Tag: Movies

The Top Six “Girls with Guns” Heroines of Martial Arts Cinema

Girls with Guns Michelle Yeoh, Moon Lee, Cynthia Khan, Yukari Oshima, Sibelle Hu, Sharon Yeung Pan Pan.The “Girls with Guns” era of martial arts cinema, spanning the mid-1980s to early 1990s, was a bold chapter…

Girls with Guns Michelle Yeoh, Moon Lee, Cynthia Khan, Yukari Oshima, Sibelle Hu, Sharon Yeung Pan Pan.

The “Girls with Guns” era of martial arts cinema, spanning the mid-1980s to early 1990s, was a bold chapter in Hong Kong action films. These movies broke new ground by placing fierce, skilled women at the forefront. it blended martial arts with high-octane gunplay. Set against urban backdrops, the genre became known for its stylish action sequences, fearless heroines, and the defiance of male-dominated action tropes. It had a lasting impact on global cinema.

Girls with Guns

Here are the top six heroines who defined the Girls with Guns period of martial arts cinema.

1. Michelle Yeoh

Michelle Yeoh is arguably the most recognizable figure from the “Girls with Guns” era. Originally trained as a dancer, Yeoh transitioned into action films with her breakout role in Yes, Madam (1985), co-starring Cynthia Rothrock. Her physicality was evident in hits like Royal Warriors (1986) and Police Story 3: Supercop (1992), where she performed her own stunts alongside Jackie Chan. Yeoh’s ability to balance grace with grit made her a pioneer, paving the way for women in action films. Today, she continues to inspire, recently winning an Academy Award for Everything Everywhere All at Once.

2. Moon Lee

Known as the queen of the subgenre, Moon Lee charmed audiences with her athleticism and stunts. A former dancer, Lee became a household name with films like Iron Angels (1987) and Devil Hunters (1989). Her performances were a mix of agility and toughness, often portraying heroines who faced overwhelming odds. Lee’s willingness to take on risky stunts added to her status, though it led to a near-fatal accident on set. One of the top Girls with Guns.

moon lee

3. Cynthia Khan

Cynthia Khan burst onto the scene as the successor to Michelle Yeoh in the In the Line of Duty series, starting with In the Line of Duty 3 (1988). Her screen name, a blend of “Cynthia Rothrock” and “Michelle Khan,” echoed her role as a torchbearer for the genre. Khan’s background in taekwondo and dance made her a natural fit for action-packed roles, particularly in In the Line of Duty 4 (1989) alongside Donnie Yen.

cynthia khan 2
cynthia khan 1

4. Yukari Oshima

Japanese martial artist Yukari Oshima became a sensation in Hong Kong cinema with her powerful performances and unique fighting style, rooted in Goju-ryu karate. Often cast as a villain, Oshima showed her ability in films like Angel (1987) and Angel Terminators (1992). Her combination of striking techniques and acrobatic choreography made her fight scenes unforgettable. After her Hong Kong career waned, Oshima found success in the Philippines, further cementing her legacy as a dynamic action star.

Yukari Oshima

5. Sibelle Hu

Sibelle Hu brought an air of authority to the “Girls with Guns” subgenre, often playing tough-as-nails police officers. Best known for The Inspector Wears Skirts (1988) series, Hu was a commanding presence on screen, blending a no-nonsense attitude with impressive action sequences. Despite a serious injury during the filming of Devil Hunters (1989), she remained a prominent figure in the genre before transitioning into a quieter life after marriage.

Sibelle Hu

6. Sharon Yeung Pan Pan

Sharon Yeung Pan Pan was an actress who combined martial arts with emotional depth. Starring in films like Angel Enforcers (1989) and Princess Madam (1989), she added an edge to the subgenre. Her ability to switch between drama and high-octane action earned her a devoted following.

Sharon Yeung Pan Pan 2

Ronda Rousey Is Really Doing This Acting Thing, Lines Up Roles in ‘Entourage’ and ‘The Athena Project’


(Moments later, a tricked-out Mitsubishi Lancer crashed through the window, and Ronda armbarred it. Cut to tasteful sex scene. / Photo via FlicksandBits)

Roles in the The Expendables 3 and Fast and Furious 7 didn’t stop Ronda Rousey from dominating Miesha Tate in December. And so, the UFC women’s bantamweight champ is delving even further into acting, with a pair of major movie projects lined up for 2014.

According to Variety, Rousey has landed a gig as one of the female leads in the upcoming Entourage movie, which starts filming in mid-March. [Ed. note: Please be Turtle’s girlfriend…please be Turtle’s girlfriend…] After that, Rousey is attached to star in a Warner Bros. adaptation of The Athena Project, which is about “a top secret, all-female Delta Force counter-terrorism team…sent in to hunt and kill a master terrorist after a bombing in Rome kills 20 Americans. Trouble ensues once the team realizes there’s more at play than a simple bombing.” Man, isn’t there always?

