I'm going to do homework and write my papers, honestly I am. But first I thought I should share my thoughts on Enchanted. It was by far and away the best Disney movie in a long time and without a doubt the best princess movie since Beauty and the Beast. I know, I know, we all have mixed feelings about what's good Disney and what's bad Disney but I think we can all appreciate Enchanted as good Disney. I think my only qualm with it is that it set out to obviously be good Disney. It was like they took all the criticisms of their past movies and made one to answer it. She fights, she get's angry, she says everyone is beautiful. But they do it so darn well that I can't help but applaud. After all, what's it matter if you set out to give me a good heroine so long as you succeed?

Thus, in honor of Enchanted I present to you my latest top ten. It's designed as more than just a list of famous female heroes. More specifically it is those heroines that manage to maintain their status as utterly feminine while still being strong, heroic, and completely individual. What I wondered was who in history had fulfilled the archetype while simultaneously shattering it. That, to me anyway, seems like a true accomplishment.

Top Ten Ass-Kicking Women Who Sacrifice None of Their Femininity To Ass-Kicking:

10. Xena (Post Season 3?)
You knew she would be here, but maybe you didn't expect 10. Well, Xena is great--there's no denying that. However, her character was never fleshed out as much as one might hope, and before it was all said and done while they avoided making her too manly, they did fall back on some lesbian stereotypes. Or maybe the stereotype changed to fit Xena. In any case she was the warrior princess that made us all cheer her war cry, and she got to sleep with Hercules. And Ares loved her. I think for that alone she gets my nod of appreciation.

9. Wonder Woman (Last three years)
Again, the choice seems obvious but maybe you wonder about the placement on the list. Wonder Woman is fantastic; she was the first real heroine for many girls in the 40's. But, aside from her lack of development until recent years she has superpowers. I'm not knocking her for that, but it's easier to kick-ass when you're almost as powerful as Superman. That being said in the last three years or so DC has done amazing things with Wonder Woman's character. She's human for the first time in, well, ever. Her battle with Superman to save the world, followed up by her decision to kill Max Lord is pure genius. And we all feel the weight of her decision as much as she does. And we all recognized her heroism, and her humanity, with powerful magnitude.

8. Storm (X-Men Comics)
Storm's in the same boat as Wonder Woman with the superpowers. Storm in the comics, though, before the movie misrepresented her, was an amazing study in an extremely powerful woman at the mercy of her own power. One of the most interesting and underrepresented characters in history, Storm has to control her emotions or the weather goes ballistic. And yet somehow, with all of that responsibility, she still manages to be wise, caring, angry, and passionate. And sometimes she makes even Wolverine scared of her power. That's my kinda girl.

7. Giselle (Enchanted)
Again with the best Disney princess ever. She's funny, sweet, naive, and learns real quick. So, when she's dropped in New York instead of staying a stagnant naive character she learns what true love is, how to express herself, and how to do it all without sacrificing the nobility of character we all want in a heroine.

6. Danielle (EverAfter)
The movie that made me not hate Cinderella stories! Danielle is smart! She's pretty! She's witty! And she doesn't take any crap from anybody! Ah, I was so relieved when I saw this (not to mention Dougray Scott's hotness) that I cheered for weeks. Bless you Danielle, bless you.

5. Princess Leia (Star War)
Any woman that can wear an iron bikini and still stand as a symbol for women's liberation is a rockstar. I think that covers it.

4. Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon)
One of the most depressing movie I've ever seen in my life Yu Shu Lien reminds me greatly of Storm. She is in control of her emotions and her body, an excellent fighter and protector. And she completely loves Chow Yun Fat's character. We don't even realize the depth of that love until the tragic end, but we do realize how strong Yu Shu Lien, played to perfection by Michelle Yeoh, is.

3. Sarah Conner (T2)
You see her for the first time in a mental institution doing pull-ups in preparation for ass-kicking. She may have been barely up to par in the first movie, but Sarah Conner wasn't messing around in the second one. And at no point, in all of her fighting, shooting, and terminator killing, did we ever doubt that she was a woman.

2. Ripley (Aliens)
In so many ways she was the first. You could pick Alien over Aliens, but I like Aliens better. Ripley was amazing; dealing with the emotional trauma of the first movie she saves a kid and kills the queen. She didn't have superpowers like Wonder Woman or Storm, and she wasn't trained like Xena or Sarah Conner. Instead she was just a freighter pilot who wouldn't lay down and die. And so my love of Sigourney Weaver was born.

1. Batgirl--Barbara Gordon (Batman Comics)
Batgirl is shot in the spine by the Joker, undressed and molested. And yet, all anyone talks about is how hard it was on her dad. Well, this is my opportunity to say there is one truly amazing hero that stands head and shoulders above the rest, and it's Barbara Gordon's Batgirl. After healing up she gets in her wheelchair and assumes the mantle of Oracle. She willfully continues to put up with all of Batman's moody shit just so that she can keep fighting the good fight. Her heart is broken by Nightwing, her home is destroyed by Batman, and she moves her base of operations and keeps on fighting. Batman may be amazing, but Batgirl is awe-inspiring.