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Fantasy films are notrious for portraying women in roles of damsel in distress and slave girl in bondage. Conan is always finding some half-naked screamer that needs to be kno0cked on the head and dragged to safety. But that is just the negative stereotyping that new age fantasy seeks to break through, and we have many fine examples of this kind of cinema.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, by Ang Lee (2000). Yu Shu-lien is a warrior. Played by Michelle Yeoh, she is a magnificent swordswoman. Now, I suppose some of you will argue that this is not a fantasy movie, but martial arts. Well, nearl;y all fantasy movies are martial, and Crouching Tiger has loads of magic, from wicked witches and magic swords to warriors who fly and fight on the limbs of trees.

Michelle Yeoh's character is as magnificent as the male lead, and as indispensable to the plot. She has a heart, and it is her decision not to kill Jen that propels the film's mysterious ending. But she is as kick-butt as any fantasy hero.

Shrek, by Andrew Adamson (2001). Princess Fiona is a wonderful heroine, a twist on the stereotype. She out-ogres the ogre. Her scene, reminiscent of Trinity in The Matrix, in which she pastes pansy boy Robin Hoods in the forest, is exactly what we crave from our princesses. She is a no-holds-barred street-fighter, and she stands up for herself. Although the animated film has all the romantic clap-trap about misunderstandings, we know that it is Fiona who will knock heads. Not to mention the delightful lady dragon who lays waste to all the bad guys.

Cameron Diaz, who voices Fiona plays her with a insouciant crudity that charms the younguns, but it is her unashamed enjoyment of the role that gives her power to stand up to Farquad, not to metnion Shrek. If only she did not obsess over appearance, Fiona would be at the top of this list.

The Wizard of Oz, by Victor Fleming, (1939). Dorothy is a model of a strong heroine. She requires no knights to rescue her. Instead she rescues others. When faced with aggression from the lion, she slaps him on the nose when he threatens Toto. When she is cornered by the wi9xked witch, she dissolves her, unintentionally, and with a nod to pity. She is the always gentle warrior. Her quest to return home is no different from Odysseus', but she doesn't lie and cheat and steal her way to home. She is the first really American fantasy hero, and her stature is magnified throughout the years.

Played by the inimitable Judy Garland, this Dorothy sings, has a melancholy

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