Talk to us. We have PRIZES.
The Action Flick Chick has assigned herself a mission to identify the top ten action heroes, starting with her forum entry discussing the top male and female kickers of asses. There should be no shortage of male nominees, so we’re especially interested in how our action chick list turns out. We can think of plenty, but we want to hear from you.
For Round One, we want suggestions. Live, dead, fictional . . . you tell us. Discuss them as comments in reply to this post or join the discussion in our forum.
Did we say prizes? Sure did, beginning with copies of the newly released DVD Confessions of an Action Star, for which we thank Universal Music Group Distribution. It’s a mockumentary with one heck of a cast, including the Tomb Raider Angelina Jolie.
You could win based on quality, quantity, cleverness, or creativity. It might be for a single post suggesting an unusual candidate or the best explanation for inclusion of one of the more obvious ones. Blow us away. More importantly, we just want this to be a fun discussion. The Action Flick Chick will tell you later how Round Two will work.
While Fangirltastic, Rocket Llama World Headquarters, Universal Music Group, and Vivendi Entertainment staff aren’t eligible for the prizes, we welcome all discussants.
Have at it!
Related posts:
Let the games begin.
I would like to start off by nominating Abraham Lincoln. Dude was tall.
Hands down, gotta give a nod to Uma Thurman for the Kill Bill Series, she is skinny but has more fight in her than a pack of lesbian werewolves in heat. Go Uma!
For males, that is almost too easy, but you really gotta bow down to the best, the Governator, Schwarzenegger.
I was five and my dad let me watch Conan the Barbarian – and I was hooked ever since, watching him lop off body parts with limited dialog as he demonstrated the true riddle of steel. Excellent movie, excellent acting (at times) and stellar sword-play.
Predator, nuff said, that film proved that Arnie was the shit!
Terminator, man, I could go on and on about Arnold, the guy single-handedly started the Hummer franchise because he wanted to buy a street legal model, thus, now we have to sit behind H2s and H3s on their way to the mall to buy lil Johnny his diapers.
Also, on a personal aside, my German teacher used to give him chocolates when she lived in his village in Austria before she made it to America.
Worst movie ever though, JUNIOR, he should have split his agent in two for that crapper! CROM!
Ripley from Aliens.
No, Sarah Connor from Terminator.
No, Ripley.
Sarah!
Ripley!
Tastes great!
Less filling!
What is wrong with people — always leaving Pam Grier off these lists. In the 70s she played a bunch of characters but they were all the Pam Grier character the way Jackie Chan plays the Jackie Chan character. Now there was a woman who made men guard their goods! And not all those guys succeeded.
Статья вроде старая уже, но я только сегодня ее прочитал. Занимательно, что тут скажешь. 🙂
Here is my list, and in some cases, why:
Trinity (Matrix films) – incredible skill and action, martial arts mavin;
Ripley (Alien films) – I felt incredibly empowered as a woman watching this film. I actually jumped up in the theater and threw my fist up!
Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) – in video games, comics and on the big screen, she kicks ass, takes names and can still pay for the damages;
T’Pol (Star Trek: Enterprise) – regardless of what you think of this series, T’Pol is a take-charge and stand up for herself individual, and who wouldn’t want her at their back in a fight?
Seven-of-Nine (Star Trek: Voyager) – C’mon… resistance is futile!
Fox (Wanted) – in both the comic and the movie, look out;
LeeLou (The Fifth Element) – She IS the Supreme Being, and she can show you why;
Yu Shu Lien (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) – she proves she can take care of herself, those around her, and handle ANY weapon;
Sara Pezzini (Witchblade) – as a bearer of the Witchblade, and as a NY police detective, she has all the right moves;
Sara Conners (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) – the more guns the better, she is more than just a Girl Scout, being prepared;
Aphrodite IX (Aphrodite IX Comics – Top Cow) – wakes up as a normal person, but by night, is a highly-trained and capable assassin.
There is your Top Ten list! No need to involve the guys at all!
RedwoodRed
Awesome list. Thanks for taking that much time to put it together!
Ok there is a series of books by Laurell K Hamilton. Recently they have started to go down hill, but her main character Anita Blake is the ass kicking, smart talking, throat ripping, high kicking, sexy huntress we all wish we could be and try to channel at every board meeting. Unlike your usual “sexy fem-killer” she is short, voluptuous, smart, dark and brooding. Finally an anti-barbie who is either kickin guys butts or making them cry for some lovin. Read Guilty Pleasures the first in the series.
I have read all those books, and I do have to agree that they’ve taken a less than thrilling turn. Imagine how baffled someone who read the first would be upon skipping over to the most recent.
Thanks for weighing in.
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I notice that many of the suggestions all come from the movies which ignores some of the greatest Action characters of all time.
Females:
Modesty Blaise: Initally appearing in comic strips for 95 adventures and then making the leap to novels. Peter O’Donnell’s who wrote both the comics and the novels created on the greatest action series of all time. Modesty is retired crime boss who with her right hand man Willie Garvin long for excitement and occassionally take assignments from Sir Gerald Tarrant of The British Secret Service as well as finding adventure and excitement as old enemies come back to haunt them.
