# Grrrl Power movies - Movies where a woman defeats multiple men in combat **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209 "2009-12-22T16:59:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/41 "2009-12-22T21:02:59Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > I’ll throw one in - **Lethal Weapon 3** , where Rene Russo kicks the crap out of four or five guys. ISTR it being fairly realistic. > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > ISTR her being heavily pregnant. She kicked the crap out of a few guys in LW3, while Mel Gibson watched, enchanted. She was heavily pregnant and purely damsel in distress in LW4. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/42 "2009-12-22T21:12:19Z")
All the movies mentioned here where women get beaten onscreen, _Kill Bill, Kick-Ass, Lethal Weapon 3, Long Kiss Goodnight_, are all _R_ rated films. I’m thinking a movie is more likely to get an _R_ rating (we all know how much the studios avoid the _R_) if it features a fight scene where the woman gets hit. Woman on woman fighting could be an exception though. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/43 "2009-12-22T21:32:03Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > All the movies mentioned here where women get beaten onscreen, _Kill Bill, Kick-Ass, Lethal Weapon 3, Long Kiss Goodnight_, are all _R_ rated films. I’m thinking a movie is more likely to get an _R_ rating (we all know how much the studios avoid the _R_) if it features a fight scene where the woman gets hit. Woman on woman fighting could be an exception though. Nah. The hero does get to punch the villainess right in the schnozz once in awhile if she’s firmly established to be sufficiently tough, really, really kick-a-puppy-evil and totally deserving it. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/44 "2009-12-22T21:42:54Z")
In the 1982 B-movie-clip-compilation comedy [_It Came From Hollywood,_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Came_From_Hollywood) I saw a clip from a 1974 blaxploitation film, [_Black Belt Jones,_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Belt_Jones) where a woman – apparently using martial arts – pounds three or four guys singlehanded. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/45 "2009-12-22T22:30:37Z")
Nomi kicking ass in \*Showgirls \* is hardly the least believable bit of that gloriously horribly amazing movie. For anyone who has yet to see it, I highly recommend renting the version with the voiceover from some random witty dude. He wasn’t connected to production but would put on popular movie nights where he’d comment over the entire movie, sort of MST3K style. I thought it would get old, but it didn’t – he even has viewers fast forward over the remarkably brutal, out-of-place rape scene. On the whole, I consider rape revenge movies on par with the girls and women who survive horror movies. I’m not sure, though, why guys get to see their fantasies projected on screen while women’s are too out there to believe. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/46 "2009-12-22T22:38:56Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > Nomi kicking ass in \*Showgirls \* is hardly the least believable bit of that gloriously horribly amazing movie. For anyone who has yet to see it, I highly recommend renting the version with the voiceover from some random witty dude. He wasn’t connected to production but would put on popular movie nights where he’d comment over the entire movie, sort of MST3K style. I thought it would get old, but it didn’t – he even has viewers fast forward over the remarkably brutal, out-of-place rape scene. On the whole, I consider rape revenge movies on par with the girls and women who survive horror movies. I’m not sure, though, why guys get to see their fantasies projected on screen while women’s are too out there to believe. David Schmader’s commentary is a travesty. And by recommending you FF past the rape scene he shows just how much he doesn’t get it. That’s the point at which the movie forces you to realize that it’s not all fun and games, that there is a dark center to these dreams. That’s the fulcrum of the movie, where fantasies shatter and the real, dirty business of life rears its ugly head. Schmader wants to insist the film is nothing but a fun camp romp, but by excising that scene he reveals how untenable his position is. One of the greatest examples of unclear-on-the-concept I’ve ever come across. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/47 "2009-12-22T22:45:26Z")
Who is David Schmader? I wikied him but other than his commentary for Showgirls…what is he known for? I did rent it a while back but I’m not sure I have the stamina to again. If I’m ever forced to watch it (like at a really bad party or a criminal putting a gun to my head), **Cat Fight** , I’ll keep that commentary in mind. ---
