Why is Angelina Jolie the only action woman in show business?

[Silvermoth]

Everytime there's an action movie starring a woman (as rare as that is) it only goes towards Angelina. True there's Milla Jovovich but I don't really count the Resident Evil franchise as movies .

Don't get me wrong, I love Angelina. I honestly think in decades to come her name will be mentioned amongst Rita Hayworth and Bette Davis among screen icons but the question is, why aren't there more actresses following her lead into action films?

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Michelle Rodriguez says hi.

 

[Chewy]

The entire cast of Sucker Punch?

 

[MadVillainy]

Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodriguez like Aesop said, and you can't discount Milla Jovovich just because you dont like the movies

 

[Bruce Banner]

Remember the days of Linda Hamilton and Sigourney Weaver

 

[Specter313]

Well, Angelina actually is a proven cash cow when it comes to the female driven action genre. That type of movie in recent years has had a very hard time turning a profit, notice how we've had very few female based comic books movies as well. Yes, most of them sucked on top of it, but why do you think that it's so hard for arguably the most popular and iconic female comic figure, Wonder Woman, to get her movie off the ground? The female led action film has been a hard sell and people don't want to invest in it if they don't see it as profitable. Angelina has a history of bringing in the money, so the studios would like to go with what works. Not to bash the other ladies mentioned above, but they mostly don't have a lot of success outside of one series of movies. It doesn't hurt that she's a great actress on top of it and can really make the movies work.

 

[Electrix]

Women see movies with both male and female leads

Men usually only see movies with male leads.

Studios rarely make female lead films because they are cutting out half of their audience. Jolie is unique as 1) Her name alone can get a movie off the ground, and 2) Men like to see her kick-ass because she's hot.

Zoe Saldana has an action movie filming now, but it is an indie and no major studio is involved. The chances of it getting a wide release are slim. If Saldana was actually shown in Avatar that may be different, but as people only saw Neyteri she doesn't get the same recognition as Sam Worthington.

If movies such as Aeon Flux, Catwoman, Elektra, Ultraviolet didn't flop then things may have been different. Studios have no interest in getting Christopher Nolan-like talent for a female lead films, and even if they did they would just hire actresses like Megan Fox for the teen boys. Sucker Punch has Zack Snyder but that is just a teenage boys wet dream, with good looking young girls in skimpy outfits fighting robots and dragons.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, while not a typical action film, has a female character as the lead and a talented director involved. If it does well and the trilogy gets made we could see more mature action/thriller films with actresses other than Angelina Jolie involved.

 

[CelticPredator]

Milla is my favorite. I see all her movies. I think she's the **** when it comes to badass action heroins.

 

[zanos]

Women are not meant to be action heroes, they're there to be saved by the action hero.

 

[The Jester]

Uma Thurman was great in Kill Bill. I'd consider her as much as an action star as Angelina Jolie since they both do the same amount of drama.

 

[Jager X]

Most action movies with female leads suck ass, plain and simple. Within the past 10 years or so the only female-led action film that was a huge hit across the board was Kill Bill. I don't care to make mention of Tomb Raider since, as someone else mentioned, Jolie has the charisma and the popularity to bring success to an action film.

The problem I see with action films of such nature are two things. One, not many actresses can come off as hard-boiled. Weaver, Hamilton, Jolie, these women carried with them a sense of strength and perseverence when faced with certain death by ninjas, robots, aliens, soldiers, etc. Two, many films of this nature either softens the female lead or sexualize them. Why whenever a woman kicks ass that she needs to be sexy to do it? I want to see some badass *****es getting knee deep in the grit, not glossy models trying to land a kick that is less likely to smudge their mascara. Elektra should have been a balls to the wall, hardcore action film. This is a character that had potential to legitmize a woman's worth as a lead action star, but we were stuck with soft ass Jennifer Garner who absolutely failed portraying anything remotely awesome about the character. So, until Hollywood realizes these flaws then we will always be presented with crapass female action film with an occasional gem.

 

[comicfan4Life]

Most action movies with female leads suck ass, plain and simple. Within the past 10 years or so the only female-led action film that was a huge hit across the board was Kill Bill. I don't care to make mention of Tomb Raider since, as someone else mentioned, Jolie has the charisma and the popularity to bring success to an action film.

The problem I see with action films of such nature are two things. One, not many actresses can come off as hard-boiled. Weaver, Hamilton, Jolie, these women carried with them a sense of strength and perseverence when faced with certain death by ninjas, robots, aliens, soldiers, etc. Two, many films of this nature either softens the female lead or sexualize them. Why whenever a woman kicks ass that she needs to be sexy to do it? I want to see some badass *****es getting knee deep in the grit, not glossy models trying to land a kick that is less likely to smudge their mascara. Elektra should have been a balls to the wall, hardcore action film. This is a character that had potential to legitmize a woman's worth as a lead action star, but we were stuck with soft ass Jennifer Garner who absolutely failed portraying anything remotely awesome about the character. So, until Hollywood realizes these flaws then we will always be presented with crapass female action film with an occasional gem.

Well said, Elektra was a tragedy!

 

[webhead731]

Hit-Girl!!!

 

[terry78]

There were a lot of comments on the Salt IMDB page about how it was unrealistic for Jolie to be able to do the things she did because she was, in fact, a skinny chick, or just a chick, period. That has something to do with it.

 

[Project862006]

yeah i have read things like that online where a girl cant be skinny and be a heroine sucker punch is getting same response these are skinny girls you cant be bad ass lol

 

[DorkyFresh]

i think part of it is that most people want their action heroes to be somewhat of a badass and there are very few women that can pull that off convincingly. Angelina, Michelle Rodriguez, Kate Beckinsale, even Rose McGowen...they're able to use their physicality and sass in a way that makes them seem like bad b***es (in the most respectful way possible) while someone like Charlize Theron, for some reason, just can't.

that being said, there are plenty of Asian actresses who are also action heroines. they're just not popular in Hollyweird.

 

[Project862006]

charlize could imo she was strong willed in hancock

 

[DorkyFresh]

strong willed isn't the same as being badass though. Tim Olyphant has shown plenty of strong will in his characters, but i can never see him as a badass. Jackie Chan, while being strong willed, rarely comes off as being badass. some people have it....some just don't.

 

[Project862006]

rhona mitra has a bad ass quality but she is''nt the best actress

 

[CelticPredator]

Women are not meant to be action heroes, they're there to be saved by the action hero.

********. You sexist fool.

Women + Guns = HOT

 

[redhawk23]

If movies such as Aeon Flux, Catwoman, Elektra, Ultraviolet didn't suck then things may have been different. QUOTE]


the underperformance of those movie had nothing to do with the female leads and everything to do with them being horriblly made.

Also Eliz Dushku had Dollhouse which made it for two seasons.

 

[JeetKuneDo]

I'm tired of Jolie myself. She's never been convincing to me as an "action star". Maybe she could cut someone with her bones...but a punch from her would probably tickle. She's no Sigourney Weaver or Linda Hamilton.

The only females that have convinced me lately are Rebecca Romijn as Mystique and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. That's some butt-kicking there. I want to see them fight at some point. (Come on Marvel...get the X-Men back and make this happen!)

 

[dark_b]

i think that if hollywood wasnt afraid of female action movies then some writter could writte a badass movie where its only about the female character.
and you dont need to cast a known actress.

if the movie would be good and if it would click with the masses it would make money.

its that simple.

 

[Octoberist]

Silvermouth who made this thread got 'owned' several times. (Moment of silence)

 

[nightwing06]

I think we are slowly starting to see a resurgence of women in starring roles as action heroines