The Baroness: One of Modesty’s “daughters”, The Baroness is Baroness Penelope St John- Orsini, the top secret weapon for the NSA code-named Coin. The Baroness and her team of experts tackle the dangerous missions that no one else can handle using their cover as models and photographers. Created by Lyle Kenyon Engel and written under the housename of Paul Kenyon by several writers, this series mixes sex and adventure.
Domino Lady: This is the only pulp mystery woman who appeared in six adventures in the Spicy Pulp magazines. Created by Lars Anderson, socialite Ellen Patrick donned her skintight white dress and domino mask to avenge the death of her father and continued fighting crime.
Senorita Scorpion: Another pulp heroine, this time created by western writer Les Savage Jnr, Elegra Douglas rides the wiild west as Senorita Scorpion to stop the land barons who threaten to steal her family’s gold mine.
Rogue Angel: One of the most recent heroines debuting in 2006, archeologist and TV host Annja Creed was present when Joan of Arc’s sword was reassembled she used the sword to fight evil both human and supernatural in the world.
Kinsey Milhone: Not the first female private eye but one of the most successful, Kinsey is hardboiled in the tradition of Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe and Lew Archer.
Sheena: The female Tarzan in a quick summary. Sheena appeared in comic strips, a short lived pulp, two TV series (1955 & 2000) and a 1987 movie.
Wonder Woman: The longest lasting female superhero who remained in print for nearly 60 years. Created by William Moulton Marston, this Amazon warrior fights to protect man’s world and is one of the three big heroes of the current DC universe.
Phantom Lady: A similar character to Domino Lady, a senator’s daughter Sandra Knight barely wore her costume to fight crime. Published by several publishers (Ajax, Fox, Americomics and DC), the Phantom Lady was featured extensively in Dr Wertham’s SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT pointing to her sexualized depiction corrupting America’s youth. In recent years DC has replaced Sandra Knight with other characters in the barely there costume.
Joan of Arc: One of the most well known female historical figures, Saint Jeanne d’Arc had visions from God to free France from England and donned armour and fought in several battles. Joan has inspired many novels, plays, movies, songs and art.
Men
The Shadow: initally the host of Street and Smith’s Detective Story radio show, his deep mysterious voice had people asking for that Shadow pulp. Quick to capitalise, The Shadow quickly appeared in his own pulp written by magican Walter Gibson under the penname Maxwell Grant which ran for 325 issues. The Shadow then got his own radio show, comic book and movies. The Shadow was a major influence on several other pulp characters like The Spider, The Whisperer and on the creation of Batman.
Tarzan: Edgar Rice Burrough’s most famous creation, Tarzan was an English Lord raised by great apes who eventually became lord of the jungle. Inspiring many imitators, the character has been translated to film, comics and cartoons as well as numerous unauthorised adventures around the world.
Sam Spade: the creation of former Pinkerton operative Dashiell Hammett, Sam Spade is one of the most famous private eyes. Spade (and Hammett’s other hard boiled character The Continental Op) took crime out of the geenteel country houses of English cosy mysteries and dropped it in the back alleys and made the detective tougher and harder than the criminals he fought.
James Bond: Ian Fleming’s master spy embodied much of the Cold War. Given a lift in popularity by the long running film series, Bond lives the high life drinking Vodka martinis and ruthlessly fighting the Soviet Union and later the crime group SPECTRE
The Executioner: Don Pendleton’s Mack Bolan debuted in 1969 and ushered in a new era of the paperback hero. Bolan used the skills he learnt fighting in Vietnam to fight the Mafia and terrorist groups.
The list of tough guy heroes in print goes on an on, The Destroyer, Matt Helm, Doc Savage, Mike Hammer, Spenser, Lew Archer, The Penetrator, Shaft, Philip Marlowe, The Death Merchant, Jonas Wilde – The Eliminator, The Punisher, Bulldog Drummond, The Saint. The Toff, The Baron.etc
Hmmmm
Male
Tony Jaa – Thai former stuntman turned Martial arts hero, never uses a stuntman, wirework or SFX, brilliant fight scenes
Arnold Schwarzenegger – You can’t have a list like this without Arnie
Bruce Willis – Die Hard, Last Man Standing, Tears of the Sun, Hud- OK forget the last one
Jackie Chan – Martial arts and comedy, what’s not to like?
Bruce Lee = The governor!
Wolverine – Sheer agression
John Wayne – If we are talking action heroes you have to include the duke
Female
Sarah Connor – I loved the film and her change from helpless victim to take charge heroine
Ripley – What’s not to love? Smart, sexy and brave
Jeeja Yanin – Thai star of the action movie Chocolate, impressive moves
Rosario Dawson – Sin Cities Gail has to be in here
Devon Aoki – As does deadly little Miho, and also for her roles in 2Fast 2Furious and Mutant Chronicles
I could probably think of a lot more
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