Super chicks in flicks

By Zee Monodee

I will admit it - I'm a die-hard chick flick fan. The romantic kind, and the kick-ass kind. *screeeeech* What did she just say??? Kick-ass chick flick?

You read that right! Chicks are fabulous action heroines nowadays! Forget John McClane and Arnie-who-was-elected to-lead-not-to-read (quip from the Simpsons' movie). There's a new type of gal in town and you don't wanna mess with her!

When I was growing up, the only strong heroine I knew was Wonder Woman. I actually wondered, once I started to wear a bra (I assure you this is not TMI!), how she could actually be such an action heroine and not have to think every other second how to keep her breasts from spilling from that strapless corset she wore. Didn't seem very comfortable to me... Also, how did she keep that long hair from getting tangled during all those fights and supersonic flights? For a long time, I didn't have any reference for an action heroine.

Fast-forward 1.5 decades later. At the DVD store or at the movie theater, I actually have to pause and ask myself - Angelina Jolie thriller or Jason Statham thriller? This happened to me when I was contemplating getting the DVD of Wanted or that of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Wanted won it in the end, and the ladies here might remember how much I gushed about this movie in a previous post on here! *grin*

So yes - Angelina Jolie. She has Brad Pitt (which would pretty much qualify her for super chick!), she juggles 6 kids under the age of 10 (and I say nominate her for sainthood coz I'm ready to kill my one and only brat of 7 after 12 uninterrupted hours with him!), and she kicks major booty in her movies! I mean come on - how many actresses you know could hold a John McLane-meets-Liam Neeson from Taken-meets-Jason Bourne movie on her very own shoulders? Case in point - Salt, her latest movie. I had the chance to catch this one recently and let me tell you that she rocks in there! So she's this CIA spy who's accused of being a Russian mole agent and she goes out to prove them wrong when all the secret services want to do is hold her down somewhere so nothing will be jeopardized. They hadn't counted on this sister breaking free! She plots, plans, manipulates, breaks some jaws and legs (she doesn't kill ruthlessly though), yet she is also a woman, because there is this man she loves, this man who threw his life to the wind because he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his days with her. she'll do everything to protect him (uh, husband in distress...? as opposed to the old damsel in distress?)

Now this isn't the only movie Angelina is so good as an action heroine. I go back to one of my fave movies - Wanted. She plays a trained assassin in this one, but she hasn't lost her humanity or her senses to be a mercenary killer, which you notice by the time is end is drawing close. In this one too, she fights, hits, delivers blows, bullets and a killer (pun intended!) body that rocks in leather!

So you might say there's only Angelina Jolie as your example? No, there are others. Women who rock the screen thanks to the tough roles they play.

Summer Glau (Serenity, Firefly, The 4400, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles). In an article on MSN TV about the Sci-fi Queens of the Small Screen, Summer was one of the first name that comes up. At only 29, she is already pretty much an established 'dangerous heroine' actress. They say one of her best abilities is to project a totally cold, detached, unemotional face. I remember her in TSCC - she played a robot sent from the future to protect John Connor. In times when she was 'de-activated', you really thought you were looking at a Madame Tussaud-type wax doll. And when her character veered between her mission to protect and her allegiance to the machines because she was after all, a machine - chills racked down my spine! Oh, did I mention she can fight? Summer Glau might look like a pretty doll but there's nothing fragile and dainty about this doll!

Moon Bloodgood (Journeyman, Terminator Salvation). In Journeyman she was a mysterious time-traveller. Calm, classy, regal, but she knew her stuff and what she was doing. Strong and solid without being brawny. In Terminator Salvation, she's a member of John Connor's posse to bring the machines down. A role she again takes on with calm poise yet with an aura of strength and capability that she exudes. Yeah too, she fights and kicks her way through. She also falls for human-machine hybrid Marcus Wright and is the only one who believes in his human heart right till the end. In the MSN article, Moon said she is drawn to masculine leading women. I'd say she exemplifies this trait perfectly. No one can say she isn't a woman, but she is no wilting wallflower waiting to be rescued. She is a strong woman in a man's world, and she sure knows how to make herself respected!

From here on, I backtrack a few years because in my fascination with strong action chicks, I came across other women on the past decade who rocked but at the time, didn't seem to have been given their due. I'm thinking of Geena Davis, Sigourney Weaver, and Linda Hamilton.

Who doesn't remember The Long Kiss Goodnight? I watched that movie with my hubby a few years ago and I was riveted. There was this suburban mom who starts to regain her memory, and what does she find? she a trained spy! Geena Davis completely brought strength and power to the part, yet there was always the facet that she was a woman and a mother in every scene of the movie. Later on she went on to take another role for a strong woman (albeit not an action heroine) - as the President of the US in Commander in Chief.


Alien - I admit I closed my eyes almost every time that slime-dripping and drooling creature came on the screen. Yes, I missed all the good parts, but eeeww! Sigourney Weaver as Ripley was masculine allright, and she kicked mighty booty, alien non less!

Sarah Connor - I first saw her as Lena Headey on TSCC, and after watching that show and watching Terminator Salvation because that hunk of Sam Worthington starred in it, I wanted to get to know the Terminator 'myth' better. That's how I found myself last year watching The Terminator for the very first time ever! Go Linda Hamilton, for killing that Arnie-cyborg when she was at the heart basically someone who hadn't asked for any trouble! Went on to watch the Robert Patrick-melting-and remoulding head Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and what can I say - I'm hooked!


Other women that come to mind are Xena Warrior Princess, the Battlestar Galactica heroines, StarGate SG-1 women. However I am not really conversant with these shows so I'll prefer not to stick my foot in my mouth where they are concerned. *grin* Feel free to tell me more about them in the comments!
Or The Bride in Kill Bill, Trinity in Matrix, UltraViolet, the gals in Resident Evil, Selene in Underworld.

Super action chicks in flicks! Do they beat Bridget Jones, the numerous Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan gals? On most (very hormonal when I want to kill anything having some testosterone) days, yes - they rock!

Are you addicted to dangerous heroines? Who has left a mark on you? Let me know in the comments!

From Mauritius with love,

Zee