The Golden Compass! And hell, The Wizard of Oz.

Good ol' Mulan.  And I'll put in a word of defense for The Little Mermaid- it might not live up to today's standards, but at the time it was a lot more Girl Power than most.  Nuts to sitting around looking pretty and singing in sea shells all day- let's go exploring!  Beat the heck out of its predecessors.

HAIRSRAY! FERGODSAKES, HAIRSPRAY! Kicking butt, taking names, and healthy body image to boot - plus John Travolta in drag, crazy colors, and ridiculously catchy songs. So good.

Tank Girl has to be one of my all time favorite movies.  Quirky girl seeks revenge and water in desert dystopia, complete with punchy sound track and tacky costumes.  Oh, and kangaroos.  And I think it's pretty kid safe.

This isn't a movie, but you can't talk about strong females kicking ass without mentioning the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I didn't watch it when it was on TV, but got the whole series for Christmas and it is some of the most amazing writing I've ever seen. It's also real, emotional, strong, kick-ass...ok, I'll stop. Did I mention I love Buffy?

The Miyazaki films. They're amazing; beautiful animation with adventurous, courageous girls as leads. The family favorite is My Neighbor Totoro, but Kiki's Delivery Service is also good (and it gets bonus points for a girl rescuing a boy in peril). Haven't seen Spirited Away, but it gets great reviews.

Katy-yes! My daughter absolutely LOVES Miyazaki! She even have a totoro poster in her room amongst all the pink and frill. I definitely agree.

Aliens and Terminator 2. Hello, talk about kick ass women.

I recently had the pleasure of rediscovering one of my favorite movies as a kid - The Last Unicorn - and realizing that it really is a great feminist statement of a film. The lead female (said unicorn) not only kicks the bad guys (or bulls) butt in the end, she also chooses to be true to her nature rather than run off with the prince in the end.

Of course, my 5 y.o. just seems to like the unicorns, but still - I'd like to think this is sinking in on some level....

Labrynth!

Smart girl saving her little brother AND David Bowie gender confusion!

I am trying to remember what is wrong with Clueless.  I remember it being a hilarious version of Jane Austen's "Emma".  The Emma character has a lot to learn, but in the end she does.

The Last Unicorn? Thus proving that women like lousy animation and will buy anything with a bloody unicorn in it?! I say nay! Miyazaki rules in our home.

I desperately await the day I can watch Kill Bill with my daughter. I figure it's good for about age 10.

Someone mentioned Mulan, and I guess there's a kick-ass element to it. I showed it to my 5-year-old daughter and it's very open about the misogyny in ancient China, which I'm sure is very realistic. But the thing is, my daughter had no idea that misogyny or inequality or prejudice existed before then. It had never occurred to her that girls would be considered inferior or incapable. So, I wonder if she would be better off not knowing those things until later. I'm not saying I'm trying to shield her from any unpleasantness forever, but maybe it would be better if she just kept developing as she had been, unencumbered by having to fight gender inequality or go to extreme lengths to prove herself. Now that she knows that some people think girls are inferior, it kind of makes her more wary of the world, and a little confused about how to proceed. I think movies that simply show good role models are more helpful. Like Wizard of Oz or Hairspray or The Secret Garden.

Lilo and Stitch is great - Lilo is chubby, stubborn and mischievous and has great taste in music. Plus, she's part of a non-traditional family. Added bonus - none of the characters are white.

The Last Unicorn.  Also parts of The Joy Luck Club.  That's just a good Mother/Daughter movie.  My mom and I watched it and bawled our eyes out!!

Another vote for Buffy, and one for Veronica Mars (again a tv show, but so awesome). Veronica Mars is a great female role model. She's smart, spunky, clever, strong, and tries to do the right thing even when it is painful, and she always stands up for the little guy.

"Matilda" and "Harriet the Spy"--Both fantastic girl power movies that weren't too scary for my 4 year old and don't annoy older kids and adults.   They're both based on even better chapter books that made for great family reading.   Also, we're HUGE Miyazaki fans here, too.

Not a kids movie, but Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis

and the above mentioned Tank Girl and Buffy series

I'm a big fan of Ever After with Drew Barrymore for girl power.  It's the retelling of the Cinderella story, but the main character is smart and ends up saving herself in the end.  Also, it's totally PG and good for elementary age girls.  In general, Drew Barrymore movies tend to have strong, smart female characters.  

I second Buffy (the series) and Hairspray (the original and the musical movie). Not a kid movie at all, but DeathProof by Quentin Tarentino is awesome. The ladies at the beginning are pretty useless, but the ones at the end totally kick ass and they get to drive sweet muscle cars...not to mention stuntwoman Zoe Bell playing herself and doing the most awesome stunts of life.

I bought Mulan for my daughter but rethought its benefits since she is the only female in the movie. It is as if Disney was forced to make a girl movie but decided that it couldn't handle more than one female at a time. I love Lilo and Stitch, Whale Rider, Matilda, and all Miyazaki's films. Oh, and my daughter's favorite - the Incredibles, with a powerful mother and daughter along with dad and brother. And the costume-maker Edna is a real hoot too.

Waitress was really amazing and inspirational. Loved it.