Top 10 Babes of 2004 Top 10 Babes of 2004 (January 07, 2005)

by Tyler Hanley

Angelina Jolie Ignore her snake-obsessed psycho-mom in "Alexander." It was Jolie's limited screen time as the fearless Capt. "Franky" Cook in "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" that cemented her spot as one of the year's top babes. Only Jolie could turn an eye patch into eye candy.
Elastigirl Supported by Holly Hunter's alluring voice, Elastigirl gave "The Incredibles" a splash of va-va-voom. Selfless heroics + limitless flexibility + animated radiance = Is it getting hot in here?
Hilary Swank Swank was a knockout as the gutsy female boxer with Irish roots and an iron will in "Million Dollar Baby." Pick up platter, add heart, hand to Hilary.
Kate Winslet Don't let the fluorescent hair distract you. Her Clementine in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" was outgoing, soulful and chock full of raw emotion.
Meryl Streep What's a good babes list without a really bad girl? And who better than cinema's most elegant actress, the ethereal Meryl Streep? Streep's wicked mother in "The Manchurian Candidate" was like Cruella De Vil meets Hillary Clinton -- only better-looking.
Natalie Portman Israeli native Portman's inspirational turn as the loquacious Sam in "Garden State" made tears stream and hearts flurry. It doesn't hurt that she has the face of an angel and the maturity of a performer well past her age.
Sarah Polley The "Go Girl" packed her resilient leading lady in "Dawn of the Dead" with courage, compassion and a healthy dose of take-no-nonsense. Even the zombies were stopped dead in their tracks when this sensitive rebel graced the screen.
Uma Thurman In "Kill Bill Volume 2," Thurman's vengeance-bent Bride wielded a wicked Hanzo sword, escaped an early grave and mastered the powerful five-point-exploding-heart technique. Call me a glutton for punishment, but there's nothing more attractive than a girl who can kick your butt.
Virginia Madsen Teaming with genius director Alexander Payne in "Sideways" proved a career adrenaline shot for this sultry siren. To quote the Rembrandts: "I need a love that has no ending -- Virginia on you, I'm depending. Sweet Virginia."
Zhang Ziyi Two men broke alliances, braved adversity and battled each other to near death over this "blind" ingenue in "House of Flying Daggers." Ziyi's grace and innocent charm team with her martial-arts prowess and fiery temper to make one mouth-watering babe.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.