Comments on: Femme Fatales: The Expendables Female Edition

By: Tracy

Tracy — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 23:09:51 +0000

Hey Joe! Thanks!! Believe me….I know exactly what you mean! Your posts are always so fun to read and since my mom said I always have a comment for everything, I figured if I like something, I’ll let the writer know
Thanks for reading and I’m glad you liked this one. I know they’re going forward with making the female version, but between you and me….I’m worried it’s going to be nothing but ham-fisted cheese. Fingers crossed I’m wrong! I posted the link to my Piranha review in the comments on that post for you
Seems that we’ll be going back and forth on each others posts! I get comments from Adam every once in a while to. It’s always nice to read a familiar name.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 23:05:03 +0000

Great article, Tracy. Obviously I am going to have to visit your site regularly. I love the Sigourney Weaver character you’ve created. Very imaginative and very entertaining. Looking forward to reading more of your work in the future. Have a great holiday and thanks again for your response to my Piranha review. Sometimes responses can be hard to come across, so I am more than happy to read your entertaining responses on a regular basis. Take care.

By: Russ Whitfield

Russ Whitfield — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:46:59 +0000

There’s already one in development and partially cast: http://www.soldiergirlsmovie.com

By: Nessnix

Nessnix — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:22:03 +0000

Well, we know Garner and Jolie both do their own stunts, so they’re in for sure!

By: Tracy

Tracy — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:41:40 +0000

I’m totally not under the assumption that all these actors can pull off all the stunts that are performed in their movies. The quick cut technique has been used in abundance to hide the fact that it’s a stunt person and it’s one of my main complaints in action films these days. I recently just complained about it in my Bourne Legacy review. The first Expendables was guilty of it as well. Instead of adding a level of realism to the scene, it pulls me out of it completely. I much prefer the long take like what was used in Children of Men as well as the scene in Hanna with Eric Bana. Those are much easier on the eyes.

As far as my list in concerned, I chose these women because each left an impression on me in action based roles. It was created for fun, and I’m under no illusions that they could actually bust some chops like their characters did. With the exception of Gina Carano of course. I wish more directors would take a page out of Joss Whedon’s book and strive for keeping the actor’s face on screen as much as possible. I’m very curious to see Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity since that film is supposedly filled with long takes although from the sounds of the synopsis, there won’t be a whole lot of fight scenes. Thanks for reading and commenting!!

By: The_FJ

The_FJ — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:36:07 +0000

interesting list, but I’d like to remind (or inform) everyone of an actual way you can tell the difference in action-ability between these women. It deals with cinematography. Of course, they’re all not remotely doing the same things, much less all doing the same scenes, but whoever can not hamstring the film-maker (particularly the Director of Photography) with their dependence on a stunt-person not only widens choices but proves the ability/character of the actor. The way to discern is observing the how much actor is I.D-confirmed, especially at key physical moments of action. Observe the amount of times the film cuts (flashes to another angle and/or the end of a punch/kick/jump etc.) Also, is the camera’s overall shot too far or too close to I.D-confirm? Sometimes it’s actually moving! To the uninformed, this creates a grittiness or sense of realism as amateur, handheld, “real” footage is, but here, all it does is provide kinetics that the people on-screen cannot create for themselves. ‘The Avengers’ Director Joss Whedon spoke on action scenes and said he’d like to keep his actors faces in frame as much as possible to maintain belief with the audience, but just see how little, Scarlett Johannsen can be ID confirmed in her interrogation escape scene. Also, count the number of quick cuts in Paula Patton’s fight scene in ‘Mission Impossible 4. I realize the following is a nearly unfair comparison..but Gina Carano in ‘Haywire’ is so needless of a stunt-person that non-ID confirmed cinematography was used for stylized purposes, not out of necessity.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:24:01 +0000

I contemplated Uma and do think she rocks. She just didn’t make my initial list.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:23:25 +0000

Helen Mirren is the bomb! She could be like the big boss…..or Mother if you will.

By: Omni123

Omni123 — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:39:12 +0000

WHERE IS UMA THURMAN?

By: Nessnix

Nessnix — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:28:18 +0000

I’d like to lobby to add Helen Mirren to that list. She’s just kick ass in general but man, that old broad can kick ass too (The Debt, Reds) and she’s sexy as hell.