Heroines of Hollywood
By: Brenden Chung, Trey Sailor, John Laurin, and Celeste Iniguez
Hero movies from the past and now, have mostly been male leads. They have been strong, courageous, selfless, and determined to do what he thinks is right.
What many female viewers realized was that the male leads were hot, sexy, and ideal husband-figure. We now live in 2015 and superhero movies with only male leads have now changed, and is slowly shifting to the lead of female characters. If I were to choose the best male lead for superheroes, it would be Robert Downey Jr. It is not only because he is the famous lead from the Ironman series, but because my point of view on superheroes is that they should not have multiple faces. For example, Superman; he is an ordinary businessman and when he notices that his city needs help, he leaps out in action. Spiderman is also a photographer who helps the city in secret. However, Downey Jr. Aka Ironman lets the whole world know that it is him who is saving the world. My perspective on a hero is that they should act like who they are despite what situation they are in. That is why Robert Downey Jr. is my example of a great male lead. So the question is, who is the best female lead? It is a character with Intuition, courage, and a nice, physically fit body. Why does female character need those three criteria to be a GREAT actor? Well, many movies with male leads, have women act because their husband, or some other male, has made them to do so, by force, or out-smarting the female to think they are wrong and he is. All actors, male or female should have their own way of showing the audience that they are one character, and has their own thoughts; courage to fight back and show the world that she is right.
First, Intuition. It can be defined as instinctive.
Many heroines in old movies were mostly portrayed as housewives and always did what their husbands have asked them to do with not much say in their own thoughts. Well, it is 2015 where househusbands exist and woman actually lead the house.
The heroines should be able to act from what is right and wrong. Not because from some outside influence but her own thoughts and beliefs.
Secondly, Courage. A HEROINE SHOULD BE COURAGEOUS!!! Not literally being able to run across a train track when there is a train speeding towards you, but the courage to stand for what is right; standing up for something that everyone else thinks is wrong but you know is right. I mean, for example, during math class, in a class of 50 or more students, the math teacher can make an error something as simple as: 1+1=3. Being the only person to correct the teacher is not courage but giving out a valid example and reasoning why 1+1=3 is. I’m not saying there is a different way to express 1+1, but to give an example of what I mean. To be courageous is to stand up for what is right even if others believe it is not.
Third, to be the BEST heroine; it is to be Physically Fit. This one is simple, why? because it is the literally meaning of the word “Physically Fit”. What defines Fit? to us males, me precisely, is the feeling of WOW she has a nice body. Yes being fit is having a nice body. What action movie, or any movie would YOU watch with a female lead and an unappealing body figure. Yes there are some movies with some ladies and not so sexy bodies, but their acting is what caught other’s attention. If not, other female characters. Anyways, being Fit is to have a slim body with stamina, if in real life, able to run a mile in 7 minutes, and yes, it is fast for the average female runners. Simpler words: sexy.
Males might have different definitions of sexy but, having a nice, slim body is one of them.
By: Brenden Chung, Trey Sailor, John Laurin, and Celeste Iniguez
Hero movies from the past and now, have mostly been male leads. They have been strong, courageous, selfless, and determined to do what he thinks is right.
What many female viewers realized was that the male leads were hot, sexy, and ideal husband-figure. We now live in 2015 and superhero movies with only male leads have now changed, and is slowly shifting to the lead of female characters. If I were to choose the best male lead for superheroes, it would be Robert Downey Jr. It is not only because he is the famous lead from the Ironman series, but because my point of view on superheroes is that they should not have multiple faces. For example, Superman; he is an ordinary businessman and when he notices that his city needs help, he leaps out in action. Spiderman is also a photographer who helps the city in secret. However, Downey Jr. Aka Ironman lets the whole world know that it is him who is saving the world. My perspective on a hero is that they should act like who they are despite what situation they are in. That is why Robert Downey Jr. is my example of a great male lead. So the question is, who is the best female lead? It is a character with Intuition, courage, and a nice, physically fit body. Why does female character need those three criteria to be a GREAT actor? Well, many movies with male leads, have women act because their husband, or some other male, has made them to do so, by force, or out-smarting the female to think they are wrong and he is. All actors, male or female should have their own way of showing the audience that they are one character, and has their own thoughts; courage to fight back and show the world that she is right.
First, Intuition. It can be defined as instinctive.
Many heroines in old movies were mostly portrayed as housewives and always did what their husbands have asked them to do with not much say in their own thoughts. Well, it is 2015 where househusbands exist and woman actually lead the house.
The heroines should be able to act from what is right and wrong. Not because from some outside influence but her own thoughts and beliefs.
