Cinematical's Friday Night Double Feature: Damsels Not in Distress

I wanted to continue this whole week of Indiana Jones, but we've already given you movies reminiscent of the classic adventure series, and we've already given you retro reviews for each of the three films. So, I started to think about what I like about Jones and my favorite of the three, Raiders of the Lost Ark. One of the best gems of that film is Marion Ravenwood.

So, in celebration of how much Ravenwood rules, I wanted to celebrate women who are more than just damsels in distress. The might find themselves captured. They might get beaten down. But they don't wallow -- they fight back. And even better -- they're both old-school. One comes from the '90s, and the other first kicked butt on the big screen 31 years ago. I give you: Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia in Star Wars.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day



Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor in T2 is forever burned into my memory. In only 13 weeks, she sculpted herself into a human machine -- training for 3 hours a day, 6 days a week. She became the image for sculpted females -- she was the great mid-way point for strength and muscles -- being extremely cut without that over-done bodybuilder physique. And she was just plain cool.

Her transformation and performance made the movie, and quickly made her one of the coolest, if not the coolest, heroine of all time. But we have to remember that she's not a superhero. First she needed Kyle Reese to protect her. Then she got sent to a mental hospital. But that just made her stronger and made her fight back.

Sarah Connor slices into the Terminator.

Deleted Scene: Meds Time

Scenes of Sarah Connor set to music -- which includes working out, attacks, and more.


Star Wars



While Hamilton's Sarah is probably my favorite human heroine, Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia was the first tough woman I ever saw on the big screen. She didn't get to bulk up, and she had to wear some floofy get-ups, but she was tough, awesome, and in charge. In fact, it was quite cool to see a woman who could be taken seriously even in her various styles and modes of dress.

Sending secret messages, standing up to Darth Vader -- Princess Leia is a whole different sort of royalty. But it was also nice that even in outer space, doing wildly heroic things, she was still pretty real. She wasn't rocking the Jedi power, but she used her brain and wasn't afraid to grab a gun and shoot.

Carrie Fisher audition.

Star Wars, Benny Hill style.

In the trash.

But I must admit: Even Carrie Fisher couldn't transcend the Holiday Special.