The end of 2015 saw some amazing kick ass females make their way to the silver screen: Katniss Everdeen brought down corruption; Rey discovered the force; the bear from the Revenant bear slapped Leonardo DiCaprio. (Side note: I have no idea if the bear was a female but a girl can dream.)
And yet the year showed that we women have a long, long way to go in Hollywood: Jennifer Lawerence voiced her frustration over pay inequality for Lena Dunham’s newsletter Lenny. We still don’t have a Star Wars Rey action figure and news came out that Hasbro didn’t think that they should make an action figure for, y’know, the main character of the most popular film of the year. And if you’re still holding your breath for a Black Widow movie, chances are you lost all consciousness.
So, will 2016 be the year of kick ass women in movies? From my YouTube stalking, all signs point to yes. Here’s just a few of the movies where we women kick ass first and take names later.
Jane Got a Gun (January 29)
In the past, women in westerns were typically relegated to the following: wives, damsels in distress, prostitutes, or Annie Oakley. My head spins from the oh, so many choices.
But that all changes with Natalie Portman’s Jane Got a Gun. (Go ahead and sing Aerosmith’s “Janie’s Got a Gun” because how can you not?) Portman plays the titular role, seeking the help from an ex-lover to protect her family from ruthless outlaws. But Jane isn’t your typical western female stock character: she knows how to shoot (hence the title) and isn’t afraid to get dirty.
And get ready to nerd squeal a little: the film also stars Ewen McGregor. That’s right – Obi Wan Kenobi and Padme are back together again, only lightsabers have been replaced by a Smith and Wesson.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (February 5)
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains. Never was this truth more plain than during the recent attacks at Netherfield Park, in which a household of eighteen was slaughtered and consumed by a horde of the living dead.”
And so opens Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which makes you kind of wish College Board placed this on the AP Literature Required Reading List.
Rather than wait around for the next ball, our beloved Bennet sisters are knife wielding, zombie killing, mixed martial artists who still manage to do it all in a corset. Think Jane Austen meets The Walking Dead.
My favorite line from this preview? “My daughters were trained for battle, sir, not the kitchen.”
Best. Father. Ever.
Wonder Woman (2017)
Okay, so this film isn’t technically coming out until next year. But with the release of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice this March comes the introduction of the woman who had us all as kids taking the belt off of our Care Bear robe and trying to form our own Lasso of Truth.
Wonder effing Woman.
Sure, there were a few objections raised over the costume. (Seriously? Did anyone look at Henry Cavill’s costume and throw a hissy fit over the fact that he wasn’t rocking a red banana hammock over his blue tights?) Others felt the character looked a little too dark and dreary compared to the Lynda Carter version from the 1970s because God forbid there be a change.
This 21st century Wonder Woman doesn’t need tight blue granny panties and a red bustier that Nike clearly didn’t design for long distance running. Of course only time will tell if this WW will inspire all of us to rush out and buy our own metal cuffs or beat Zack Snyder with our homemade Lasso of Truth, but if this opens the door for more kick ass women on the big screen then count me in.
What big screen kick-ass women are excited to see? Let us know!
