# Ass-kicking women in film **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 3, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483 "2005-08-03T22:09:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/21 "2005-08-04T00:03:12Z")
**Theresa Russell** usually portrays such characters in almost all of her films. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/22 "2005-08-04T00:19:53Z")
Sandahl Bergman in **Conan the Barbarian.** Peri Gilpin’s character in **Final Fantasy.** ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/23 "2005-08-04T00:23:26Z")
On the subject of cartoon characters, let’s mention Faye Valentine and the Baroness. ---
**Author:** ![tripthicket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripthicket/32/297_2.png) [@tripthicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripthicket)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/24 "2005-08-04T00:26:11Z")
I nominate **Mathilda May** from _Lifeforce_. Well, she kicked _my_ ass. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/25 "2005-08-04T00:29:30Z")
And, of course, Princess Nausicaa… ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/26 "2005-08-04T00:29:54Z")
My hubby loved Lori Petty as **Tank Girl**. Must be a guy thing. I found the movie unwatchably bad, but Lori was kinda spunky. ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/27 "2005-08-04T01:00:26Z")
Okay I have a big list The zombie killer in **28 Days Later** The asian schoolgirl in **Battle Royale**? She’s like anime come to life… Leonor Varela in **Blade 2** is barely memorable… What about the woman robot in **Blade Runner**? Doesn’t she kill several people before dying in neat ways? Jennifer Garner in **Daredevil** and the supp. awful **Elektra** The german woman in **Die Hard With a Vengeance**. \ Lucy Lui in the awful, awful, AWFUL **Ecks vs. Sever** The element woman in **The Fifth Element** All the women, including Natasha Henstridge, in **Ghosts of Mars**. In that movie the Mars Colony was a society run by women, hence all the good female soldiers Selma Blair and her burning shite in **Hellboy** The female Jason’s-ass-kicking robot in **Jason X** Liv Tyler’s character in the **Lord of the Rings** films, possibly, and possibly also the woman at the end who stabs the monster thing in the face with her sword. The queen? Seriously, I’m about to resee the films… **The Matrix** films have Trinity. **Near Dark** has Jenette Goldstein’s vampire character **The Next Karate Kid** has that girl **Power Rangers** has the girl rangers. Okay so this list sucks in some parts… The woman in **Road Warrior** who dies at the end **Rush Hour 2** has the ‘crazy bitch’, who blows up the station at the beginning and fights Tucker at the end but I can’t remember a thing that happens with her… **Series 7:The Contenders** has this pregnant woman who kills people the best and this crazy nurse who kills people the second best in a deadly reality show. The lacking movie **Torque** has Jamie Priestly and the blonde woman who’s good, and they even joust with their bikes! How hot is that? The busty woman from **Van Helsing** kicks ass, right? And let’s not forget the **X-Men and X-Men 2** women- Storm, Famke Jansenn, the girl who burns stuff, the Asian Wolverine-like woman, Rebecca-Romjin Stamos, and all the other hottie fighters. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/28 "2005-08-04T01:03:36Z")
Michelle Yeoh in **Royal Warriors**. Good lord, that woman dishes it out. (Takes a pretty good beating as well). For more of the same, see **Yes, Madam!** , especially the last 20 minutes or so. (Bonus! Also has Cynthia Rothrock kicking ass) ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/29 "2005-08-04T01:04:52Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > **Near Dark** has Jenette Goldstein’s vampire character. Jenette Goldstein also had a fine ass-kicking role in **Aliens**. ---
**Author:** ![Bomzaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Bomzaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bomzaway)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/30 "2005-08-04T01:14:34Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > The busty woman from **Van Helsing** kicks ass, right? I don’t think I’d ever refer to Kate Beckinsale as “busty”. Sexy, hot, beautiful, but not busty. She played another ass kicking chick in **Underworld**. ---
**Author:** ![greenlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@greenlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenlady)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/31 "2005-08-04T01:25:15Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > Jenette Goldstein also had a fine ass-kicking role in **Aliens**. I definitely agree. That actress, **Jenette Goldstein** is amazing. ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/32 "2005-08-04T01:46:01Z")
OMG I just discovered this magazine while searching around- [Femme Fatales](http://www.femmefatales.com/) magazine. Wow, what a good idea… seriously… ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/33 "2005-08-04T01:55:47Z")
In terms of women who kick ass, you can’t beat **Karen Allen** as Marion Ravenwood in _Raiders of the Lost Ark_. As my now 80 year-old father said when he saw the film in the theater 25 years ago, “God damn! That girl was strong as train smoke!” ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/34 "2005-08-04T06:41:56Z")
Well, the good ones have been mentioned, so I’ll offer some cheese: Keira Knightley in **King Arthur**. Milla Jovovich in **Resident Evil**. Kristy Swanson **Buffy the Vampire Slayer**. Natasha Henstridge in **Species** , though she wasn’t human, and tended more toward femme fatale. Oh, I just remembered Bridget Fonda in **Point of No Return**. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/35 "2005-08-04T06:54:36Z")
I tentatively suggest Mulan from Disney’s **Mulan**. Perhaps not as fierce as Sigourney Weaver, but a far remove from the typical Disney female. That she masquerades as a man clouds it a little, but that’s kind of the whole point of the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/36 "2005-08-04T07:05:11Z")
Elasti-Girl from **The Incredibles**. Just as capable a superhero as her husband , and quite a bit smarter, too. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/37 "2005-08-04T08:06:12Z")
Upcoming asskicker: Natalie Portman in **Léon (The Professional)** Demi Moore in **G.I. Jane** Catherine Zeta-Jones in **The Mask of Zorro** , **Entrapment** , and **Ocean’s Twelve** In the 2D world, there’s quite a lot, so let’s just mention **Utena**. ---
**Author:** ![Mittens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@Mittens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mittens)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/38 "2005-08-04T08:19:26Z")
Cate Blanchett kicked all kinds of royal ass in ‘Elizabeth’. Oh, and hello everybody! ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/39 "2005-08-04T09:14:31Z")
Beverly Garland in 1953’s _It Came from Outer Space_ (Those of you who’ve seen this one, you understand.) Sienna Guillory in _Resident Evil: Apocalypse_ Sharon Stone in _The Quick and the Dead_? (Maybe…she did seem a bit too sensitive.) ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483/40 "2005-08-04T11:52:46Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > In terms of women who kick ass, you can’t beat **Karen Allen** as Marion Ravenwood in _Raiders of the Lost Ark_. " I came in here to mention **Marion Ravenwood** And she didn’t do any kung-fu-y moves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ass-kicking-women-in-film/315483.md?page=3)