Though Warner Bros. is still negotiating rights to produce The Athena Project, which currently lacks a script, Variety‘s sources say that Rousey “fell in love with the book and also quickly clicked with author [Brad] Thor, attaching herself to the project before it even had a studio involved.” And here’s one more line from Variety’s report that was interesting:


(Moments later, a tricked-out Mitsubishi Lancer crashed through the window, and Ronda armbarred it. Cut to tasteful sex scene. / Photo via FlicksandBits)

Roles in the The Expendables 3 and Fast and Furious 7 didn’t stop Ronda Rousey from dominating Miesha Tate in December. And so, the UFC women’s bantamweight champ is delving even further into acting, with a pair of major movie projects lined up for 2014.

According to Variety, Rousey has landed a gig as one of the female leads in the upcoming Entourage movie, which starts filming in mid-March. [Ed. note: Please be Turtle’s girlfriend…please be Turtle’s girlfriend…] After that, Rousey is attached to star in a Warner Bros. adaptation of The Athena Project, which is about “a top secret, all-female Delta Force counter-terrorism team…sent in to hunt and kill a master terrorist after a bombing in Rome kills 20 Americans. Trouble ensues once the team realizes there’s more at play than a simple bombing.” Man, isn’t there always?

Though Warner Bros. is still negotiating rights to produce The Athena Project, which currently lacks a script, Variety‘s sources say that Rousey “fell in love with the book and also quickly clicked with author [Brad] Thor, attaching herself to the project before it even had a studio involved.” And here’s one more line from Variety’s report that was interesting:

“While the ‘Entourage’ gig gives Rousey a recognizable property through which to get noticed for her acting, ‘The Athena Project’ could give her a possible franchise and perhaps the chance to become the female action star Hollywood is lacking.”

Huh. The fact that Hollywood lacks a female action star should give Rousey pause, considering that WMMA superstar Gina Carano left MMA for Hollywood herself, and was thought to have breakout potential. And it’s going alright for Gina, relatively speaking. For example, she just had a thrilling performance in some animated GIFs taken from a FOX TV show. In other words, Carano’s acting crossover is still a work in progress…but I’d take minor TV roles over getting punched in the face by Cris Cyborg all day, every day.

Rousey will make her next title defense against Sara McMann at UFC 170, 15 days from now. By all accounts, her training camp is going really well.

Top 5 MMA Movies That Are So Bad, They’re Good

It’s fair to say that mixed martial arts films are the red-headed step children of the movie industry. Then again, that would be a bit harsh on red-headed stepchildren who haven’t really done anything to earn our ire. MMA movies, on the other hand, have done very little right since they started appearing in DVD […]

It’s fair to say that mixed martial arts films are the red-headed step children of the movie industry. Then again, that would be a bit harsh on red-headed stepchildren who haven’t really done anything to earn our ire. MMA movies, on the other hand, have done very little right since they started appearing in DVD […]

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Caption Contest: Find Some Humor in This Dude’s Broken Face, And Win Four ‘Safe’ Movie Passes!


(Never touch Herb Dean’s hair. It’s a lesson you only need to learn once. / Photo via Sherdog)

As if we don’t give you vultures enough free swag, we were just hooked up with four passes to the movie Safe, which hits theaters next Friday. Starring MMA superfan Jason Statham, the flick is about an ex-cage-fighter who seeks to protect a young Chinese girl whose memory holds a priceless numerical code wanted by the Russian Mafia, the Triads, and corrupt police. In other words, Statham beats the living f*ck out of lots of people.

It’s caption contest time, and the winner takes all. Post a caption to the above photo in the comments section by Monday at midnight ET, and we’ll round up the best ones on Tuesday. The best one gets all four movie passes. Any questions? Now get crackin’…


(Never touch Herb Dean’s hair. It’s a lesson you only need to learn once. / Photo via Sherdog)

As if we don’t give you vultures enough free swag, we were just hooked up with four passes to the movie Safe, which hits theaters next Friday. Starring MMA superfan Jason Statham, the flick is about an ex-cage-fighter who seeks to protect a young Chinese girl whose memory holds a priceless numerical code wanted by the Russian Mafia, the Triads, and corrupt police. In other words, Statham beats the living f*ck out of lots of people.

It’s caption contest time, and the winner takes all. Post a caption to the above photo in the comments section by Monday at midnight ET, and we’ll round up the best ones on Tuesday. The best one gets all four movie passes. Any questions? Now get crackin’…


(Hit up SafeTheFilm.com for more info about the movie.)

UFC 140: What Movies Would Lyoto Machida, Tito Ortiz and Other MMA Fighters Be?

