuck than the original

In all honesty, I can say, from all of your nice descriptive (and visual!) examples of butt-kicking femme-fatales, the only one I've actually seen a film or two of in its entirety was that of Milla Jovovich. All the others, I have very little inkling of why they are 'hardcore', or I've never finished the films they've starred, so I don't mention them
(that's my little idosyncrasy: if I have never finished watching a film from start to finish, I've actually "never seen" that film. That's why, to this day, I will state I have not seen Alien, Predator, or The Terminator.)


Anyway, because this topic is always popular when they arise every few months with a new caveat, I still find a new way to gravitate towards it.

Not original, but still the best portrayal of Milla I can ever acknowledge:

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'Leeloo', the "supreme being, reborn" from The Fifth Element. (I did like 'Alice', though)

Allow me to save you some time: Fleshbot: Lucy Lawless search. Enjoy!

It's really all about acting ability. Her stunt double will handle most of the fighting and I'm sure that Scarlett has enough ballet/dance/etc. ability to pull of the rest.

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Okay, who's fapping it to this thread?

ME!!!

I'll post contributions later! Good thread.

Hmmm, I don't think we want those kind of contributions. ;)

Another vote for Michelle Yeoh. She kicked some serious ass in Super Cop with Jackie Chan.

I'd have to throw in Uma Thurman in contention, as the Bride from Kill Bill I and II.
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I found her pretty badass.

A good while back I would've said Linda Carter and Lindsay Wagner. :thumbsup:

This one's a no brainer.
Chloe Moretz as Hit-Girl

I'd have to say Summer Glau (Serenity) or Ellen Page (Hard Candy)

Well, after waiting for what seems like a month, I finally got around to finding this post in my notes... I entitled it 'Fugly' so I knew where exactly to first feature it.
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Icon series by Alicia_Forrest

author's comments:
Icon series for a booklet for Mullins Adv. Dig. Imaging class classic women of sci-fi movies. Barbarella, Princess Leia, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver Alien), Rachel (Blade Runner), Leeloo (5th element) and last one of course Trinity cause she's the most badass of them all, second of course being Milla Jovovich

I promise you, you WANT Salem's contributions! :D

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1024x768

Sharon Stone in Catwoman ... but she was a villainess ... I like my girls BAD!

Jennifer Garner of ALIAS fame..

ALIAS Sydney Bristow's Disguises: A Photo Gallery

Stephanie Jacobsen:
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In both Battlestar Galactica: Razor and Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles (she seems to gravitate to projects with a colon in the title), she managed to bring equal measures of emotional/character depth and badassery. It's not enough to give people mean looks, you have to be a believable yet impressive kind of badass. Also, she's gorgeous. She has these sultry lips and deep, dark, mysterious eyes. Her talents are being seriously wasted on the new Melrose Place series. If I were casting something, she'd be the first name on my call list.

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Zoe Saldana
"Anamaria," Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
"Uhura," Star Trek (2009)
"Neytiri," Avatar

Zoe never fails to maintain her femininity while stepping up to take action.



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Gina Torres
"Cleopatra," Xena: Warrior Princess
"Zoe Washburne," Firefly and Serenity

Gina plays the epitome of the woman warrior.



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Kate Beckinsale
"Selene," The Underworld series

No one plays the role of "hot benevolent supernatural predator" like Kate does. Oh, and two words: "black" and "shiny."

---------- Post added at 01:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:28 PM ----------

I will have to say—after seeing the film twice—that the way they framed the action sequences, it was very convincing. They did a wonderful job capturing ScarJo's "soft and girly" features and contrasting them with her "Black Widowness."

I was convinced that she could kick any of our asses.

Jamie Presley was pretty good in DOA...as far as action goes. the movie was kinda crap though.

Milla is always good in RE flicks, she should have had Aeon Flux.

I have to agree with Gina Torres, she always comes off well in those roles.

She's never done one in a non humor movie that I'm aware of, but I think Lori Petty has the ability.

I also think Angela Bassett showed she has what it takes to pull off such roles when she was in Strange Days.