It’s become a cliché that the woman shows up the man, most particularly in adverts. Are there films where this is reversed? The more-competent man showing up the competent woman? There’s Mr & Mrs Smith where they come out equal, and The Thomas Crown Affair, but beyond that, I cannot think of anything. Can you? It’s important that the woman be competent. Bonus points if it’s a traditionally ‘womanly’ area.
Aren’t most of the James Bond movies like this?
His Girl Friday. Hildy is fairly even in competence throughout, but at the end Walter Burns turns out to get the upper hand.
In Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Michelle Yeoh and Ziyi Zhang kick serious ass, but none of them compare to Chow Yun Fat in the end.
Not a movie, but in an episode of King of the Hill where Bobby takes Home Ec, he ends up being better at the domestic duties than Peggy.
Seducing her doesn’t count.
Actually, that’s established fairly early on when he defeats Zhang with a stick, isn’t it?
Mrs Doubtfire? Tootsie? They both seem to be set up that the man makes a big success out of being a woman.
Top Gun?
The Abyss? (Well they are kind of equal but she acts like he is an idiot)
Indiana Jones?
The Santa Clause.
It’s not a terrific example, but the recent GREEN LANTERN movie had Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris as the two experienced pilots chosen to dogfight the prototype UAVs in an exhibition for the government; Carol gets eliminated as expected, but Hal manages to take both of the enemy aircraft down with him.
Avatar.
Not that early on.
YOU’VE GOT MAIL: Tom Hanks is opening a bookstore, to compete with the local bookstore Meg Ryan already runs quite competently; she responds by organizing picketers outside his shop while making sure there’s always a super window display at her place, all while leveraging her media connections to get favorable coverage on television and in the newspapers; he – gives her some good advice on how to compete, and then puts her out of business.
Jolie narrowly loses to Jonny Lee Miller in HACKERS. (Come to think of it, she also voiced the competitor who does well – but not quite well enough – in KUNG FU PANDA.)
I guess a case could be made for The American President. Annette Bening gets out-manueuvered politically by Michael Douglas, although he kinda cheats by using inside information she unwittingly gave him as his girlfriend rather than as a lobbyist.
Then he feels bad and changes the government’s crime and gun policies so his girlfriend won’t be mad at him.
Don’t forget Michael Douglas vs Demi Moore in DISCLOSURE. She accuses him of sexual harassment? He accuses her right back! She tries to get him fired? He gets her fired!
I can’t remember if UP IN THE AIR counts; the company thinks hyper-efficient Anna Kendrick will do a better job than George Clooney has – and repeatedly learns a lesson to the contrary by the end of the film – but I honestly don’t recall whether she ever demonstrates any actual competence or only ever haplessly falls short.
For a closer match-up, how about THE MASK OF ZORRO, where the spirited woman who patiently explains that she’s had the proper instruction in fencing since the age of four does quite well against our hero until he eventually disarms her for the win?
In Star Trek’s Turnabout Intruder a woman switches places with Kirk by body transfer. She proves to be an overly emotional and hysterical wreck incapable of commanding the ship.
For bonus points, Kirk fakes emotional hysterics when neatly outplaying the Romulan Commander in THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT; she’s good, but he’s better.