Category: kick-ass women

9 more kick-ass women movies I want to see

Here is yet another installment of my kick-ass women in movies and TV project. Since I’m starting to have trouble keeping track of which movies I’ve already listed, I’ve started up a master list. So far, it has my first 5 lists, and can be found under pages in my sidebar.

Below is the second list of movies that I should see. (To those of you gave me some more recommendations, Thanks!) As in the previous installments, the movies in this list are ordered chronologically.

9 more kick-ass women movies I want to see

  1. Supergirl (1984)
    I really know almost nothing about this one, but I have fairly low expectations from this US-made movie from the darkest depths of the Reagan era. I’m curious, though. We need more women superhero movies.
  2. Swordsman II/Xiao ao jiang hu zhi dong fang bu bai (1991)
    This Brigitte Lin movie has been recommended to me by a new friend and Hong Kong cinema buff. While I’d been curious about this movie in the past, her review of the movie makes me downright eager to see it.
  3. The Swordsman III/Dung fong bat baai 2: fung wan joi hei (1992)
    If I like the second Swordsman, I’m instructed to see the third.
  4. Bride with White Hair 2/Bai fa mo nu zhuan II (1993)
    I haven’t yet seen this sequel, starring Brigitte Lin, even though I already have the DVD in my collection. I should get to it!
  5. Point of No Return (1993)
    Bridget Fonda stars in this La Femme Nikita/Nikita remake. The reviews aren’t as bad as I’d expect from a remake that didn’t need to be made. (Though how many remakes really do? Why is that folks make remakes of the good movies? Ooh. There’s a fun list to make…seriously flawed movies that should be remade.)
  6. Smilla’s Sense of Snow (1997)
    Julia Ormond stars in this mystery/thriller. I don’t know too much about it, though I read the book ages ago. (From what I understand, though, the movie makes a pretty big departure from the book.)
  7. The X Files (1998)
    This is the movie, which a friend (a big fan of the show) says she found a bit disappointing. It’s probably still worth considering for Gillian Anderson’s famed role as Scully.
  8. Resident Evil (2002)
    Milla Jovovich stars. Based on the game. Has been recommended to me. Have duly added it to my queue.
  9. Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
    The sequel to the above item.

Some kick-ass women movies I need to see

Here’s another installment in my ongoing project to collect and categorize kick-ass women movies and shows. This is a list of such movies that I haven’t seen yet, but hope to (or should) see someday soon. (This is my fifth list in the series. The first four lists are of movies I’ve seen and loved, or at least enjoyed.)

9 kick-ass women movies I need to see

  1. Coffy (1973)
  2. Foxy Brown (1974)
    Two 70’s classics starring Pam Grier. I’m curious, but wary. Wary of the 70’s mostly, I guess.
  3. Aliens (1986)
  4. Alien 3 (1992)
  5. Alien Resurrection (1997)
    It’s pretty shocking that I’ve never seen any of the movies in the Alien franchise. Especially considering that Sigourney Weaver’s role of Ellen Ripley is legendary in the kick-ass woman genre. These are at the top of my to-see list. (I need to see the first one, too, but I understand that Ripley is not yet too kick-ass yet in that one.)
  6. GI Jane (1997)
    More military than most of the kick-ass women movies I watch. Demi Moore stars in this one as woman in a Navy Seals training.
  7. Die Another Day (2002)
    Halle Berry is supposed pretty good in this, though I’ve heard it’s not a great Bond movie overall.
  8. House of Flying Daggers/Shi mian mai fu (2004)
    I believe this one is supposed to be pretty good. It’s got Zhang Ziyi. I have high hopes.
  9. Elektra (2005)
    This should have been great. I heard it wasn’t. I’d sill like to check it out. Jennifer Garner reprises (somewhat) her role from Daredevil.

Another 9 kick-ass women movies

Here’s another installment in my endeavor to catalogue, critique, and otherwise classify movies, shows and other media that prominently feature kick-ass women. This is my fourth list of movies. The first three lists contained more of my all-time favorite movies (or at least those movies I know better), but this list still includes some great movies (or at least some movies that have great kick-ass women roles). At some point soon, the lists will be moving into the following territories:

A pre-list list of upcoming lists:

  • Movies that I hear are good, which appear to have very kick-ass women, but which I have (shamefully) not yet seen
  • Movies in which there are some great kick-ass women, though with roles that are less central
  • Movies with kick-ass women where either the characters or the movies themselves were disappointing (or just plain awful)
  • Movies that I haven’t seen, but heard or suspect are crap, but which I should probably still see anyhow.
  • TV shows! I’m happy to say that TV has many more kick-ass women characters than in the days when Cathy Gale and Emma Peel first fought their way onto the small screen. I’ll likely start with my favorites.

