With ‘Hot Pursuit’ hitting theaters, let's take a look back at the awe-inspiring female movie cops who have redefined the word "tough."

Mullins in ‘The Heat’ (2013)

Mullins may not look like your typical tough movie cop, but that’s what makes her so effective! What she lacks in style, grace and composure, she makes up for in unorthodox ass-kicking skills.

Anne Lewis in ‘RoboCop’ (1987)

When your partner is a super-powered cyborg police officer, it can be hard to stand out. But Officer Anne Lewis holds her own next to RoboCop, which certainly says an awful lot about her.

Marge Gunderson in ‘Fargo’ (1996)

Marge Gunderson is a loving wife and expectant mother, who finds herself in the middle of murder mystery involving guys getting shoved into wood chippers. The way she handles that makes her tops in our book.

Chris Sanchez in ‘S.W.A.T.’ (2003)

Michelle Rodriguez has made a career out of playing tough women on the wrong side of the law. So what happens when you give her a badge? She becomes one unstoppable cop.

Megan Turner in ‘Blue Steel’ (1989)

A lot of people would roll over and give up when they’re falsely accused of shooting an unarmed man. But Megan Turner isn’t “a lot of people,” and she’ll do whatever it takes to restore her honor.

Amelia Donaghy in ‘The Bone Collector’ (2000)

When her partner is paralyzed in an accident, Amelia Donaghy doesn’t move on -- she lets him work from home while she does all the field work. Both work together to stop a killer and to reinforce the tried-and-true staple of movie cops: Loyalty above all else.

Lorna Cole in ‘Lethal Weapon 3’ (1995)

It takes a special kind of woman to make Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) settle down. Enter Lorna Cole: A no-nonsense LAPD detective who loves the Three Stooges and kick-punching bad guys.

Rhonda Boney in ‘Gone Girl’ (2014)

It takes a lot of nerve to confront a supposed murderer in his own home, and even more nerve to keep going after the real killer – his wife. Rhonda Boney may not win the day, but she’s as tough as they come.