Can the female action hero be saved?

[CConn]

Thanks.

I mean, look at this very conversation. How many women are commenting on this?

Two, actually.

 

[The Kid]

you all forget the power puff girls move. shame on you. Those little girls kicked much ash and stuff but I didn't like the movie that much.

just make good movies for goodness' sake.

 

[Dr. Fate]

What can I say that hasn't already been said so much more eloquently? Hire a competent director, competent writers, churn out a good, coherent storyline then find an actress (or a bunch of actresses) who can actually act in addition to looking good regardless of whatever their wearing or not wearing and you'll cut the problem right in half.

Comparing the lot of them, Catwoman and Elektra made 1984's Supergirl look like Citizen Kane.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Two, actually.

Exactly. And how many guys?

 

[mathhater]

It's not a hopeless situation. As mentioned, the Underworld movies are doing fine, and besides that, let me say this:

Kill Bill

There's still hope.

 

[mathhater]

I liked the first 10 minutes 0f "Elektra" & nothing in any of the other movies I listed.

Yeah...that first 10 was ripped right out of the comics. Very true to character. (that opening assassination was great.) But after that...

 

[Chris Wallace]

It's not a hopeless situation. As mentioned, the Underworld movies are doing fine, and besides that, let me say this:

Kill Bill

There's still hope.

BEATRIX WAS TREATED LIKE AN ACTION HERO FIRST & A WOMAN SECOND.

 

[Trevor Goodchild]

^ Now I beg to differ on that.
I rather found an equal balance there in both volumes.
What came first - revenge or maternal instinct?

 

[3dman27]

revenge i'd say

 

[Trevor Goodchild]

Well, Beatrix did try to hide from Bill once she knew she was pregnant...
And she went on a rampage of revenge only because she though her baby was dead.
That’s an important plot point right there by the way. That’s what makes Kill Bill different from other revenge movies and that’s what makes Beatrix a female character. Only a woman would know such pain.

 

[Chris Wallace]

But You See What You're Getting At? Logical Motivation, Plot & Character Development. Elements That Are Sorely Lacking From Such Films As Ultraviolet & Cino.

 

[Trevor Goodchild]

What's Cino?
As for Ultraviolet, yes, it had barely any plot or character development but her motivation was pretty clear to me. She lost her family. And that must be the only good thing I found in the movie and which they actually stayed with. Finally a character that doesn't shag with the next person s/he gets close to 30 minutes in the movie after her/his husband/wife died.
Not that I’m trying to protect Ultraviolet here. It’s definitely a lower than average movie.
Other than that, yeah, I agree with you.

 

[Chris Wallace]

"CINO" = Catwoman In Name Only; The Affectionate (cough) Nickname Given To The Halle Berry Debacle Of 2004.

 

[Trevor Goodchild]

I see…sounds logical…

 

[Fused]

I'm the only jerk on the planet that not only liked but loved UV. Granted it was no Equilibrium, but it was Milla doing Gun Kata!!! That's all i wanted and they gave me 90 minutes of it lol! I never saw CINO, but I thought Elektra sucked. Underworld was OK. . and the first Tomb Raider I thought was alright. . .

Anyway. This probably doesnt help my argument much but I'm actually lookin forward to the Dead or Alive movie comin out. . .

 

[mathhater]

Well it appears the answer to the original thread question is "No." Perhaps it is too late...if "Black Widow" is being dropped due to the lackluster performance of other female-led action movies. I guess the damage has been done.

It's a shame though, because people will watch action movies starring a woman. As long as it elevates itself beyond all these really, really, really bad female action movies..."Catwoman" or "Aeon Flux" or "BloodRayne" or "Elektra" or "Ultraviolet"...

I just wish studios would look at this and realize the lackluster results of these movies had less to do with estrogen and more to do with the fact that those are some rotten, rotten films.