And then at some point, my plan is to devise a rating scheme whereby I can actually rank the movies, shows and kick-ass women characters.

Okay, onto the real list. Like the previous lists, these movies will be ordered chronologically.

Another 9 kick-ass women movies

  1. A View to a Kill (1985)
    Grace Jones (Mayday) played an atypical “Bond Girl” role in this one. Not restricted to the role of pillowy soft femininity to bolster the masculinity of Bond.
  2. La Femme Nikita/Nikita (1990)
    This is an important movie that probably should have appeared on one of my earlier lists. Anyhow, a great movie, and a great role. Anne Parillaud kicks ass in style. And in French. Perhaps even in French style.
  3. Thelma & Louise (1991)
    This is more about kick-ass strength of character than ass-kicking action, but this movie is still a classic of the kick-ass women genre. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon take no prisoners.
  4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
    It’s not the amazingly great TV show, but still fun. Kristy Swanson’s portrayal of Buffy is still worthy of being labelled kick-ass.
  5. League of Their Own (1992)
    I’m not generally a big fan of sports movies, but this one is worth mentioning, especially since it’s based on some real-life women who kicked ass, in their way.
  6. Iron Monkey/ Siu nin Wong Fei Hung ji Tit Ma Lau (1993)
    Jean Wang plays a supporting role, but holds her own and kicks ass along with Donnie Yen. This movie also scores extra points because the kick-ass young boy in the movie was actually played by a kick-ass young girl. And it’s a great martial arts movie, overall.
  7. Supercop 2/Chao ji ji hua (1993)
    It may be pretty clear that I am a big fan of Michelle Yeoh. In this one, she reprises her role from Supercop (the one with Jackie Chan). It wasn’t a super movie, but it did have some super ass-kicking scenes.
  8. X-Men (2000)
    While this movie gets points for having women superheroes, I actually found the X-Women to be a wee bit wimpy. Especially in the fight scenes–they only kick moderate ass. On the other hand, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique counterbalances with a more impressive display of ass-kicking, and is menacing to boot.
  9. Mrs. & Mrs. smith (2005)
    I can’t say I loved this movie, but I did appreciate the kick-assedness of Angelina Jolie’s character.

9 more kick-ass women movies

Here is the next installment of my compilation of lists of movies and shows prominently featuring kick-ass women. (The first two have more of my all-time favorites, but this list still has a bunch of great movies where the women have great kick-ass roles.)

9 more kick-ass women movies

  1. Peking Opera Blues/Do ma daan (1986)
    Brigitte Lin, Cherie Chung, Sally Yeh in 1920’s China. I don’t actually remember too much about this movie just now, but I do remember that I enjoyed it. (An added bonus was the entertaining subtitles, with lines like “you see the uppest window…”) I look forward to watching this one again.
  2. Batman Returns (1992)
    Even though she’s no Eartha Kitt, I actually really like Michelle Pfeiffer in her role as Catwoman. (The rest of the movie is so-so, though I appreciate Tim Burton’s style.)
  3. Bride with White Hair/Bai fa mo nu zhuan (1993)
    Brigitte Lin stars in this beautiful Hong Kong fantasy. Lots of swordplay.
  4. Heroic Trio/Dung fong saam hap (1993) Maggie Cheung, Anita Mui, Michelle Yeoh kick ass in gloriously dark Hong Kong style.
  5. The Replacement Killers (1998)
    Mira Sorvino was great in this movie. Too bad she doesn’t do more action movie roles.
  6. Hero/Ying xiong (2002)
    Maggie Cheung and Ziyi Zhang show some impressive martial arts skills in this interesting, complex, and beautifully made film.
  7. X2/X-men 2 (2003)
    While the first X-men movie will make it onto a list at some point, I actually thought the women made a better showing in the second movie. Halle Berry (Storm) and Famke Janssen (Jean Grey) do a decent job of kicking ass. Rebecca Romijn (Mystique) does a better one.
  8. Kill Bill, Volume 2 (2004)
    The first one is already on an earlier list, but this one deserves mention also. Uma kicks ass reasonably well in this one, too. There is not quite so much action as in the first, but I do like the homage to the Hong Kong cinema martial arts training tradition. (Hmm. Hong Kong cinema martial arts training tradition. There’s a long compound for you.)
  9. The Incredibles (2004)
    Elastigirl (voiced by Holly Hunter) makes a decent show of it in this fun Pixar production.