Secondly, Courage. A HEROINE SHOULD BE COURAGEOUS!!! Not literally being able to run across a train track when there is a train speeding towards you, but the courage to stand for what is right; standing up for something that everyone else thinks is wrong but you know is right. I mean, for example, during math class, in a class of 50 or more students, the math teacher can make an error something as simple as: 1+1=3. Being the only person to correct the teacher is not courage but giving out a valid example and reasoning why 1+1=3 is. I’m not saying there is a different way to express 1+1, but to give an example of what I mean. To be courageous is to stand up for what is right even if others believe it is not.
Third, to be the BEST heroine; it is to be Physically Fit. This one is simple, why? because it is the literally meaning of the word “Physically Fit”. What defines Fit? to us males, me precisely, is the feeling of WOW she has a nice body. Yes being fit is having a nice body. What action movie, or any movie would YOU watch with a female lead and an unappealing body figure. Yes there are some movies with some ladies and not so sexy bodies, but their acting is what caught other’s attention. If not, other female characters. Anyways, being Fit is to have a slim body with stamina, if in real life, able to run a mile in 7 minutes, and yes, it is fast for the average female runners. Simpler words: sexy.
Males might have different definitions of sexy but, having a nice, slim body is one of them.
![Picture](/uploads/5/9/6/7/59671765/3146434.png?139)
2010 Winner
Chloë Grace Moretz as
in Kick Ass
Overview: Despite only being 13 years old in the Kick Ass movie, Moretz brought her character to life. Every fight scene she was in was intense, showing her physical fitness. She’s always jumping around, performing kicks and acrobatics. Despite her small size she had courage was able to trash talk on the same level as men. Moretz fitted right into her character’s state of mind and showed this through the passion of taking the lives of crooks and criminals with ease. Her role was difficult, being a little girl killing machine without making the role overly masculine. Moretz was able to maintain her innocence charm while still delivering death with knives and guns.
Runner Up: Milla Jovovich as Alice in Resident Evil: Afterlife
As in the prequels to Resident Evil: Afterlife, Jovovich did an amazing job portraying Alice. She battles the undead and has an aura about her that screams, “I’ll kick everything and anyone’s ass!” Jovovich looks strong and fit and makes you believe she is such. Jovovich did an outstanding job and chosen as runner up to due to Moretz’ abilities at her young age.
Chloë Grace Moretz as
in Kick Ass
Overview: Despite only being 13 years old in the Kick Ass movie, Moretz brought her character to life. Every fight scene she was in was intense, showing her physical fitness. She’s always jumping around, performing kicks and acrobatics. Despite her small size she had courage was able to trash talk on the same level as men. Moretz fitted right into her character’s state of mind and showed this through the passion of taking the lives of crooks and criminals with ease. Her role was difficult, being a little girl killing machine without making the role overly masculine. Moretz was able to maintain her innocence charm while still delivering death with knives and guns.
Runner Up: Milla Jovovich as Alice in Resident Evil: Afterlife
As in the prequels to Resident Evil: Afterlife, Jovovich did an amazing job portraying Alice. She battles the undead and has an aura about her that screams, “I’ll kick everything and anyone’s ass!” Jovovich looks strong and fit and makes you believe she is such. Jovovich did an outstanding job and chosen as runner up to due to Moretz’ abilities at her young age.
![Picture](/uploads/5/9/6/7/59671765/8348325.jpg?139)
2011 Winner
Zoe Saldana as Cataleya in
Overview: Zoe Saldana was amazing in Columbiana. She is daring, pugnacious and maintains her feminine side. She really brings her character to life. The child version of Cataleya can be seen in Saldana who plays the older, more mature and skillful Cataleya. Cataleya uses her sex appeal at times to out-smart her foes that underestimate her due to her being a female. Saldana does this naturally and physique adds to her overall appearance. Saldana is able to turn the switch from passionate and lovely to revengeful and destructive within a second, making her performance as Cataleya a must see. Saldana makes you feel as if she was actually a skillful deceitful killer in real life.
Runner Up: Saoirse Ronan as Hanna Ronan, another young actress, did a good job in her role as Hanna. Not as flashy and animated as Hit-Girl, but still an amazing performance. Ronan is cunning, courageous, smart and determined in her role as Hanna. Her demeanor makes it hard to read her but also make her role believable. She’s quiet but deadly and plays into her childlike tendencies to deceive people. Despite Ronan’s awesome performance, she falls runner up due to Saldana’s expertise at playing a heroine.
