'Tomb Raider' Movie News: Will Reboot Enable Lara Croft Transcend Sex Object Label?
After long guessing games, a new Lara Croft has finally been found. MGM, Warner Bros. and GK Films have picked Swedish actress Alicia Vikander to wear the boots, body-hugging top, and shorts of the video game character that catapulted Angelina Jolie to full stardom in the 2000s via two "Tomb Raider" movies.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the "Tomb Raider" reboot will be helmed by Roar Uthaug of "The Wave" fame. The movie will follow the life of a young and inexperienced Lara Croft as her physical strength and sense of adventure are put to test.
Time opines that now is the right time for a reboot of the film. It notes that many women have a love-hate relationship with Lara Croft. While it is true that she is an inspiration to women-thanks to her abilities that enables her to survive physical challenges and mystical forces-for some, she is still a sex object.
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With the reboot of the video game in 2013, changes in the appearance of Lara Croft were introduced, too. Time points out that the character now has more believable body proportions, making her look more like a human than a Barbie doll. Nonetheless, despite having a notably new physique, the game featuring the made-over character still managed to lure more than 1 million gamers to purchase it in just a matter of 48 hours. This bodes well for the new view of male gamers to the Lara Croft character.
Despite the video game character having seemed to transcend being just a sex symbol, there are still some who have expressed their disappointment over the news that Vikander is the new Lara Croft, saying that she doesn't have the right body proportions ideal for the role. At this point, only time can tell if Vikander can eventually silence her detractors, just like what Gal Gadot did when she awed critics with her performance as Wonder Woman in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" after having been heavily lambasted by unforgiving critics for her small chest.
