Inspired by the premiere of the film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga I’ve decided to share some of my favorite action movies with female protagonists. Much like the character Imperator Furiosa, the female leads here brought all their strength and charisma to the screen with their dazzling performances.
FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA
The prequel of the acclaimed Mad Max, both directed by George Miller, came out on may 15th at the 77th Cannes Festival and it caused quite a stir on the event, following the standing ovation of the star Anya Taylor Joy and director George Miller for their incredible body of work. The movie follows a young Furiosa that is taken by the Warlord Dementus from the Green Place of Many Mothers and ends up in the grasp of the president of the Citadel, The Immortan Joe, as it is seen in the film Mad Max: Fury Road.
The former involves you in the trajectory of the powerful Furiosa, played beautifully by the amazing Anya Taylor Joy, hence the Cannes standing ovation. The actress delivered a total of 30 lines according to the director and uttered a scream that she had to fight for as stated by her in an interview: “We’re animals, and there’s a point where somebody just snaps”, she said. “There’s one scream in that movie, and I am not joking when I tell you that I fought for that scream for three months. I am a really strong advocate of female rage.” Furiosa is a movie centered on a female protagonist and this is why this masterpiece is definitely worth your watch.
CHARLIE’S ANGELS
The iconic 2000’s movie couldn’t be left out from this list, with the y2k trend in fashion, Charlie’s Angels is constantly referenced and mentioned because of the stylish clothes and personality of its characters, played by Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu.The film revolves around the three beautiful detectives that use their looks, ability in martial arts, disguises and amazing technology to rescue a future billionaire and prevent his software device from falling into the wrong hands.
The motion picture has a sequel: Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttleand both are directed by McG. More recently, in 2019, a reboot of it was launched, this one being directed by Elizabeth Banks, and starred by Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska, counting with an incredible soundtrack that includes the track “Don’t Call Me Angel”, performed by Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey. It also counts with fun and uplifting songs like “Pantera” by Anitta and “Got Her Own” by Ariana Grande and Victoria Monét.
BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN)
Birds of Prey is a turning point in Harley Quinn’s portrayal in media, considering that in the movie that she previously appeared Suicide Squad, she was displayed as a comic relief and sexualised through her clothes, due to the fact that the movie is directed by a female director, Cathy Yan, which gives the film a female perspective in Harley’s role, therefore, she is described as a strong and intelligent woman, not just an object for men.
The film is centered around Harley and a group that includes a singer, an assassin, a police detective and a young girl who stole a diamond from a crime lord, whom the previously mentioned characters are trying to help. The women are played by Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett and Ella Jay Basco. The motion picture also includes an exclusive soundtrack with songs like “Boss Bitch” by Doja Cat, “Diamonds” by Megan Thee Stallion and Normani, Joke’s on You by Charlotte Lawrence and “Sway with me” by Saweetie and GALXARA.
SUCKER PUNCH
This film is the definition of camp. It tells the story of Babydoll, a 20 year old that is falsely accused by her abusive stepfather of violence, which leads to her being left in a mental facility. To escape the hospital, she uses a coping mechanism based on dancing that gets her to an alternative universe that helps her to form a plan to escape from that place with the friends she made.
It’s filled with fun, action and good music, one of the action scenes features “Army of Me” by Bkörk! It’s definitely worth watching if you’re into movies to have fun and laugh with, because the action scenes have a bit of an anime style in them. It’s directed by Zack Snyder and some of the cast members are Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens and Jamie Chung.
KILL BILL
The iconic movie directed by Quentin Tarantino that owned the protagonist a Bafta for Best Actress Award nomination in 2004 is a must watch for cinephiles all over the world.It features some of the best and most memorable dialogues and scenes in the history of cinema. The motion picture follows the bride, played by Uma Thurman, an ex-assassin that wakes up from a coma after her attempted murder by Bill, her ex-lover and boss.
Therefore, she has to endure a lot of pain and suffering to battle Bill’s gang. It even has a sequel: Kill Bill Volume 2. The soundtrack includes songs like “Bang Bang- My Baby Shot Down” by Nancy Sinatra.The cast also has Lucy Liu in its members, as the skilled O-Ren Ishii, Vivica Fox as Vernita Green, David Carradine as Bill and Chiaki Kuriyama as Gogo Yubari, one of the most beloved characters in the film.
WOMAN KING
This powerful movie was responsible for Viola Davis’s nomination for the Bafta Awards for best actress. The film is a historical epic that follows the kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800’s after a new king takes power. He has an all women army, the Agojie warriors, that fight to protect their kingdom from the Oyo Empire that joined forces with the Mahi people to sell Dahomey’s captives to European slavers and raid their villages.
The Agojie are the only ones that are completely able to stop the massacre. The protagonist is Nanisca, played by Viola Davis, the leader of the Agojie that is responsible for protecting the kingdom as well as training new female warriors to join her unit. The soundtrack is made mainly by Terence Blanchard and is filled with beautiful and distinct instrumentals during the tensions seen on the screen, like the “Agojie Return”, “Tribute to the King” and “Agojie It’s War”.There’s also a bit of romance for all the fans of the genre. Some of the cast members are Thuso Mbedu as Nawi, Lashana Lynch as Izogie, Sheila Atim as Amenza and John Boyega as King Ghezo.
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The article above was edited by Anna Maria Prado .
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