Movie

Blast (2004)

Another Die Hard on an X movie, and this particular X is an oil drilling platform off the San Diego coast. Terrorists posing as environmentalists stage a shipping accident, arm themselves with automatic weapons hidden in Christmas presents (!), and take over the facility. The unlikely hero is a tugboat captain with former military experience, who joins forces with an FBI plant to battle the bad guys.

The production budget is large enough to hire some name actors. Vinnie Jones plays a villain (he usually does), and Vivica A. Fox is a tough-talking agent. She has a subplot of her own to contend with: a traitor on her team. And yes, she gets a badass moment when she arrests him.

The villains are after money (who knew?), and their plan is to set off an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) device launched by missile. While Blast goes through the obvious plot points – lone heroes against an army of bad guys, a botched raid by US special forces – it’s an entertaining ride.

Villainess

Luna (Nadine Velazquez)

Surprisingly, Luna is not the only female among the terrorists, though she is the only woman to see any real action. She soon ditches her Christmas outfit for the more usual leather top, and straps on an LMG. That’s a light machine gun for those unfamiliar with weapons. And she has a metal finger-blade and martial arts skills to fall back on. We get it – she’s a tough girl.

Luna’s role in the first half isn’t that memorable. She hunts an escaped child through the lower structure, sits around taking orders, and provides verbal support. Her first fight is against the hopelessly outmatched FBI agent. Things get more interesting later on, when Luna finally gets to fire her oversized weapon in a kitchen shootout. A shame that’s the only time she uses the LMG, and she somehow doesn’t hit her target.

After the villains arm the EMP, the heroes attempt to avert disaster. Luna has repeated fights against the FBI agent, whom she takes a dislike to. The villainess is acrobatic and slippery, dodging automatic weapon fire by somersaulting. While a skilled opponent, the henchwoman survives because the heroes don’t finish her when they have the chance. Eventually, the FBI guy gets smart and drops a metal plate on her.

Honourable Mentions: Combat Henchwomen

Crash Dive (1996) – Bolanne (Elena DeBurdo)

Another Michael Dudikoff-led B-movie action thriller, Crash Dive is one of his better efforts. When a nuclear submarine is hijacked by terrorists posing as shipwrecked sailors, only he can save us. The lone female in the villain ranks is Bolanne, a beautiful Eastern European who strips naked to seduce a crew member. Sex in the shower, then the nude assassin chokes him with a barbell.

Apart from that excellent kill, there are some decent henchwoman moments. Bolanne frees her captive leader with a throwing knife, snakes around menacingly, and stabs a man helping the hero. The end fight is longer than usual (about a minute), and the good guy has to work for his victory.

Triple Threat (2019) – Mook (JeeJa Yanin)

This aptly named henchwoman is a member of a mercenary group hired to eliminate a bothersome woman who makes the mistake of campaigning against crime. The pay mistress is a mysterious executive who gives orders by mobile phone. While the big bad isn’t particularly interesting as a villainess, Mook is a memorable inclusion, even if she dies before the halfway point.

The film features several high-profile action stars: Tony Jaa, Scott Adkins, and Michael Jai White. Brutal action, a high body count, and explosions galore – what did you expect? Most loud bangs come from Mook, who’s overzealous and trigger-happy with her grenade launcher. She specialises in clearing obstructions and dealing area of effect damage.

Mook gets three high-carnage, all-out assaults: a jungle compound, a TV studio, and a police station. On the third raid, she meets her match and loses to the hero. Then he gives Mook a taste of her own medicine and blows her to smithereens.