Original Cynthia...and Beyond?

There's been talk of an Expendabelles movie for over a year and the conjecture is over just who will be approached to star. Tony Earnshaw asks whether the action icons who owe a debt to pioneers such as Cynthia Rothock, still have what it takes... or is it time that the  21st Century heroine went back to basics...

There is a saying, oft used (and mis-used) in the movies: the female is deadlier than the male.

There was a time, not too long ago, when such words were both relevant and strikingly appropriate, particularly in relation to action movies. In fact the genre boasted its own pumped-up pantheon of stars. Think Cynthia Rothrock... then Linda Hamilton, Demi Moore, Sigourney Weaver, Geena Davis. Latterly Angelina Jolie has picked up the baton.

But unlike their male counterparts very few made a living and their reputation from action. Rothrock, like Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme, was a martial artist who segued into movies. The emphasis was on their action talents rather than previous acting experience, but then that never stopped Norris and Van Damme. Theirs was a particular skill that was parlayed into motion pictures. It could be limiting and soon risked shuffling them into typecasting. But who cared? It was all a lot of hopped-up, bone-rattling fun.

Flash forward twenty years and our deadly femmes enjoy a healthy existence on television in innumerable forensic and detective shows. Back in the day it was Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now we must look to Cote de Pablo (late of top-rated show NCIS), Maria Bello in Prime Suspect and Gabrielle Anwar in Burn Notice.

But it’s not the same...

Continues... >>>

To read the rest of this article and gain access to all previous articles you need to have a subscription to Impact Extra. Sign up to Impact extra now and get a one month free trial.