(Minimum 3 films, if there’s enough nominees, I’ll make a poll.)
Recently, there’s been a bunch of action films starring women (Kick Ass, Wanted, Kill Bill, etc.) but I prefer the Asian actresses like Michelle Yeoh.
Also: does anybody like Cynthia Rothrock?
This discussion only needs one name and its Sigourney Weaver.
I guess Milla Jovocich qualifies due to sheer numbers, but beyond The Fifth Element, how many of them are memorable?
Angelina Jolie
Michelle Yeoh, definitely. I liked Angelina Jolie in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but I don’t think she’s done anything else memorable. (Of course, I haven’t seen Salt.)
Lucy Lawless would be good, but she hasn’t done much outside of Xena that’s actiony.
The Resident Evil movies are underrated. I think they’re fine action entertainment, and Milla Jovovich kicks butt with the best of them.
Pam Grier.
I love Pam Grier and I give her an honorable mention in this thread.
I love them too (well 1 and 3), but most people are going to say they’re not very memorable.
If you measure by box office, there’s probably an objective answer (although that favors the most recent releases, since ticket prices are much higher every few years).
She did two Lara Croft movies.
There was that one set in a dystopian future where she went up against that giant evil corporation. Remember that one?
Ultraviolet, it was terrible.
Summer Glau? mostly a TV action star though.
True. Close the thread already.
And Wanted as some kind of ass-kicking assassin or something.
And all the other movies where she’s in a dystopian future and goes up against an evil corporation. She had a lock on these movies for a while.
Is there a time frame implied in “greatest”?
If not, consider some of these characters and the ladies who played them at one time or another:
Jane (Tarzan’s mate)
Catwoman
Sheena of the Jungle
Wonder Woman
Geena Davis took a crack at being an action star for a while, but only got two real “action” roles before apparently giving up: Cutthroat Island and The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Keira Knightley has enough to qualify, between the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, plus King Arthur and Domino. Hard to take such a waifish little stick-figure seriously as an action star, though.
It’s a shame I can’t come up with a good third movie for Linda Hamilton, beyond her two Terminator films.
If you do a poll, better put Devon Aoki in there. Sin City, DOA, War, and more to come, I’m sure. And Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz as well; they both have the two Charlie’s Angels movies, plus a couple others each.
You could technically include Rebecca Romijn, for playing Mystique in three X-Men movies. Did a lot of ass-kickin’, and did it bare-ass naked, too.
I know it feels like she was in a dozen movies just like it, but Ultraviolet is the only one set in a dystopian future where she goes up against an evil corporation.
Weaver does seem like the obvious choice with the Alien series and the first two being so great.
As a bonus we have Galaxy Quest (1999) … Gwen DeMarco
If Geena Davis had done a third action movie, I’ve vote for her. She had the makings of a great action hero in “The Long Kiss Goodnight” - a film that wasn’t all that great, but her role in it was classic action hero.