Best Action Movies Of The 00s With A Strong Female Lead, Ranked By IMDb

For a very long time, the Action style has been dominated by hypermasculine protagonists saving the world and a damsel in misery or waging their very own private struggle. still, there had been just a few exceptions with Female leads in action-heavy movies, examples being Cunning Brown, the Terminator franchise, and so forth. The 2010s noticed a substantial improve with Action movies starring the likes of Charlize Theron, Michelle Rodriguez, and Gina Carano amongst others.

The last decade earlier than that, the 2000s, additionally led to a serious change in Action conventions. Though most of those movies have been still directed by male filmmakers, they still starred some Strong Female leads who overturned a number of stereotypes.

Doomsday (2008)- 6

Similarities could be drawn between Doomsday and Resident Evil as each take care of a contagious virus that may flip individuals into the undead. However Doomsday still has its personal deserves that make for an entertaining Action watch. The sci-fi Action thriller stars with the lethal ‘Reaper virus’ that wreaks havoc throughout Scotland. Unable to discover a resolution, England quarantines all of Scotland, reducing off its ties from trendy civilization.

still, when the virus later reaches London, British navy operatives below Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra) plan to return to the ravaged wasteland that Scotland has changed into, hoping to discover a remedy.

TIE: Resident Evil (2002)- 6.7

Based on the sport collection of the same title, Resident Evil and its numerous sequels aren’t examples of inventive cinema. However they’ve enough shoot-em-up zombie sequences and stuntwork to maintain viewers engaged. The first movie, arguably the best within the collection, starred two highly-popular Action heroines, Mila Jovovich, and Michelle Rodriguez.

Jovovich performs Alice, an amnesiac who is distributed on a mission with a covert navy group to an underground lab facility. A virus from the lab could be extremely contagious, turning people into zombie-like creatures and it is as much as Alice and her allies to comprise the state of affairs. What follows is a complete lot of lethal traps, taking pictures, and hand-to-hand fight.

TIE: Wanted (2008)- 6.7

Angelina Jolie has had her share of Action roles just like the extremely polarizing Lara Croft collection within the 2000s, together with different thrillers like Salt within the 2010s. In the midst of this era, she starred within the over-the-top Action fiesta that was Wanted.

She performs Fox, a member of The Fraternity, a cult-like group of assassins being tasked with recruiting Wesley (James McAvoy) the son of a legendary Fraternity-alumnus. Jolie will get to mess around with plenty of firearms, showing in stylistic automotive chases and one-on-one fight, with a ultimate twist to her character’s arc in direction of the third act.

TIE: Death Proof (2007)- 7

The exploitation style of cult B-movies yielded outdated stereotypes when it got here to the Female characters, both sexualizing them or butchering them. Quentin Tarantino tried to subvert these tropes in his Grindhouse characteristic, Death Proof. The movie facilities round a homicidal maniac of a driver (Kurt Russell) who will get a ‘excessive’ out of killing ladies in high-speed automotive crashes.

When a gaggle of 4 ladies understands his intentions, they handle to present him justice in their very own gas-pedaling methods. Death Proof stars Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, together with legendary stunt-artist Zoë Bell (who additionally doubled for Uma Thurman in Kill Bill).

TIE: Underworld (2003)- 7

Much like the Resident Evil franchise, the Underworld collection did not get favorable essential acclaim however still managed to depend on enough high-octane Action to garner a loyal fan following. The first movie’s central character is Selene (Kate Beckinsale) an orphaned vampire who attempts to avoid wasting a human physician from the vampire’s arch enemies, the Lycans (werewolves).

The movie is a stylishly-executed Action fantasy that builds upon a wealthy history of werewolves and vampires, marking a change from the overdone, cliched tropes on such cinematic monsters.

House Of Flying Daggers (2004)- 7.5

Another martial arts-driven romance movie like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers takes place within the background of insurgent teams that rise in opposition to the Tang Dynasty in China of the ninth Century. As royal cops examine the workings of 1 such group generally known as House of the Flying Daggers, they believe a dancer referred to as Mei of being a member of such factions.

Zhang Ziyi performs Mei, a dagger-throwing insurgent who robs corrupt officers and distributes her loot amongst the poor. As two officers tail her, a recreation of cat-and-mouse ensues that assessments the characters’ loyalties.

Lady Vengeance (2005)- 7.6

The ultimate chapter in famous South Korean director Park Chan-wook’s Vengeance trilogy, Lady Vengeance options Lee Yeong-ae within the titular position. Extra of a criminal offense thriller than an adrenaline-fueled Action flick, the movie gives a blood-curdling story of revenge as a mom is wrongfully incarcerated for 13 years, and separated from her little one.

As soon as she’s out of the prison, her newfound prison alliances assist her in waging a full-blown struggle at her foes. It is a plotline that has been used earlier than in a number of tales, however Lady Vengeance options its director’s traditional fashion of brutal violence and a dedicated efficiency by its result in recover from the acquainted tropes.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)- 7.8

Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh was already garnering recognition within the 1990s, however it’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon that drove her fame to a complete new stage. Thought-about to be one in all her best movies, she performs Yu Shu Lien, a grasp martial artist who’s proficient in preventing with swords and unleashing peak human power in leaping over distances.

The movie revolves round a famed swordsman and Yu Shu Lien who embark on an journey in 18th century China to discover a highly-valuable sword that goes lacking. The movie launched the worldwide profession of director Ang Lee and is likely one of the hottest Mandarin movies of all time.

Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)- 8

The finale to Quentin Tarantino’s bloody saga, Kill Bill: Volume 2 provides extra backstory to The Bride’s (Uma Thurman) origin and her intentions for looking for revenge. Having already killed most of her backstabbing companions, she lastly units out to homicide her ex-boss and fiance Bill.

Somewhat than its typical dose of Action, the movie additionally touches upon its martial arts cinema affect, offering scenes that specify how the protagonist ended up stuDeath her abilities. Not as fast-paced as its predecessor, the movie additionally delves on just a few philosophical ideas of morality and violence as The Bride plans her revenge.

Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)- 8.1

Wielding a samurai sword and donning the long-lasting yellow tracksuit popularized by Bruce Lee, Uma Thurman’s The Bride needs to be some of the iconic Action characters in popular culture. In Kill Bill: Volume 1, Beatrix Kiddo aka The Bride is revealed to be a member of the Lethal Vipers Assassination Squad, the group that stood by her and later betrayed her for an unknown motive.

Waking up from a coma, she’s intent on looking for solutions from the previous and this results in bloody encounters with another memorable Female Action leads like Cottonmouth (Lucy Liu), Copperhead (Vivica A Fox), and Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah).