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Gender Stereotypes In James Cameron's Action Film Aliens

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Action films typically depict men as being more powerful than women. James Cameron’s action film Aliens does not conform to the expectations of the genre as it has a strong female protagonist, Ellen Ripley, surrounded by ineffective incompetent male characters. Additionally, other female characters in the narrative such as the Alien queen, Newt and Vasquez, are more powerful than male characters in the film. The film challenges the standard action film formula to promote the message that women are just as or even more competent than men in a range of physical and mental situations. Ellen Louise Ripley, (one of the first female action heroes) played a colossal role in revolutionising the film industry. Ripley is portrayed as a decisive clear …show more content…

Newt is characterised very similarly to Ripley, she is analytical and surprisingly independent for her age. An example of Newt showing her calm courageous nature is when in the last few scenes of the film where the Alien queen sets out to kill Newt instead of giving up she proceeds to hide in the floor avoiding the alien as it rips the floor up while quick thinking Ripley takes control of the situation by picking a fight with the Queen and saving both Newt and herself. Thus proving that the female characters in Aliens are definitely without a doubt more powerful than the men. As well as Newt and Ripley there is another Powerful female character, Private Vasquez, Vasquez is a quick and vicious soldier. She is tough even by the standards of this group. Hard-muscled. Eyes cunning and mean. Thrown into the Marines from juvenile prison, she has now become a well experienced combat machine. She is physically the most impressive specimen in the whole team with bulging muscles and a harsh tongue to back it up. She speaks with harsh intent “Lets rock”! or when

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