The strong female lead: tough, smart, boring—and hardly new. Girl bosses routinely break barriers, to the point where it’s more interesting if a fictional woman is portrayed as a diverse person with real flaws. When the average lady action hero can punch out men twice her size and outsmart any male genius, it’s refreshing to see female klutzes get some inclusion. Here are four women with real range.
The high heels got a lot of heat for Jurassic World’s Claire Dearing. She evolved over time like good characters do, but her starting her arc as the opportunistic businesswoman left many gasping in shock. She was allowed to grow instead of instantly being an expert dino-wrangler. Nature indeed found a way.
Joan Lambert is memorable for her portrayal in Alien - for being the woman who wasn’t regarded as a pioneering female action star. Lambert was a nervous wreck who reacted like most people would when confronted by a big alien monster. Her genuine shrieks of terror helped make the chestburster sequence so timeless. She was a real one for that.
Cordelia Chase brought the mean girl vibes to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, reflecting Buffy’s former cheerleading life. Spoiled and bratty, Cordelia ruled the high school halls, making her eventual transition to siding with the angels even more satisfying to watch.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is unique in that it is one of the few live action prequels that is good and its female lead was allowed to be foolish. A comedic foil for Indy’s bravado, Willie Scott screamed, scowled, and sneered her way to cinematic immortality. She may not have been the best Indy Lady, but far from the worst.
Rey, Jyn (Star Wars), Helena (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), Carol Danvers (MCU) - there’s nothing wrong with these characters. And that’s what makes their films a cinematic sleeping pill.
Who are some of your favorite females in fiction who may not be the bravest or toughest?
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