Top Five: (Real) Action Heroines
5) Lorna Cole (Lethal Weapon Series)
Hey, if she’s good enough for Mel Gibson! Russo makes this list because Donner handles her in the right way. If a woman starts kicking ass in the way she does, it’s not normal – so why act like it is?! Movies these days might be tempted to pass it off as normal. I guess Richard Donner was sexist in making it a spectacle/unique feature. In Lethal Weapon Riggs and Murtaugh stop in their tracks and are suitably impressed and actually consider her ‘Lethal’ moves entertaining.
That’s what any man would do. She has to earn respect rather than it being hardwired into the script. Not many directors did stuff like this back then, nowadays they all do yet they cheese it up. I’m sure if Donner was shooting a movie today, just because of that fact, he wouldn’t have a female ass kicker. Although Russo is the most wooden in a cast of otherwise funny ensemble.
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