In the 2000s, Charlize Theron had only a few action movie credits to her name with Aeon Flux and Hancock. However, over the past decade, the Oscar-winning actress has established herself as a full-fledged action star with blockbuster releases like Mad Max: Fury Road and Atomic Blonde.
Last seen on Netflix's The Old Guard, therefore, Theron has been a part of plenty of high-octane fight sequences. In fact, for the latter, she performed most of her stunts on her own, the consequences of which also led to some surgeries. Her encounter with the genre only seems to continue as she reprises the role of Cipher in F9, the new Fast & Furious movie.
10 BEST: Desert Duel (Mad Max: Fury Road)
While Mad Max: Fury Road has many ambitious vehicular scenes with cutting-edge practical effects, one of Imperator Furiousa's (Charlize Theron) best scenes is his melee duel against the titular hero Max (Tom Hardy). The two engage in an intense fight against the backdrop of a vast desert.
Throughout the fight, Max is chained to the 'War Boy' known as Nux (Nicholas Hoult). As Max waits for one of the Five Wives to cut his chain, Furiosa attacks him, and what follows is a very realistic display of visceral combat skills. As Nux is still chained to Max, even he is drawn into the fight. Ultimately, Max overpowers Furiosa despite being a very close competition.
9 WORST: Final Duel (Snow White and the Huntsman)
Instead of just being a damsel in distress, this film's version of Snow White (Kristen Stewart) becomes an armored warrior seeking revenge on the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron).
The movie's final fight scene between the two isn't particularly bad, but it might be too formulaic for some. It seems like an unfair battle as Ravenna has the upper hand in most of it. Despite having magical powers, she only relies on simple punches and chokes to overpower Snow White. When all the odds seem to be in the Queen's favor, Snow White stabs her with a hidden dagger in what seems like a very convenient ending.
8 BEST: Stairwell Fight (Atomic Blonde)
Atomic Blonde is arguably the best movie in Theron's career when it comes to stunt choreography. MI6 spy Lorraine Broughton is tasked with protecting an informant named Spyglass (Eddie Marsan), a Herculean task that involves going up against KGB agents and her minions.
On a claustrophobic staircase, she takes on two such adversaries in a perfectly edited, hyperviolent fight. They kick, punch and stab each other falling down the stairs, from one floor to the next. What is commendable in this fight is an attempt at realism. Both sides wear themselves out after taking a few hits. Just because Theron's character is the hero doesn't mean she's indestructible. Therefore, it has even been shown that he sometimes takes a breather instead of continuously fighting.
7 WORST: Earring Removal (Æon Flux)
Æon Flux's visuals, production, and action scenes may seem a bit dated to today's audiences. Unlike Atomic Blonde, the film presents Theron in very convenient settings that offer little to no challenge to his character.
The fight in the library between the protagonist and Freya (Caroline Chikezie) can even be unintentionally laughable at times. Continuous jump cuts and swinging kicks keep the scene from being as smooth as the fights in its animated source material. After some fast-paced combat, Freya lunges at Flux and the two appear to be locked in an embrace. And then, to free himself from Frey's clutches, Flux sticks out his tongue and bites off the earring.
6 BEST: Church Massacre (The Old Guard)
In some of The Old Guard's action scenes, Theron's Andy is a seemingly immortal warrior with regenerative abilities, while his combatants are mostly mere mortals.
When he is surrounded by several of Steven Merrick's (Harry Melling) soldiers, Andy slaughters the crew with ease and finesse. Leaning on a sword and a gun, he pins them all to the ground and even dismembers some limbs. Ruelle's haunting track "The World We Made" plays in the background, adding to the dark atmosphere.
5 WORST: Æon Flux Vs Sithandra (Æon Flux)
Similar to the aforementioned scene from Aeon Flux, this is another one-on-one fight that plays out in an unforgettable way. Both Æon Flux and Sithandra seem to have similar fighting styles to the point of almost looking like clones. If Flux cartwheels onto a ledge, Sithandra would do the same.
What happens next is a surprisingly smooth fight that viewers would probably tire of watching given that the entire movie is littered with such choppy matchups.
4 BEST: Apartment Fight (Atomic Blonde)
Atomic Blonde has some of the best indoor fight sequences and if the ladder fight wasn't enough, the apartment fight is a close contender. Lorraine needs to escape from her apartment in Berlin, but some police officers pose as threats. So, she does her best with the tools in front of her to immobilize them. For example, she uses a hose to wrap around a policeman's arm so he drops her gun.
Also, she uses the hose to strangle one of them while she hits the others with kitchen utensils like frying pans. With all of her enemies on the ground, Lorraine once again uses the hose to climb down the building.
3 WORST: Deflecting Torpedoes (The Fate Of The Furious)
This is a scene that doesn't directly involve Charlize Theron in action, but it is an ambitious fight that is orchestrated by her character, master hacker Cipher. Throughout the entire third act, Cipher can be found in a plane's control room orchestrating the actions of the terrorists below her. These terrorists operate nuclear submarines and torpedoes, but of course the heroes of the franchise save the day by speeding away in their sports cars.
And if these fast cars aren't enough, Luke Hobbs himself steps out of the car and redirects a torpedo with his hand! While fans of the series would expect such incredible scenes, others might find it a bit over the top.
2 BEST: City Destruction (Hancock)
Hancock finds Will Smith playing the title role, an amnesiac with superhuman abilities. When Mary Embrey (Charlize Theron) gives Hancock a glimpse of her own hidden powers, he tries to stir her up to see her true potential. This turns out to be a bad idea, as they go head-to-head in a no-holds-barred display of reckless, flying destruction.
Property is damaged and civilians are. Theron's Mary then goes to pick up a full truck and smashes Hancock straight into the ground. Finally, she also manipulates the weather to create a series of cyclonic disturbances. The scene is hilarious, ridiculously destructive, and yet it suits the satirical tone of the film.
1 WORST: Merrick's Death (The Old Guard)
The old guard unleashes the best of Charlize Theron as an action star. However, after multiple fight scenes, the concluding fight turns a bit underwhelming. While the film offered immense strength to its immortal heroes, Harry Melling's villain Steven Merrick was too weak to serve as "final boss."
After defeating his many minions, Andy and his protégé Nile (KiKi Layne) are shot, confusing Merrick, who is then stabbed by Andy's axe. Nile continues to jump out of the building's window along with Merrick. And of course, Nile survives as the pharmaceutical CEO dies within seconds.