Zoe Saldana as Cataleya in
Overview: Zoe Saldana was amazing in Columbiana. She is daring, pugnacious and maintains her feminine side. She really brings her character to life. The child version of Cataleya can be seen in Saldana who plays the older, more mature and skillful Cataleya. Cataleya uses her sex appeal at times to out-smart her foes that underestimate her due to her being a female. Saldana does this naturally and physique adds to her overall appearance. Saldana is able to turn the switch from passionate and lovely to revengeful and destructive within a second, making her performance as Cataleya a must see. Saldana makes you feel as if she was actually a skillful deceitful killer in real life.
Runner Up: Saoirse Ronan as Hanna Ronan, another young actress, did a good job in her role as Hanna. Not as flashy and animated as Hit-Girl, but still an amazing performance. Ronan is cunning, courageous, smart and determined in her role as Hanna. Her demeanor makes it hard to read her but also make her role believable. She’s quiet but deadly and plays into her childlike tendencies to deceive people. Despite Ronan’s awesome performance, she falls runner up due to Saldana’s expertise at playing a heroine.
![Picture](/uploads/5/9/6/7/59671765/4911810.jpg?134)
2012 Winner
Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in The Avengers
Overview: In the movie The Avengers, Scarlett Johansson plays the heroine, Black Widow. Johansson plays this role perfectly exhibiting the three criteria of a heroine. From the very first scene of the movie Johansson displays all three characteristics: using her physique to escape from being restrained on a chair, utilizing her intuition to formulate a plan to defeat her capturers, and demonstrated courage by being able to withstand torture without breaking. Scarlett Johansson deserves to be the winner of best heroine of 2012 for the outstanding job she did playing the role of Black Widow.
Runner Up: A close runner up for best heroine in 2012 is Anne Hathaway playing the role of Catwoman in Batman: The Dark Knight Rises. She was a very close runner up, but we believe that Scarlett Johansson showed more characteristics of a heroine. Hathaway proves to be courageous, fit, and intuitive through her actions during the movie. She is intuitive when she plans a heist and figures out how to open safes. She performs many acrobatic moves proving she is fit and agile. Hathaway proves that she is courageous because she willingly puts herself at risk to achieve her goals. All in all she meets all of the three criteria of being a heroine, but falls short of being the winner of 2012.
Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in The Avengers
Overview: In the movie The Avengers, Scarlett Johansson plays the heroine, Black Widow. Johansson plays this role perfectly exhibiting the three criteria of a heroine. From the very first scene of the movie Johansson displays all three characteristics: using her physique to escape from being restrained on a chair, utilizing her intuition to formulate a plan to defeat her capturers, and demonstrated courage by being able to withstand torture without breaking. Scarlett Johansson deserves to be the winner of best heroine of 2012 for the outstanding job she did playing the role of Black Widow.
Runner Up: A close runner up for best heroine in 2012 is Anne Hathaway playing the role of Catwoman in Batman: The Dark Knight Rises. She was a very close runner up, but we believe that Scarlett Johansson showed more characteristics of a heroine. Hathaway proves to be courageous, fit, and intuitive through her actions during the movie. She is intuitive when she plans a heist and figures out how to open safes. She performs many acrobatic moves proving she is fit and agile. Hathaway proves that she is courageous because she willingly puts herself at risk to achieve her goals. All in all she meets all of the three criteria of being a heroine, but falls short of being the winner of 2012.
![Picture](/uploads/5/9/6/7/59671765/1534277.jpg?150)
2013 Winner
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Overview: In the movie The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss Everdeen. Her character symbolizes all the ideal qualities that a heroine should posses. When Katniss interferes and puts a stop to Gale being beaten by the peace-maker, she demonstrates that she is courageous. Throughout the entire film Jennifer Lawrence does an astounding job showing intuition by making smart decisions in and out of the arena. Her level of fitness is displayed while she is participating in the games; she is able to run fast and is exceptional at archery.
Runner Up: Olga Kurylenko was a not so close runner up in her role Julia in the movie Oblivion. She was a decent heroine but she did not even contend to Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. Although Kyrylenko was a strong female character and was physically fit, she lacked the level of intuition shown by Katniss. Overall Kurylenko did not fully represent everything a heroine is.
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Overview: In the movie The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss Everdeen. Her character symbolizes all the ideal qualities that a heroine should posses. When Katniss interferes and puts a stop to Gale being beaten by the peace-maker, she demonstrates that she is courageous. Throughout the entire film Jennifer Lawrence does an astounding job showing intuition by making smart decisions in and out of the arena. Her level of fitness is displayed while she is participating in the games; she is able to run fast and is exceptional at archery.
