I like women. I am one (or so I am told). I also like movies. I am not a movie (at least, I don't think I am).

Unfortunately, as we all know, there are big problems with opportunities for women in the movies. Of all the lead characters committed to film in Hollywood last year, only 12 per cent were women. The failure of two lady-starring superhero films released more than 10 years ago is still being used as an excuse not to make more (if you were wondering: the movies were this and this).

I would like to see more movies starring women. Not just because I am a woman and like movies, but because women are just as interesting, funny, complex and clever as anyone else. Women deserve to be on film, because we are: 1. cool; 2. can run away from explosions in heels (some of us, not me), so I really don't see why this is such a hard thing to do.

So, yes, women have been given fewer opportunities to be awesome on film and this is terrible. There are even fewer opportunities for women to be powerful, resourceful and heroic on film and this might be even worse. Thankfully, though, there are some examples of awesome women in films, which is what we can all be grateful for. While we wait for the capitalist overlords of Hollywood to twiddle their thumbs, pondering if this strange creature science calls "wo-man" can actually walk and talk and act like anybody else, let us spend all our time watching some of the best, butt kicking women ever committed to film:



Ellen Ripley from Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien: Resurrection

Known for: Kicking intergalactic alien hiney. Loving cats.
Fighting for: To get away from aliens, basically. Ripley was having a perfectly fine time working as a warrant officer on a space ship before all the aliens came along.
Weapon of choice: Power loader and flame throwers.



Sarah Connor from The Terminator, Terminator 2

Known for: Being the badass mother of John Connor, leader of the Resistance against the Machines. Generally being a badass.
Fighting for: Our freedom. Your freedom. The freedom of the entire human race. It's quite a commitment, but she's got the cunning and skills to pull it off.
Weapon of choice: Pens, guns (as in weapons), guns (as in biceps).



Lady Snowblood from Lady Snowblood

Known for: Her skills with swords and her commitment to revenge.
Fighting for: Vengeance. Her family and mother were attacked and killed by bandits (it's Meiji period Japan, just go with it).
Weapon of choice: Swords and blades, swords and blades hidden in umbrellas.



Jackie Brown from Jackie Brown

Known for: Smuggling money and pulling off scams, Jackie Brown is one of the finest grifters around.
Fighting for: Jackie doesn't fight as much as she does con and doublecross. She does it for herself, basically. Because life isn't fair and flight attendants get paid $16,000 a year.
Weapon of choice: Brains, bags, power suits and love songs by The Delfonics.



Samantha/Charly from The Long Kiss Goodnight

Known for: Recovering amnesiac Samantha Caine is known for being a pretty unremarkable school teacher in Small Town, USA. Charlie Baltimore is known for being a deadly assassin, who lost her memory several years ago. I'm sure you can see where this is going.
Fighting for: Her family, her city and, most of all, Christmas. Terrorists want to detonate a bomb on Christmas and Samantha/Charlie is not going to let that happen.
Weapon of choice: Charlie can ice skate and take people down at the same time. She is amazing and resourceful and can figure a way out of almost any situation. She's also got a sharp mind and quick one-liners. Take this exchange of dialogue between Charlie and her daughter: "Mommy, am I going to die?" her daughter asks. "Oh, no, baby, no. You're not going to die," Charlie replies. "They are. Cover your ears. Hey, should we get a dog?" Amazing.