More of my favorite kick-ass women movies

Here is list two of the long-anticipated project on which I’ve finally embarked: to catalog (review, rate, rank and otherwise write about) movies and TV shows that prominently feature kick-ass women.

The following movies are (again) listed in order of appearance (i.e. chronologically) and are not intended to reflect a ranking of my favorites. (Though I would say that my first list contains more of my overall favorites than this list.)

9 more of Alejna’s favorite kick-ass women movies

  1. Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    Everybody knows this one. Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) kicks ass by keeping her wits about her.
  2. Terminator 2 (1991)
    I particularly like the transformation of Linda Hamilton’s character from the first movie. Sadly, I can barely stomach watching this now due to my loathing of Arnold. (I’m partial to definition 3 on that link, if you decide to follow it.)
  3. Wing Chun/Yong Chun (1994)
    Michelle Yeoh serves up bean curd and ass-kicking in this historic costume drama.
  4. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
    Calling Michelle Yeoh a Bond Girl doesn’t do her justice. She could so kick Pierce Brosnan’s skinny ass. (I don’t buy her need of rescuing at the end.)
  5. Mulan (1998)
    Not Disney’s typical I-need-a-man (to borrow a term from a friend) animated fare.
  6. Run Lola Run/Lola Rennt (1998)
    Franka Potente runs to the rescue, and runs and runs.
  7. The Matrix (1999)
    Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) kicks ass through most of the movie, but I have issues with the way she turns into a puddle of goo over Keanu.
  8. Mystery Men (1999)
    Janeane Garofalo doesn’t have as big of role as I’d like, but she kicks ass in so many ways, I had to have her on a list soon. Plus, the movie is just so much fun.
  9. Charlie’s Angels (2000)
    Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu get extra points for having done intensive martial arts training for this movie, and doing their own stunts. Plus I appreciate the tongue-in-cheek tone.

9 of my favorite kick-ass women movies

As I recently mentioned, I’m planning to catalog (review, rate, rank and otherwise write about) movies and TV shows that prominently feature kick-ass women. Since I love lists, I thought I’d start the process by giving some lists. Here’s a list of some of the lists I’m planning on writing:

  1. A to do list. (Always gotta have one of those. (And by the way, it’s not uncommon for me to have “write to do list” at the top of my to do list.) However, I will spare you that list at this point. Because that is not the point of this list.)
  2. A list of some of my favorite movies with kick-ass women.
  3. A similar list with some more of my favorites of the type mentioned in item 2. (I think I may have mentioned my trouble with commitment. I fear that if I have a single list of my all-time favorites I will be continually editing the list, and never get a list finished. So the lists will be smaller, and non-exhaustive.)
  4. A list of some favorite kick-ass women TV shows
  5. Some lists of other movies and TV shows that feature kick-ass women, but aren’t necessarily my favorites

The plan is to work my way through the lists and start rating these movies. Probably fairly gradually. Anyhow, below is the first list on the topic of kick-ass women. The following movies are listed in order of appearance (i.e. chronologically) and are not intended to reflect a ranking of my favorites. It’s hard for me to rank my favorites. Some movies are better than others overall, some of the women are more kick-ass, and some of the movies are just more fun. But here’s the list:

9 of Alejna’s favorite kick-ass women movies

  1. Supercop (1992)
    Michelle Yeoh steals the show from Jackie Chan.
  2. The Professional (1994)
    More of a kick-ass girl movie. At 12, Natalie Portman shows that you don’t have to be old enough to drive to kick some ass.
  3. Strange Days (1995)
    Angela Bassett saves the day (and Ralph Fienne’s undeserving ass).
  4. Tank Girl (1995)
    Lori Petty shows some serious attitude in a seriously fun movie.
  5. Fargo (1996)
    Frances McDormand is more about brains than brawn as a pregnant sheriff in this Cohen brothers masterpiece.
  6. The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
    Another fun movie, with lots of action. Geena Davis plays an amnesiac spy/assassin. (Sound familiar, Matt Damon?)
  7. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
    Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi (and more, even!) in a truly beautiful martial arts movie.
  8. Kill Bill, volume 1 (2003)
    For her role in this movie, I’m almost able to forgive Uma Thurman for her betrayal portrayal of Emma Peel in 1998.
  9. Serenity (2005)
    Gina Torres and Summer Glau kick ass in space. (Also in the show, but I’m not talking about TV right now.)