MMA fighters and movies. Nothing in common? Think again. The sport of MMA has been host to many a personality as well as actions that define a career forever. If the fighters with these personality traits or involved in these (in)famous actions were to…

MMA fighters and movies. Nothing in common? Think again. The sport of MMA has been host to many a personality as well as actions that define a career forever. If the fighters with these personality traits or involved in these (in)famous actions were to be paired with a well known movie, what movie would it […]

UFC Betting

UFC 140: What Movies Would Lyoto Machida, Tito Ortiz and Other MMA Fighters Be?

Ask the Potato: P4P Lists, Kung Fu Movies and Baldness


Victory, comrade!

Don’t worry- we didn’t forget about you. We were just a little busy yesterday. To demonstrate that your questions weren’t asked for no reason, we’ll jump right into answering them today. Unless, of course, you asked a question and we didn’t answer it. Then it was definitely asked for no reason. Oh well.

So let’s get started, shall we?

Kyle Gifford asks (via Facebook): Why haven’t you taken any questions from FB?


Victory, comrade!

Don’t worry- we didn’t forget about you. We were just a little busy yesterday. To demonstrate that your questions weren’t asked for no reason, we’ll jump right into answering them today. Unless, of course, you asked a question and we didn’t answer it. Then it was definitely asked for no reason. Oh well.

So let’s get started, shall we?

Kyle Gifford asks (via Facebook): Why haven’t you taken any questions from FB?

Sorry about that, Kyle. We won’t ignore you in the future. Unless you continue to ask awful questions, that is.

Kyle Gifford asks (via Facebook):  I’ve been following CP since the beginning. Can I get a free shirt? I no longer frequent the forums but I did when it first started.

No, Kyle. No you cannot. Next question.

Tarran Constable asks (via Facebook): who are the 2 worst pound for pound fighters in the ufc and strikeforce? And if they were to fight, who would win?

If you’re asking us to compare the worst fighter in the UFC to the worst fighter in Strikeforce, you’re just begging us to make a weak basketball analogy. So here it is: This is like asking what would happen if the worst player in the NBA played one on one against the worst player in the D-League. Even if that happened, you’d never hear from the winner again, so who really cares?

Now, if you’re essentially asking us who are the two worst fighters under contract with Zuffa, and don’t believe Chael’s answer of Wanderlei and Cro Cop, then complete the following steps:

1.)    Pick two fighters who lost on the undercard of Friday’s Challengers event. Go ahead, any two will do.
2.)    Get a coin, and label one side for the first fighter and the other side for the other fighter.
3.)    Flip said coin.
4.)    Acknowledge that you just wasted your time.

RwilsonR asks:  What is the best fighting/martial arts movie of all time that doesn’t involve Bruce Lee? And no picking some cult Hong Kong POS that is totally unwatchable. I’m talking classic 70?s, 80?s, 90?s Hollywood cinema.

Throughout MMA’s short history, we’ve seen countless fighters try to adapt the martial arts to suit their particular skill set and physical attributes; it’s basically how Gracie Jiu Jitsu was formed.  We’ve also seen our fair share of former Olympians make the transition to the fighting world. Lost in the revisionist history of mixed martial arts, however, is Kurt Thomas. In addition to founding his own martial art form, he put his life on the line to serve his country. Never forget.

Fried Taco asks:   Who is your favorite commenter (can’t be someone who works for CP, or any of the secret Break Media alliances with other organizations that we all really know about but pretend don’t exist – and no fair picking a girl who takes her clothes off for you).

Okay, Fried Taco. We know where you’re going with this, so we better have a chat. We like you. You’re a wonderful guy, and we’ve had some great times with each other. But things are very hectic here at Cage Potato, and frankly, we’re not ready to commit to just one commentator right now. We know it sounds like a total cop-out, but we’re serious when we say it: It’s not you, it’s us. Let’s just stay friends, okay?

EnemyofReality asks: Dear CP…. I think I might be going bald. Should I go with the shaved head w/ goatee-tattoo and piercing Kerry King look or should I go with the regular guy, ball cap smiling Junior Dos Santos look?

Neither. You’re not a famous metal guitarist or a UFC champion, so you’ll look like a tool trying to imitate one. For an image that won’t get people to refer to you as “that douchebag”, try either of these:

You’re welcome.

That’s all for now, folks. Tune in next week as we answer even more of your (hopefully at least kind of) MMA related questions. You know the drill: You can send us questions through our Facebook page. You can tweet them to our Twitter account, as well as hashtag questions with #AskThePotato. You can register for our forums and post your questions there. Or you can just post them in the comments section of this article. Or maybe you can show us how to use that Google+ page we set up so we can take questions from there. You can ask questions on that thing, right?