Runner Up: Olga Kurylenko was a not so close runner up in her role Julia in the movie Oblivion. She was a decent heroine but she did not even contend to Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. Although Kyrylenko was a strong female character and was physically fit, she lacked the level of intuition shown by Katniss. Overall Kurylenko did not fully represent everything a heroine is.
![Picture](/uploads/5/9/6/7/59671765/6829827.jpg?218)
2014 Winner
Scarlett Johansson as
Overview: In the movie Lucy, Scarlett Johansson does an amazing job playing her role as Lucy. Lucy is at first just an average girl who is forced to have drugs smuggled inside of her and then the drugs get in her system and she becomes able to use the most percentage of her brain than anyone has ever been able to do. Lucy becomes a badass fight machine who fights off any man that gets in her way. Johansson did an exceptional job in playing the role and has displayed each of the three criteria we have come up with that is essential to be a heroine. She is intuitive by figuring out the strength of her abilities and outsmarting the men who are trying to smuggle the drugs. She is courageous by seeking the help of a neurologist to find out what is going on with her. Lastly she displays the physically fit rule by all the stunts she does and to have the ability to fight through all the men herself she must be fit to keep up without tiring out.
Runner Up: Zoe Saldana as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy. Saldana was another great heroine in 2014, she has fell short of being the winner of 2014 though because Johansson had did an amazing job transforming from the normal, everyday women to becoming a badass who shows the people who hurt her that she is now not the be messed with. Saldana was exceptional in fight whomever to get what she needed, but she lacked the ability to become better throughout the movie; as Johansson did exactly that.
Scarlett Johansson as
Overview: In the movie Lucy, Scarlett Johansson does an amazing job playing her role as Lucy. Lucy is at first just an average girl who is forced to have drugs smuggled inside of her and then the drugs get in her system and she becomes able to use the most percentage of her brain than anyone has ever been able to do. Lucy becomes a badass fight machine who fights off any man that gets in her way. Johansson did an exceptional job in playing the role and has displayed each of the three criteria we have come up with that is essential to be a heroine. She is intuitive by figuring out the strength of her abilities and outsmarting the men who are trying to smuggle the drugs. She is courageous by seeking the help of a neurologist to find out what is going on with her. Lastly she displays the physically fit rule by all the stunts she does and to have the ability to fight through all the men herself she must be fit to keep up without tiring out.
Runner Up: Zoe Saldana as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy. Saldana was another great heroine in 2014, she has fell short of being the winner of 2014 though because Johansson had did an amazing job transforming from the normal, everyday women to becoming a badass who shows the people who hurt her that she is now not the be messed with. Saldana was exceptional in fight whomever to get what she needed, but she lacked the ability to become better throughout the movie; as Johansson did exactly that.
![Picture](/uploads/5/9/6/7/59671765/8290045.png?225)
2015 Winner
Michelle Rodriguez as Letty in Furious 7
Overview: Michelle Rodriguez has played many badass roles and she did not disappoint in Furious 7. She perfectly demonstrated our three rules to being a heroine. She is intuitive by showing she can expertly play the role of strategically planning their ways to get money and get out without getting caught. She is courageous by not being afraid of taking one for the team and doing her kickass fighting scenes. She perfectly shows she is physically fit in the scene where she fights off Rhonda Rousey’s guards and then when she fights Rousey herself.
Runner up: Shailene Woodley as Tris Prior in Insurgent. In this movie Shailene Woodley does demonstrate all the traits we believe every heroine should have, but she just happened to not demonstrate them as well as Michelle Rodriguez did in Furious 7. She showed courage by helping others even though it put her in danger, and she showed she was physically fit by all the running and stunts that were done in the movie.
Michelle Rodriguez as Letty in Furious 7
Overview: Michelle Rodriguez has played many badass roles and she did not disappoint in Furious 7. She perfectly demonstrated our three rules to being a heroine. She is intuitive by showing she can expertly play the role of strategically planning their ways to get money and get out without getting caught. She is courageous by not being afraid of taking one for the team and doing her kickass fighting scenes. She perfectly shows she is physically fit in the scene where she fights off Rhonda Rousey’s guards and then when she fights Rousey herself.
Runner up: Shailene Woodley as Tris Prior in Insurgent. In this movie Shailene Woodley does demonstrate all the traits we believe every heroine should have, but she just happened to not demonstrate them as well as Michelle Rodriguez did in Furious 7. She showed courage by helping others even though it put her in danger, and she showed she was physically fit by all the running and stunts that were done in the movie.