Mrs. Peel, you’re needed.

I stumbled across the Avengers when I was 15 years old. Watching late-night TV when I probably should’ve been doing homework. I liked the show, a British spy series made in the 60s (in case you don’t know it), for a number of reasons. The episodes were entertaining mysteries with bizarre, often surreal, premises and colorful, quirky villains and guest characters. It was all carried out in that tongue-in-cheek way that the British do best. The show (in its 1965-1967 incarnation) had two lead characters: John Steed (top professional) and Emma Peel (talented amateur). John Steed was dashing and dapper in his well-tailored suits and trademark bowler, and he certainly had his charm and appeal. But the reason I loved the show was Emma Peel. Emma Peel became my idol.

Emma Peel, as portrayed by Diana Rigg, was a groundbreaking character. She was well ahead of her time. Contemporaneous TV shows on this side of the Atlantic featured women with supernatural abilities who squelched their phenomenal powers to keep house and keep a man. Meanwhile, The Avengers had Emma Peel, a woman (with merely human powers) who used her abilities to defeat diabolical villains– in her spare time. She was a physicist and a mathematician and had run a large company in her early twenties. She possessed strength, intelligence, a keen wit, and a wide range of skills and talents. Emma Peel was a master martial artist, a skillful fencer, sharpshooter and could drive like a racecar driver. She could paint, sculpt and dance, not to mention speak many languages. She had an attitude of fabulous self-confidence without arrogance. To top it all off, she had incredible style and grace.

I wanted to be Emma Peel. In some ways, I still do. It’s funny to think that a TV show may have shaped who I’ve become, or at least who I’ve wanted to be. There is no doubt in my mind that my interest in martial arts stems from my idolization of Emma. Perhaps some of my desire to be a “Renaissance woman” also comes from my desire to emulate Emma.

Another of the ways in which The Avengers has inspired me is that I continue to look for strong women characters, whether fictional or real-life, who instill in me awe, admiration and pride in being a woman. While I realize it is somewhat shallow, I most enjoy seeking out these women in popular entertainment. Particularly TV and movies. On the other hand, while it may seem shallow, TV and movies have an incredible power to reach a wide audience, and the potential to inspire more women and young girls.

For years I’ve been wanting to put together a website or some such to review and rate movies and TV shows that prominently feature kick-ass women. Here’s where I’m digging in to that task. Stay tuned…

token of my affection

My blog title is inspired in part by these fabulous lyrics by the late, great Kirsty MacColl:

“I’ve been the token woman all my life
The token daughter and the token wife
Now I collected tokens one by one
‘Til I’ve saved enough to buy a gun”
From the song Bad, off Kirsty MacColl’s 1994 album, Titanic Days.

Kirsty MacColl died in late 2000 in a bizarre accident where she was hit by a speedboat. The world lost an amazing voice and a talented songwriter.

While I don’t consider myself to have been a token woman (I actually come from a family and background where women predominate), the lyrics of the song resonate with me in a number of ways. I have felt the urge to rebel against my own identity and to besmirch the squeaky-clean behavior record I grew up with. Plus the lyrics are clever. And dark.

The thematic content of “Bad” also bears a striking resemblance to Eartha Kitt’s classic “I want to be evil.” These two songs are members in my collection of “songs about women who seek to break out of their restrictive goody-goody roles and discover the joys of naughtiness.” Actually, so far, this collection (which could perhaps use renaming) has only these two items.

As yet, 2 is the smallest quantity of members in a collection. Although perhaps I will decide at some point that 1 may be a sufficiently large set to merit being called a collection. Especially if I never expect to have additional members in that set. Hmm. “I would like to show you my extensive collection of nose.”