Gone are the days when men would rule the “tough guy” roles in film. More and more women have made their way into the leading roles where strength and tenacity are key. I respect a badass woman who isn’t afraid to throw down and kick some ass! These women have fought zombies, robots, aliens, ninjas, mummies, assassins, mutants, vampires, psychotic murderers and abusive husbands, all while bringing class and hotness to the screen. These are the truly badass women of Hollywood and it’s time they get some recognition.

Resume: Live Free or Die Hard; Mission Impossible 3; Need for Speed: Undercover (VG)

Maggie Q turned heads in MI:3, but her badass side was truly unleashed during that epic fight with John McClane. Through 4 films, McClane has had his fair share of bloody battles and this one with Maggie Q was no different. She was also a badass special agent in the movie clips for the high-octane video game, Need for Speed: Undercover.  Want to see more? She will also star in the upcoming video game movie, The King of Fighters.

Resume: Die Another Day; X-Men Trilogy; Catwoman; Swordfish

Although not normally known as a tough chick, Ms. Berry has definitely had her moments to kick some ass on-screen, most notably as Storm. I know that controlling the weather and kicking mutant butts with lightning bolts and tornados isn’t exactly the typical ass kicking, however it gets the job done. There is no denying her ass-kicking ability after seeing her as an Agent alongside James Bond  in Die Another Day.

Resume: Texas Chainsaw Massacre; Blade: Trinity; Stealth

What better way to kick the 7th Heaven typecast than to go toe to toe with Leatherface? Jessica Biel has proven that she’s not just a goody-good preacher’s daughter by battling a horror icon, kicking some vampire ass, and becoming one of the first woman fighter pilots on-screen. With the A-Team due out this summer, Biel’s primed to move up the list.

Resume: Enough; Money Train; Out of Sight

Though Jennifer Lopez has been in her fair share of chick-flicks, she has definitely found the time to kick some major ass, most notably in Enough, which is the ultimate revenge movie (and inspired more women than Maid in Manhattan and The Wedding Planner combined). Singing and dancing aside, Jenny from the Block represents the Bronx in movies like Money Train, Out of Sight, Anaconda, and the Cell.

Resume: S.W.A.T.; Resident Evil; Girlfight; The Fast and the Furious

If it came down to it, Michelle Rodriguez would beat me, you, and your big brother in a fist fight without breaking a nail in the process. Not only is she  the only female on this list continually typecast as a tough-chick, but she always brings a hint of hotness to her roles.  Michelle Rodriguez fits in perfectly, more often than not as an even more tough-guy than the guys themselves. I’m looking at you Colin Farrell and Paul Walker.

Resume: Tomb Raider; Mr. & Mrs. Smith; Wanted

As the lone male in the world who doesn’t find Jolie attractive, I’ll still give it up for her being a complete badass. Through 2 films as Lara Croft, the poor-woman’s Indiana Jones successfully battles an array of villains while jumping motorcycles, flying through the air like a trapeze artist, and punching sharks. She also held her own (as well as someone else’s it turned out) alongside Brad Pitt in Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Wanted.

Resume: Resident Evil Trilogy; Ultraviolet

Of all the zombie movies that have passed through the screen, no one has kicked more undead butt than Milla has as Alice. In what this guy feels is the best movie adaptation of a video game, Milla battles hordes of zombies through 3 films (with another to be released in Fall 2010) and does it quite convincingly. So much so that now whenever Milla isn’t kicking butt on-screen, I wonder what’s wrong with her. Whether it’s hand-to-hand combat or popping caps in the softy skulls of the undead, Milla is a force to be reckoned with.

Resume: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

I might catch some flack for having someone that’s been a badass in only ONE movie ranked number 3, but anyone who’s seen Terminator 2 knows not to mess with Sarah Connor. Linda Hamilton got more buffed than I could ever be and just reading about her 6 day a week workout regimen makes me sweat. Sarah Connor was by far the toughest character in the film not from the future. From the first time she appears on-screen to the legendary one-armed pump loading of a shotgun (which most men dream of doing), Linda Hamilton dominates man, woman, child, cyborg and the future, proving she truly is a badass.

Resume: Alien Quadrilogy

It was a mental tug-of-war within myself for the placement of Lt. Ellen Ripley on this list (1st or 2nd), as she has proven throughout 4 Alien films that she is in the upper echelon of badass women. Its one thing to battle an acid-blooded killing machine, but to do it time and time again, in every which way possible, is pretty impressive. Hell, by the 4^th movie she even had Alien DNA! Though Ripley left a trail of dead Xenomorphs behind her, none was better than the classic ending of Aliens, when she shot and flame-threw her way through Alien territory to save Newt and sent the Queen to do her best Neil Armstrong impersonation. Whether in space or on Earth, Sigourney Weaver is a true badass.

Resume: Kill Bill 1 & 2; Batman & Robin; My Super Ex-Girlfriend

Poison Ivy and G-Girl aside, Uma tops the list for one reason and one reason only: the Bride. An elite assassin and leader of the Deadly Viper’s Assassination Squad, the Bride was shot in the head and left for dead by her boss, lover, and baby daddy, Bill. After awaking from a 4-year coma, Ms. Kiddo dedicated her life to hunting down each member of the DVAS and as the title suggests, to kill Bill. The Black Mamba (with a nickname like that you gotta be a badass) was shot with a bullet in the head, raped while in a coma, shot in the chest with rock salt, cut by a samurai sword, buried alive and ambushed, and still managed to make her way through the Deadly Viper’s Assassination Squad, a bloody brawl with the Crazy 88′s and an incredible fight with GoGo, leading up to her final confrontation with Bill. Uma and Quentin Tarantino have announced Kill Bill Vol. 3 for release in 2014 (hopefully) so her badass legacy will only grow from here.