Will 'Haywire' make Gina Carano the next female action hero?

By Sarah Sluis

Who is Gina Carano? That was the question on my mind after watching the trailer for director Steven Soderbergh's Haywire. She has a cool, commanding presence, managing to look like she's an accomplished marine. The spy-action flick premiered at the AFI Fest this week, and THR critic Todd McCarthy has already weighed in and given the movie an enthusiastic thumbs-up. He praises Carano by way of Soderbergh, saying:

"In the end the show belongs to Soderbergh, who took a risk with a largely untested leading lady, and Carano, whose shoulders, and everything else, prove plenty strong enough to carry the film. The director shrewdly determined what she could and perhaps couldn't do, and she delivered with a turn that makes other actresses who have attempted such roles, no matter how toned and buff they became, look like pretenders.

After sampling the footage in the trailer, I agree with his statement. Carano looks so real. She's also not saddled with some of the ridiculous, objectifying costume choices that often accompany female action heroes. There's a reason Carano looks so good fighting. She's a ranked mixed martial arts fighter who has also appeared on shows like "American Gladiators."

The Relativity release will open Jan. 20, that post-holiday doldrums period. Yet the movie looks so much better than it needs to be. It's stripped down, with not a lot of expensive explosions--I bet this was a fairly inexpensive movie to make. Plus, there's no better justification for lots of high-powered, skilled fighting than a double-crossed spy dealing with her employers-turned-enemies, so forget having to suspend disbelief in order to enjoy the sparring.

With the exception of relative newcomer Carano, Soderbergh assembled a well-known cast: Bill Paxton, whose underrated voice is up there with his co-star's, Michael Douglas. Rising star Michael Fassbender (Shame), Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, and Antonio Banderas round out the cast. Wow.

Look out, Angelina Jolie. Carano looks like the new female action hero in town.