**Author:** ![Bisected8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a4c791/32.png) [@Bisected8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bisected8)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/48 "2009-12-22T22:48:01Z")
If you’re feeling patient you could pick the relevent media out of this list; > **[Action Girl - TV Tropes](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ActionGirl)** > > An Action Girl is a female badass who is tough and kicks butt. Damsel in Distress? Not her (mostly). She's featured in far more than the Designated Girl Fight. She faces dangerous foes and deadly obstacles, and she wins. She's a fairly common … ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/49 "2009-12-22T22:50:24Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > Yeah, and [The Fifth Element](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119116/), of course. Also \*\*The Messenger \*\*(AKA **Joan of Arc: Action Hero** ). No mention of \*\*Aeon Flux \*\*with Charlize Theron or the original anime? **Every anime** for that matter except maybe \*\*Ghost of the Shell \*\*or other anime where the woman is a cyborg or robot or superhero or something. Any film with\*\* Michelle Yeoh \*\*or **Zhang Ziyi** - **Crouching Tiger, Hero, Rush Hour 3, Babylon AD, etc.** **Keira Knightley** - **Domino** and the **Pirates of the Carribean films**. The gals of\*\* Sin City\*\*. **Angelina Jolie** - \*\*Tomb Raider \*\*films **Kate Beckinsale** - \*\*Underworld \*\*films and **Van Helsing** (although she is supernatural in Underworld..but she’s fighting supernatural dudes. \*\*Cameron Diaz, Lucy Lu \*\*and \*\*Drew Barrymore \*\*- \*\*Charlies Angel \*\*films. **Rhonda Mitra** -\*\* Dooms\*\*day and **Underworld 3**. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/50 "2009-12-22T23:02:29Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > David Schmader’s commentary is a travesty. And by recommending you FF past the rape scene he shows just how much he doesn’t get it. That’s the point at which the movie forces you to realize that it’s not all fun and games, that there is a dark center to these dreams. That’s the fulcrum of the movie, where fantasies shatter and the real, dirty business of life rears its ugly head. Schmader wants to insist the film is nothing but a fun camp romp, but by excising that scene he reveals how untenable his position is. One of the greatest examples of unclear-on-the-concept I’ve ever come across. Verhoeven, is that you? I can’t tell if I’m being whooshed or not, so I’ll assume you’re kidding. Without his commentary most viewers don’t even realize that girlfriends can only talk about eating chips and doing their nails. Literally. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/51 "2009-12-22T23:10:13Z")
Not multiple men as per the OP but I like Patricia Arquette vs. James Gandolfini in \*\*True Romance \*\*\* and Juliette Lewis out fist fighting the guy in the bar in **Natural Born Killers**. \*although she’s definitely taking a beating for most of the scene. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/52 "2009-12-22T23:30:50Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Yeah. It’s like she can’t be a normal human being who sometimes fucks up but sometimes is awesome. One scene I particularly liked from the TV show **Veronica Mars** is one where the title character is dealing with a tough hoodlum, things go south and she is quickly disarmed. It is then immediately revealed that without her stun gun or her large dog to back her up she is exactly what she appears to be - a teensy, tiny teenage girl who has virtually zero ability to defend herself hand to hand against a much larger, tougher, male thug. It was a remarkably realistic little moment. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/53 "2009-12-23T00:14:18Z")
What, nobody has mentioned [D.E.B.S.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367631/) yet? The only thing hotter than girls kicking ass is girls kicking ass in naughty schoolgirl outfits…TRM ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/54 "2009-12-23T00:15:01Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > Verhoeven, is that you? > > I can’t tell if I’m being whooshed or not, so I’ll assume you’re kidding. Without his commentary most viewers don’t even realize that girlfriends can only talk about eating chips and doing their nails. Literally. Yeah I’ve heard his commentary, recorded and live. He doesn’t get the movie and his commentary is an immense disservice to it. Again, pretending the rape scene isn’t there instead of trying to understand it is borderline offensive. The rape isn’t entertaining enough, so skip it. Rape scenes should be entertaining, not brutal. ---
**Author:** ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/55 "2009-12-23T01:49:11Z")
Kickboxer Kathy Long beats up a bunch of male cyborgs in [Knights](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107333/) (co-starring Kris Kristofferson). It’s even worse than it sounds. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/56 "2009-12-23T02:35:18Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > One of the greatest examples of unclear-on-the-concept I’ve ever come across. Speaking of being unclear on the concept, the OP asked about films in which a woman defeats multiple men in combat. “Showgirls” doesn’t qualify. Neither, in fact, do a number of your entries. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/57 "2009-12-23T02:37:41Z")
I Spit on Your Grave for example, is a revenge picture, but the woman is getting revenge on each man individually. Probably not all that realistic but not for the reason in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/58 "2009-12-23T02:46:57Z")
**G.I. Jane** - as a former “Army Chick” current “Air Force Chick” I have to say, I have a real soft spot for this movie 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/59 "2009-12-23T02:49:33Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Speaking of being unclear on the concept, the OP asked about films in which a woman defeats multiple men in combat. “Showgirls” doesn’t qualify. Neither, in fact, do a number of your entries. Oh well, I’m not picky. Just looking for the woman-as-super-warrior cliche, really. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grrrl-power-movies-movies-where-a-woman-defeats-multiple-men-in-combat/522209/60 "2009-12-23T02:58:48Z")
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