Top 10 Expendable Girlfriends and the Men Who Loved Them (Briefly)
Men in movie franchises do not make the most reliable romantic partners. Sure, they'll save you from a bullet/missile/bomb/meteor, but will they still be there in the sequel? Or rather, will you? As Transformers hits theaters, TIME takes a look at movies throughout time whose male stars have moved on from one girl to the next
Transformers: Bye, Bye Megan Fox
Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) fell for Megan Fox's mechanically inclined Mikaela Banes in Michael Bay's first Transformers flick and they hung on even as Sam went off to college in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. But Transformers: Dark of the Moon features Sam moving on to Carly (Victoria's Secret model, Rosie Huntington-Whitley). But Sam's not entirely to blame; Bay said he fired Fox at producer Steven Spielberg's request after she compared her director to Hitler. Fox has said she left of her own volition.
Lethal Weapon: From Secretary to Internal Affairs Investigator
For zany cop Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), tragedy knows no bounds. When we first met him in 1987, Riggs was too distracted by grieving for his dead wife for romance. But in Lethal Weapon 2, he rebounded, hooking up with Rika (Patsy Kensit), the secretary of one of the bad guys — only to have her offed as well. Maybe the franchise wasn't ready for Riggs to get serious. In Lethal Weapon 3, he found his match with Internal Affairs investigator Lorna (Rene Russo, who made her transition from model to actress with the role, just like Huntington-Whitley is poised to do with Transformers III) and actually stuck with her through Lethal Weapon 4, where she gives birth to his child. Good thing there wasn't a Lethal Weapon 5 — we'd have hated to see the end of Lorna.
The Pink Panther Series: The Many Faces of Simone
Given how much the good inspector bumbles, it's a wonder he ever lands any woman. Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) has a wife in the first film, 1963's The Pink Panther, Simone, who is played by Capucine. She's gone by A Shot in the Dark in 1964, and Clouseau has moved onto Maria Gambrelli (Elke Summer). He also hooks up with Russian spy played by Lesley Anne-Down in The Pink Panther Strikes Again. But Clouseau is mostly a one-night stand kind of guy, partly thanks to his servant Cato's tendency to interrupt all his romantic liaisons. In Sellers's last film as Clouseau (let's not speak of the recent remakes) he hooks up with an entirely different Simone (Dyan Cannon). While the names may reoccur, the actual love interests don't.
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Many Women
To be fair, a comic parody of spy movies kind of had to send up the concept of expendable girlfriends, so we never expected Mr. Powers attachments to these ladies would last. When the franchise kicked off in 1997 with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Austin (Mike Meyers) had his eye (and more) on Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley), the daughter of his former partner. He married Vanessa, but drat, she turned out to be a Fembot in The Spy Who Shagged Me. Good thing Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham) was around to help Austin get his mojo back. In the third film, 2002's Goldmember, Felicity was nowhere to be found, but of course there was fresh eye candy: Austin's old flame from the 70s, Foxxy Cleopatra (Beyonce Knowles).
The Fast and the Furious Series: Fast Cars and Faster Loves
Brian (Paul Walker) and Dominic (Vin Diesel) have stayed pretty loyal to their original loves, Mia (Jordana Brewster) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), but the franchise's attitude toward the girlfriends has been more love and leave 'em. Mia wasn't in the second movie (2 Fast 2 Furious), but Brian had company in the form of Monica (Eva Mendes). In the fourth installment, Brian and Mia reunite, but Letty dies violently. But hold on: The fifth installment, this year's Fast Five, ends with a reveal that Letty survived. Guess someone besides Dom missed her. And Mia is with child, so in theory she should stick around for the next installment. But who knows? In a franchise that's all about speed, things can always change.
Indiana Jones: Indy's Love Life? It's Complicated
Raiders of the Lost Ark featured a rekindled romance between Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and fiery bar owner Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), who had first fallen for Indy as a teenager. Indy didn't dump her in the next film in the franchise, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom since it was technically a prequel, but he was running around with annoying Willie Scott (played by Kate Capshaw who would later become Mrs. Steven Spielberg). The third movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, had Indy and his father (Sean Connery) both falling prey to treacherous Dr. Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody). By the fourth film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Indy finally reunits with Marion — who took him back even though he had dumped her at the altar years before.
Mission Impossible: Ethan Hunt's Hunt For Romance
In the first Mission Impossible movie we were introduced to Claire Phelps, a lovely but suspected secret agent, played by Emmanuelle Beart. They had sparks, but Claire done him wrong so it was off with her head before the second film. In Mission Impossible 2, Ethan Hunt romanced Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton) — another colleague he wasn't sure he could entirely trust. That movie ended with them going off for a vacation after saving the world from a possible pandemic. But in Mission Impossible 3, Nyah was nowhere to be seen and Ethan was engaged to Julia (Michelle Monaghan). At one point, Julia appears to have been slaughtered by the bad guy, but it's all a ruse and the happily-married-Hunts go off into the sunset together at the end of the film. But it seems their marriage may be shortlived as Monaghan is not on the cast list for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, slated for release this December.
