# Greatest female action star? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2010, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692 "2010-08-09T11:04:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/1 "2010-08-09T11:04:45Z")
(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? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/2 "2010-08-09T11:44:04Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/3 "2010-08-09T11:50:37Z")
Angelina Jolie ---
**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 9, 2010, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/4 "2010-08-09T12:37:49Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/5 "2010-08-09T13:05:13Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I guess Milla Jovocich qualifies due to sheer numbers, but beyond The Fifth Element, how many of them are memorable? The _Resident Evil_ movies are underrated. I think they’re fine action entertainment, and Milla Jovovich kicks butt with the best of them. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/6 "2010-08-09T13:08:29Z")
Pam Grier. I love Pam Grier and I give her an honorable mention in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/7 "2010-08-09T13:29:05Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > > > I guess Milla Jovocich qualifies due to sheer numbers, but beyond The Fifth Element, how many of them are memorable? > > The _Resident Evil_ movies are underrated. I think they’re fine action entertainment, and Milla Jovovich kicks butt with the best of them. I love them too (well 1 and 3), but most people are going to say they’re not very memorable. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/8 "2010-08-09T13:43:20Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/9 "2010-08-09T13:57:46Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > 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.) She did two Lara Croft movies. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/10 "2010-08-09T14:07:56Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I guess Milla Jovocich qualifies due to sheer numbers, but beyond The Fifth Element, how many of them are memorable? There was that one set in a dystopian future where she went up against that giant evil corporation. Remember that one? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/11 "2010-08-09T14:17:23Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/12 "2010-08-09T14:22:07Z")
Summer Glau? mostly a TV action star though. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/13 "2010-08-09T14:23:21Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > This discussion only needs one name and it’s Sigourney Weaver. True. Close the thread already. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/14 "2010-08-09T14:27:11Z")
> [@JeffB](#): > > > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > > > 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.) > > She did two Lara Croft movies. And _Wanted_ as some kind of ass-kicking assassin or something. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/15 "2010-08-09T14:27:19Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > > [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/16 "2010-08-09T14:34:33Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/17 "2010-08-09T15:01:05Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/18 "2010-08-09T15:09:43Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > > > Ultraviolet, it was terrible. > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/19 "2010-08-09T15:17:28Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > 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? 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](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0008365/) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2010, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692/20 "2010-08-09T15:27:29Z")
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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-female-action-star/549692.md?page=2)