The Ladies...

You know what I love? Strong women. It's true. From a very early age I've been drawn to the ladies that are tough, strong, 'don't take no shit', but still retain that feminine quality about them. This is a hard balance to achieve, as usually there is too much of one and not enough of the other. However, balance is possible (what's up, Tara...), but since that combination of qualities is rare, that makes those special ladies all the more special. So, with that in mind, I give you:

The Witteman's Top Ten List of Screen Ladies who are Sexytough...

10) April O'Neil from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - I've read that a lot of fans aren't crazy about this actress being April (probably because of the ridiculous banana yellow raincoat she wears...), but I think she's great. She has that cute sexiness I love, but also has that moxie-filled spirit that is so essential of being Sexytough. Without any training, she not only mouths-off to the Foot Clan, she prepares to defend herself with Raph's sai. Granted, she's taken out quickly, but it's her spirit that I admire. This April, more than most others, combines the best of quaint femininity and New York tough gal. And that's Sexytough...

9) Lucy Lawless - This one is a bit cliched for any fanboy to include on a list such as this, but she does play great, strong ladies and still retains a lot of sexiness. I suppose that's why she keeps getting those types of roles. We all know her from Xena: Warrior Princess (Raimi and Tapert, you geniuses...), but she has shown up in recurring roles, such as in Battlestar Galactica and in Spartacus. Along with Xena, her one-time appearance on Burn Notice (personal favorite...) gives her all the reason to be on my Sexytough list. Keep it up, Miss Lawless...

8) Commander Uhuru from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier - Many of you (especially you older readers...) probably grew up at least knowing who Lt. Uhuru was on the original Star Trek series. If not, she was the communications officer on the Enterprise, and a good looking one at that. Also, she was, either one of or, the first African-American character on TV. But it wasn't until the movies came out (barring the occasional moment on TV...) that Uhuru really toughened up. The particular scene I refer to is the distraction dance she does to lure the bad guys out and then holds them at gun point. IN THE NUDE. While she has had other bad ass moments, this scene takes the cake for Uhuru being Sexytough...

7) Sarah Connor from Terminator 2: Judgment Day - I'm not including T1 for a reason: she's too much a chased, 'Damsel-in-Distress' type, even after she grows a pair near the end. No, T2 is where she really shows development as a character. The need to preserve what's most important to her drives her to any end, and that shows. She doesn't shirk in the face of an opponent that overpowers her in every respect, but shows a vulnerable, feminine side at the right moments as well. If we're being honest, Sarah's more sexyTough than Sexytough, but who's counting...

6) Beatrix Kiddo from Kill Bill vol. 1 & 2 - The ol' QT gave us a very deep and entrancing character in Beatrix Kiddo. In vol. 1, she is very bad ass, kicking tail from start to finish, while teasing us with hints of her vulnerable past. In vol. 2, we see Beatrix softer beginnings and dealings with people that are very affectionate. She still kicks it here, there and everywhere, but she is shown to be a very feminine women with a hidden soft side. Thanks to both Quint and Uma for this wonderfully Sexytough lady...

5) Fiona from Burn Notice - This one's a fairly recent addition to the list, but she does come from my current favorite TV progrum. There's nothing like a gun-toting Irish woman, let me tell you. She's got it all; the looks, the attitude, the sass, the unstable temperament. Yummy. Unfortunately, I've seen little else with that actress in it, and what I have seen, it's not so Sexytough. I can only hope that with the popularity of the show and Fiona, she'll find more similar work in the years to come...

4) Gail from Sin City - Gail marks the shortest on-screen time of any on this list. She appears briefly in 'The Hard Goodbye', but really gets to shine in 'The Big Fat Kill'. Now I love Sin City; it's one of my all time favorite movies (true story...) and there are a lot of Sexytough ladies in it, especially in the Old Town sequences. But it is Gail that embodies the most Sexytoughness of them all. She is feminine and aggressive, passionate and primal. She's the best eye-candy in the whole movie, hands down...

3) Halle Berry - What can I say about Miss Berry? Not a whole lot actually. She consistently gets strong roles in most movies she's in, and even if they aren't particularly strong, Halle brings her own strength to the role, making it stronger than before (get all that?). I cannot pin down her best Sexytough role; it could be in Die Another Day or Swordfish or even as Storm. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I'd even be willing to watch Catwoman. Once...

2) Marion Ravenwood from Raiders of the Lost Ark - Oh Marion. I have such a crush on you. Even though you're old enough to be my mom, you are still cute as a button and the eternal girl next door. She is the perfect foil to Indy, with enough sass and moxie to keep up with Jones. Hell, she punches out Nazis and Communists. What isn't to love? Now everyone chimes in on 'The Best Bond Babe', but I'm putting it out there that Marion is 'The Best Indy Babe' ever (I said that long before Indy 4...). She hung in there when What's-their-names from Doom and Grail would have given up, and that's what makes Marion Ravenwood Sexytough...

1) Ripley from the Alien movies - Time to come clean: this character probably started me down the path of loving strong and sexy women. I cannot help but be drawn in on multiple levels by this character. Not only is her anguish believable, her quest genuine, but she has probably one of, if not THE, coolest fight scenes in movie history. But throughout her ordeal Ripley remains both attractive AND charismatic, something not everyone can do, especially under duress. I would be led by this Sexytough vixen against a horde of Aliens any day...

So there you have it. My favorite Sexytough screen ladies, forever immortalized in this geeks blog. They must feel so proud...