The Batman Franchise: Even More Ladies Than Batmans
Given how many different actors have played Batman on the big screen — Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Val Kilmer, Christian Bale — it's no wonder the girlfriends tend to come and go as well. Kim Basinger was journalist Vicki Vale in the 1989 version. Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) was the seductress in Batman Returns, but by Batman Forever, Nicole Kidman was offering allure as the shrink Bruce Wayne loved. In the much-reviled Batman & Robin, model Elle Macpherson had a turn as girlfriend to George Clooney's Bruce Wayne. Next up was Katie Holmes as Batman's possibly unrequited childhood sweetheart, Rachel Dawes, in 2005's Batman Begins, but Maggie Gyllenhaal took over the role in 2008's The Dark Knight and was promptly offed. Look for either Anne Hathaway or Marion Cotillard romance Batman in the next flick, due in 2012. Poor guy.
Star Trek: James T. Kirk, Captain of the Ladies
Can anyone in the universe keep track of all of Captain Kirk's women? Better to count the ways in which they were removed from the scene. One was stoned to death while pregnant with his child. Another, beloved 1930s babe Edith Keeler, was hit by a car right in front of Kirk, who had to let her die to keep the universe in order. It's true Kirk got more play on the television series than in the movies, but even on the big screen he wasn't exactly a monk. His ex and baby mama, Carol Marcus, turned up in Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan. Biologist Dr. Gillian Taylor time traveled for him in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. He even flirted with a shapeshifter, Martia (Iman) in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. But at the end of the eon Kirk was alone.
James Bond: The Biggest Ladies Man of Them All
Sustaining a relationship seems to be the one thing 007 cannot do. The dazzling beauties come and go: Halle Berry, Jill St. John, Ursula Andress, Kim Basinger and so on. Whenever he has even considered committing, no matter who is playing him (six actors) it doesn't end well. In On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) George Lazenby's Bond actually gets married to Contessa Teresa "Tracy" di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg), but she's shot soon thereafter and dies in his arms. In Daniel Craig's first turn as Bond, Casino Royale (2006) he's crazy about Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) but she also dies right before his eyes (and as she's a double agent, it's probably for the best). Bond 23 is slated to open in 2012, so the Bond Girl will live to die another day.
Men in movie franchises do not make the most reliable romantic partners. Sure, they'll save you from a bullet/missile/bomb/meteor, but will they still be there in the sequel? Or rather, will you? As Transformers hits theaters, TIME takes a look at movies throughout time whose male stars have moved on from one girl to the next
Transformers: Bye, Bye Megan Fox
Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) fell for Megan Fox's mechanically inclined Mikaela Banes in Michael Bay's first Transformers flick and they hung on even as Sam went off to college in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. But Transformers: Dark of the Moon features Sam moving on to Carly (Victoria's Secret model, Rosie Huntington-Whitley). But Sam's not entirely to blame; Bay said he fired Fox at producer Steven Spielberg's request after she compared her director to Hitler. Fox has said she left of her own volition.
Lethal Weapon: From Secretary to Internal Affairs Investigator
For zany cop Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), tragedy knows no bounds. When we first met him in 1987, Riggs was too distracted by grieving for his dead wife for romance. But in Lethal Weapon 2, he rebounded, hooking up with Rika (Patsy Kensit), the secretary of one of the bad guys — only to have her offed as well. Maybe the franchise wasn't ready for Riggs to get serious. In Lethal Weapon 3, he found his match with Internal Affairs investigator Lorna (Rene Russo, who made her transition from model to actress with the role, just like Huntington-Whitley is poised to do with Transformers III) and actually stuck with her through Lethal Weapon 4, where she gives birth to his child. Good thing there wasn't a Lethal Weapon 5 — we'd have hated to see the end of Lorna.
The Pink Panther Series: The Many Faces of Simone
Given how much the good inspector bumbles, it's a wonder he ever lands any woman. Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) has a wife in the first film, 1963's The Pink Panther, Simone, who is played by Capucine. She's gone by A Shot in the Dark in 1964, and Clouseau has moved onto Maria Gambrelli (Elke Summer). He also hooks up with Russian spy played by Lesley Anne-Down in The Pink Panther Strikes Again. But Clouseau is mostly a one-night stand kind of guy, partly thanks to his servant Cato's tendency to interrupt all his romantic liaisons. In Sellers's last film as Clouseau (let's not speak of the recent remakes) he hooks up with an entirely different Simone (Dyan Cannon). While the names may reoccur, the actual love interests don't.
