China, Brazil, Russia and India buy up more U.S. debt. - Barrons.com

China, Brazil, Russia and India buy up more U.S. debt. - Barrons.com

The 50 Hottest Women Sword Fighters

Posted by Ken

10. Rachel Weisz

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Rachel does battle in "The Mummy Returns" without ever knowing where she got her training. It's a fun plot device, and gives the writers an excuse to pit her against another babe -- Patricia Velasquez. Rachel loses that fight in a split decision but by then has proven her skill beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Rachel has gotten some props for her acting, most notably by winning an Oscar for "The Constant Gardener". I don't know if she's entered any beauty contests, but she's a total fox so, if she did, I bet she'd win.

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9. Lucy Liu

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In some Bizarro universe, O-Ren Ishii takes down Beatrix Kiddo in "Kill Bill, Volume I" and then things start to really get interesting.
In that world, we get to see Lucy Liu hack her way through four hours of sword-fighting mayhem instead of Uma Thurman. Whaddya think, should we lobby Quentin Tarantino for a "Kill Beatrix, Volume I"? I say Lucy could pull it off.
Lucy's acting has come a long way from her "Ally McBeal" days. She hangs tough in the other categories as well, which is why she's near the top of this list.

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8. Michelle Rodriguez

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As "Blood Rayne" opens, we see Michelle Rodriguez in a captivating sword fight with a candle. The candle puts up a good fight, but is no match for Michelle. Unfortunately, neither is the movie.
"Rayne" is a gruesome tale of vampires, half-vampires, and non-vampires. Meat Loaf makes an appearance here, so you know it's quality cinema. I don't know what possessed Michelle and Sir Ben Kingsley to sign up for it, but at least we get to see Michelle wreak some havoc.
Michelle, of course, has kicked some tail in other action movies as well. And she made a nice career choice by sitting out the "Blood Rayne" sequel.

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7. Keira Knightley

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Keira Knightley gets most of her sword fighting points for quantity, if not quality. I count at least three movies where she's done some slashing, including "King Arthur" and two of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.
She's also a great actress and quite easy on the eyes. Here's hoping she gets to swing her sword again in the upcoming "King Lear". If she can manage to draw in Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Watts, I'll have to rewrite this list.

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6. Aishwarya Rai

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Can a swordswoman get a perfect score for looks just based on her eyes? I don't know, since Aishwarya Rai's looks are about more than just her eyes. But it's the eyes that reach out and grab you. And it's her sword that finishes you off.
She's made a smooth transition from Bollywood to Hollywood, more than holding her own in the otherwise-forgettable "The Last Legion". As she continues to hone her acting skills, she'll likely move up even further on this list. Her swordplay's pretty convincing too. One more swashbuckling performance and she might just ascend to the top spot.

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5. Michelle Yeoh

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Michelle was Miss Malaysia in 1983, so she's got the looks aspect covered. She's aged quite gracefully too.
As far as acting goes, she delivered a stellar performance as the leading lady in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". And she was the best part of "Tomorrow Never Dies", becoming one of the greatest Bond girls in the process.
And her skills with a sword? No question about that. She was amazing in "Tiger" and has been in so many great action movies -- with and without a sword -- it's impossible to name them all here.
No surprise Michelle is right near the top of this list.

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4. Uma Thurman

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Uma certainly deserves her place near the top of this list. She slashed her way through two full-length sword fighting flicks, she's been nominated for an Oscar, and she's a total babe.
"Kill Bill, Volumes 1 & 2" were, of course, two of the best sword fighting movies of all time, thanks to Uma, Lucy Liu and some guy named Quentin Tarantino.
So, while we're waiting for Volume 3, we'll just have to get by on watching "Gattaca" and "Les Miserables" a few more times. C'mon Uma, don't make us beg!

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3. Maggie Cheung

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Maggie brings one thing to this list that many other martial arts specialists can't: subtlety. No only is she gorgeous, but she makes you want to watch the slow parts between action sequences. On this list, that's quite an accomplishment.
My only fear is that she might get addicted to the whole "acting" thing and then stop making sword fighting movies. She's done a ton of incredible sword fighting to date, most notably in the recent hit "Hero". But if you insist on checking out her acting skills, watch her in "In the Mood for Love". There's no sword fighting in that one but you won't mind since there's plenty of Maggie.

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2. Catherine Zeta-Jones

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Catherine pretty much has it all -- amazing looks, top-notch acting talent and convincing sword-handling skills. No wonder she's an A-list Hollywood actress. And she gets bonus points for appearing in two of the best Zorro movies.
In "The Mask of Zorro", she goes toe-to-toe with Antonio Banderas. The emphasis is as much on the cheesy romance as it is on the swordplay, but this is lightyears better than "Zorro, the Gay Blade".
Her return to action seven years later in "The Legend of Zorro" cemented her place as one of the best sword-fighting babes in big-screen history.