Focus on story...focus on character...and Hollywood, you CAN make a decent movie...just don't rely so much on a cool character and a whole buncha action.

 

[Isildur´s Heir]

I don´t think it can´t be made....i know it can.
And for all the reasons already stated.....

Understanding the characters and caring for them.

The problem is, the majority of studios just make movies about female action heroes because they want to make something diferent to try to cash in on the genre that is going strong.
They don´t care for the characters at hand, they just want to bring horny teens to go see it and drool.

 

[WallCrawl]

I don´t think it can´t be made....i know it can.
And for all the reasons already stated.....

Understanding the characters and caring for them.

The problem is, the majority of studios just make movies about female action heroes because they want to make something diferent to try to cash in on the genre that is going strong.
They don´t care for the characters at hand, they just want to bring horny teens to go see it and drool.

Absolutely. The majority of the films so far are merely exploitive in nature.

 

[Chris Wallace]

That's not true. I mean you had "Tomb Raider", w/Angelina running around in a tight T-shirt & short-shorts...okay, you had "Catwoman", w/Halle running around in a leather bra...okay, you had "Elektra", w/Jennifer in that red boustier...okay, how about "Bloodrayne", with the half-naked...
What were we talking about again?

 

[DarKush]

That's not true. I mean you had "Tomb Raider", w/Angelina running around in a tight T-shirt & short-shorts...okay, you had "Catwoman", w/Halle running around in a leather bra...okay, you had "Elektra", w/Jennifer in that red boustier...okay, how about "Bloodrayne", with the half-naked...
What were we talking about again?

You're right about that. Kate Beckinsale in Underworld hadn't made leather look so good since Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns. Milla and Charlize were also in pretty tight and/or skimpy clothing too.

Just looking at those examples you named, its clear that the studios are putting 'sex appeal' over creating good characters and more engaging, gripping plots.

 

[Chris Wallace]

And here I thought I might've been laying the sarcasm on a bit thick.

 

[Isildur´s Heir]

That's not true. I mean you had "Tomb Raider", w/Angelina running around in a tight T-shirt & short-shorts...okay, you had "Catwoman", w/Halle running around in a leather bra...okay, you had "Elektra", w/Jennifer in that red boustier...okay, how about "Bloodrayne", with the half-naked...
What were we talking about again?

And i bet that, if this was the 80´s or early 90´s, the leading women would show her boobs at one time, during the movie.

bad place, i´m a man, i love women, i worship women....but, when it comes to movies, enough is enough.
To run around in short-shorts or tight bra, it´s not sexy, it´s just stupid.
And people want Wonder Woman to go running around in star-spanglered undies and red boustier
Yes, it´s the original suit, but, does anyone have any idea how ridiculous it might came out?
It´s Baywatch...........superheroe style

 

[blind_fury]

Elektra couldve been awesome dammit.

Monica Bellucci + R-rating = classic Elektra movie

 

[Philly Phanboy]

If so, how? Not just in comic movies but across the board. I think that movies like "Ultraviolet", "Catwoman", "Elektra" & "Supergirl" ( to name a few) may have done irreparable harm.

Here's a list of female action movies. Of those movies, the more successful ones are probably:

Aliens Trilogy
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Kill Bill series
Charlie's Angels series
Underworld series
Mulan
Resident Evil series
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
La Femme Nikita (it did spawn a knockoff English version and a TV series)

What do these more successful movies all have in common? For the majority of them they are action movies first and foremost and the girl power schtick is kept to a minimum or in the case of Charlie's Angels girl power is actually looked at in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

 

[Chris Wallace]

Elektra couldve been awesome dammit.

Monica Bellucci + R-rating = classic Elektra movie

I disagree on Monica; using her would've only contributed to the sexploitation I've been talking about. And her English sucks.
And going PG-13 isn't what killed "Elektra"; the movie just didn't know where it wanted to go. All that nonsense about the "treasure" & Elektra trying to be a mentor-it was goofy.