Action babes are scary

The first time Wesley Gibson meets Fox, he doesn���t know what to think about her.
Should he be turned on because she���s so attractive? Or should he be petrified because she���s a trained assassin? Wesley, played by James McAvoy in the movie Wanted, is mostly scared by Fox (Angelina Jolie). That���s not only because she can wield a gun, but also because she takes charge of a situation (mostly by wielding a gun).
When WALL-E first sees EVA, he���s enamoured of her sleek appearance, but is terrified when he sees that she���s ready to whip out her in-built gun at the slightest provocation.
This means that female characters aren���t just taking charge on the big screen; they���re intimidating and even scary.
Actress Sharmila Mandre, who���ll be getting into action mode in her next film Navagraha, loved Angelina Jolie���s character in Wanted. ���Her look and body language were perfect. No one else could have done it,��� she says. Would that kind of role work in the industry here? ���It would if the script was good enough, and it doesn���t necessarily have to be a female-oriented film. In Navagraha, I play an innocent, mellow girl and I���m doing some action sequences too. Making the transition between the different facets of the character was difficult initially, but the script dealt with that very well,��� she explains.
Doing stunts is one thing, but intimidating female characters in Sandalwood is another, says director Kavitha Lankesh. ���Actresses like Vijayashanti and Malashree did action-oriented roles and they���d beat up guys. But that was a phase. I don���t know if those characters would work now because this is a male-dominated industry,��� she says. But she concedes the concept might work if it���s handled in a fun way, a la Charlie���s Angels.
However, film buff and client coordinator for a titling firm Hansel Laxman says it���s refreshing to see women doing the rescuing. ���It shows they���re not just the victims anymore. Even when Angelina played Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, she was a very independent woman who made her own decisions. The Vesper Lynd character in Casino Royale was also a character who had a mind of her own and even dictated the plot,��� he says.
But creative consultant Vikas L would like to see women doing more than using brute strength to take charge. ���Fox may have been a super-confident assassin, but she still took orders from Sloan (Morgan Freeman). I want to see a woman using her cunning to get things done. It doesn���t even have to be an action movie. Take Amelie ��� everything happens because of Amelie���s twisted plans,��� he says. ���It���s the same with Rekha���s role in Khoon Bhari Maang, in which she takes revenge on the people who tried to kill her and harm her family.���