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Many Women
To be fair, a comic parody of spy movies kind of had to send up the concept of expendable girlfriends, so we never expected Mr. Powers attachments to these ladies would last. When the franchise kicked off in 1997 with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Austin (Mike Meyers) had his eye (and more) on Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley), the daughter of his former partner. He married Vanessa, but drat, she turned out to be a Fembot in The Spy Who Shagged Me. Good thing Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham) was around to help Austin get his mojo back. In the third film, 2002's Goldmember, Felicity was nowhere to be found, but of course there was fresh eye candy: Austin's old flame from the 70s, Foxxy Cleopatra (Beyonce Knowles).
The Fast and the Furious Series: Fast Cars and Faster Loves
Brian (Paul Walker) and Dominic (Vin Diesel) have stayed pretty loyal to their original loves, Mia (Jordana Brewster) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), but the franchise's attitude toward the girlfriends has been more love and leave 'em. Mia wasn't in the second movie (2 Fast 2 Furious), but Brian had company in the form of Monica (Eva Mendes). In the fourth installment, Brian and Mia reunite, but Letty dies violently. But hold on: The fifth installment, this year's Fast Five, ends with a reveal that Letty survived. Guess someone besides Dom missed her. And Mia is with child, so in theory she should stick around for the next installment. But who knows? In a franchise that's all about speed, things can always change.
Indiana Jones: Indy's Love Life? It's Complicated
Raiders of the Lost Ark featured a rekindled romance between Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and fiery bar owner Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), who had first fallen for Indy as a teenager. Indy didn't dump her in the next film in the franchise, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom since it was technically a prequel, but he was running around with annoying Willie Scott (played by Kate Capshaw who would later become Mrs. Steven Spielberg). The third movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, had Indy and his father (Sean Connery) both falling prey to treacherous Dr. Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody). By the fourth film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Indy finally reunits with Marion — who took him back even though he had dumped her at the altar years before.
Mission Impossible: Ethan Hunt's Hunt For Romance
In the first Mission Impossible movie we were introduced to Claire Phelps, a lovely but suspected secret agent, played by Emmanuelle Beart. They had sparks, but Claire done him wrong so it was off with her head before the second film. In Mission Impossible 2, Ethan Hunt romanced Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton) — another colleague he wasn't sure he could entirely trust. That movie ended with them going off for a vacation after saving the world from a possible pandemic. But in Mission Impossible 3, Nyah was nowhere to be seen and Ethan was engaged to Julia (Michelle Monaghan). At one point, Julia appears to have been slaughtered by the bad guy, but it's all a ruse and the happily-married-Hunts go off into the sunset together at the end of the film. But it seems their marriage may be shortlived as Monaghan is not on the cast list for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, slated for release this December.
The Batman Franchise: Even More Ladies Than Batmans
Given how many different actors have played Batman on the big screen — Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Val Kilmer, Christian Bale — it's no wonder the girlfriends tend to come and go as well. Kim Basinger was journalist Vicki Vale in the 1989 version. Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) was the seductress in Batman Returns, but by Batman Forever, Nicole Kidman was offering allure as the shrink Bruce Wayne loved. In the much-reviled Batman & Robin, model Elle Macpherson had a turn as girlfriend to George Clooney's Bruce Wayne. Next up was Katie Holmes as Batman's possibly unrequited childhood sweetheart, Rachel Dawes, in 2005's Batman Begins, but Maggie Gyllenhaal took over the role in 2008's The Dark Knight and was promptly offed. Look for either Anne Hathaway or Marion Cotillard romance Batman in the next flick, due in 2012. Poor guy.
Star Trek: James T. Kirk, Captain of the Ladies
Can anyone in the universe keep track of all of Captain Kirk's women? Better to count the ways in which they were removed from the scene. One was stoned to death while pregnant with his child. Another, beloved 1930s babe Edith Keeler, was hit by a car right in front of Kirk, who had to let her die to keep the universe in order. It's true Kirk got more play on the television series than in the movies, but even on the big screen he wasn't exactly a monk. His ex and baby mama, Carol Marcus, turned up in Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan. Biologist Dr. Gillian Taylor time traveled for him in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. He even flirted with a shapeshifter, Martia (Iman) in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. But at the end of the eon Kirk was alone.
James Bond: The Biggest Ladies Man of Them All
Sustaining a relationship seems to be the one thing 007 cannot do. The dazzling beauties come and go: Halle Berry, Jill St. John, Ursula Andress, Kim Basinger and so on. Whenever he has even considered committing, no matter who is playing him (six actors) it doesn't end well. In On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) George Lazenby's Bond actually gets married to Contessa Teresa "Tracy" di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg), but she's shot soon thereafter and dies in his arms. In Daniel Craig's first turn as Bond, Casino Royale (2006) he's crazy about Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) but she also dies right before his eyes (and as she's a double agent, it's probably for the best). Bond 23 is slated to open in 2012, so the Bond Girl will live to die another day.
