Over the years, video games have come to be associated with perpetrating harmful and sexist portrayals of women. A majority of video games feature men as making up the majority of the main cast of characters, and when women are present, they are often scantily clothed and fill stereotypical roles such as prostitutes or damsels in distress.
A prime example of sexism in video gaming is the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider series. The series follows the titular English archaeologist as she travels the world exploring dangerous tombs and caves in the pursuit of rare artifacts. Though it is a plus that this popular action-adventures series stars a female, she is more known for her overly proportioned and buxom body that kept her from being one of the most empowering characters in gaming, instead of becoming one of the most sexually objectified.
This is why the latest Tomb Raider movie based on the iconic game series is one that every girl needs to see. In this reboot of the 2000s’ film series starring Angelina Jolie, the character of Lara Croft has been reclaimed as the female empowerment icon that she deserves to be. Alicia Vikander plays the titular character, who has gone from being a professional archeologist to a much humbler bike messenger in London. When she uncovers information that could lead her to the whereabouts of her long-lost archaeologist father, Lara sets off to track him down, no matter how dangerous it could be.
Recent films have struggled in their attempts to create strong, empowered female characters without overly sexualizing them or turning them into harmful stereotypes. However, Tomb Raider seems to have cracked the code with its titular heroine. Films that star women in leading roles usually place far too much emphasis on the heroine’s sexuality and romantic appeal to men. While it is not a bad thing for female characters to be attractive or have romantic interests, it becomes problematic and sexist when that becomes the character’s defining traits. In Tomb Raider, Lara Croft is simply a strong character, defined by her own wit, determination, brilliance, and strength. The film is a straightforward adventure, not taking any detours from Lara’s quest to shove in an unnecessary love interest. And as Lara leaps from cliff to cliff and solves the most cryptic of puzzles, an emphasis is never put on her body. Lara Croft isn’t just a strong character because she is a woman; she is allowed to be a complex and interesting character simply on her own terms.
In Lara Croft, women have a hero who is a balance of strength and vulnerability. She is not afraid to do what it takes to survive that also has a caring heart. In one scene, Lara Croft fights off an attacker armed only with her fists and brawn. But after killing her attacker, Lara shows remorse, horrified that she had to take a life. Multi-dimensional heroines like Lara, who can be tough and strong-willed while still demonstrating a caring and vulnerable side, are the perfect example of what female empowerment should look like in movies. Society preaches that to be a woman you must be perfect at all times without any flaws. In Lara Croft, girls can see that you can be strong and beautiful and still have flaws and weaknesses.
Though this film does have its flaws and has not performed well at the box office, Tomb Raider still deserves to be seen and supported as a celebration of ordinary, flawed girls who can take on the impossible.