4. Terminator 2: Rise of the Machines
Apart from Ripley, Sarah Connor is the other main poster girl for a strong female character. The Terminator movies are hit and miss in terms of feminism, the first and last being neither here nor there, the third falling on the side of anti-feminism but the second being pretty feminist friendly. The most feminist entry in the Terminator franchise, male gaze aside, is probably the TV series but as its not a movie, Im not going to talk about it. Terminator 2 is the film that got the most feminist attention. Sarah Connor, in the previous movie who was just a waitress thrown into an insane situation regarding robots and time travel transforms into a gun-toting, muscular, powerful woman in order to protect her son who is the future savior of the human race. Like Alien, Terminator has recently come under fire for being not as feminist as advertised but also like Alien, it has its place and its merits and it was an essential, early feminist blockbuster. Sarah Connor is resourceful, and the death of Kyle Reese in the first movie proves that she doesnt need a man to protect her. Sarah also does not fall victim to the male gaze. Shes not something to be gaped at, shes a character, a protector and a total badass.