24 Action Movies With Kick-Ass Female Leads Everyone Should Watch At Least Once

One of the best, and most underrated, action movies of all time. Geena Davis plays a small-town schoolteacher with amnesia who discovers her past is much more ~interesting~ than she bargained for.

Set just before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, Charlize Theron stars as an MI6 agent on the hunt for double agents in Germany.

There's no female action hero more iconic than Sigourney Weaver's Ripley. Watching her kick butt in Aliens still feels like a revelation more than 30 years after its release.

A Korean action thriller starring Jun Ji-hyun, Assassination is set in 1911 and follows Korean resistance fighters in their attempt to kill a Japanese official.

The new Charlie's Angels is a refreshing update on the classic formula, featuring the most diverse batch of Angels yet. The film delivers a compelling mix of action and humor. Kristen Stewart, in particular, absolutely shines.

Saoirse Ronan kills it (literally) as the titular Hanna, a 16-year-old girl trained to be an assassin who goes on the run through Europe.

Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi both have powerful roles in this iconic martial arts movie set in the 18th century Qing dynasty.

Tom Hardy may have been Mad Max, but Charlize Theron stole the show and emerged as the hero in her turn as Imperator Furiosa in this post-apocalyptic Australian hit.

Viola Davis leads a female cast in this heist movie about a group of women who continue their criminal husbands' work after the latter are killed in a police shoot-out.

Melissa McCarthy does some of her best work as a CIA analyst who suddenly finds herself thrown into the world of field work.

Zoe Saldana kicks butt as Cataleya, an assassin on a mission to get vengeance on the people who destroyed her family.

Three different scenarios play out in this time-bending German thriller. Franka Potente stars as Lola, who literally races the clock in an attempt to save her boyfriend's life.

After a game-changing turn as Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Linda Hamilton finally gets the top billing she deserves, alongside relative newcomers Mackenzie Davis and Natalia Reyes.

This is absolutely Rey's movie, and Daisy Ridley is glorious in the role, while Carrie Fisher's Leia solidifies her legacy as one of the most important sci-fi heroines of all time.

The all-ladies Ghostbusters is hilarious, entertaining and action-packed, and the awesome foursome is just as good – if not better – than the original.

Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft was iconic, but Alicia Vikander makes the role her own in this updated take on the badass video game character.

There's no doubt this is DC's best entry in their extended movie universe, with Gal Gadot embodying a memorable and powerful iteration of Wonder Woman.

Marvel's long-overdue first female-led solo movie gave us Brie Larson as the most powerful hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's what she deserves.

Tessa Thompson gets the spotlight as rookie MIB recruit Agent M, teaming up to fight aliens with fellow Asgardian Chris Hemsworth.

A supernatural action horror with Kate Beckinsale in the starring role as Selene, a vampire assassin known as a Death Dealer.

Don't wait around for Disney's live action version of Mulan when this wonderful Chinese version, starring Zhao Wei, already exists.

Angelina Jolie is powerful as Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent accused of being a traitor, in a role that was originally written for a man.

An underrated adventure starring Gina Carano as a black ops soldier on the run from assassins after her own employers betray her.

The Bride, brought to life by Uma Thurman, will forever be one of the best action characters of all time. Watching her bloody quest for vengeance unfold is quite a ride.