Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Pure Fantasy or Feminist Trailblazer?

[@thetake]

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[@noahorakwue2653]

The first video you made that I watched was a game of thrones video have you consider making videos that compare characters and families from the book to the ones in the show like comparing how house Tyrell is portrayed in the books as opposed to the show.

[@inlikeflynn7238]

It's a male fantasy, but why does a male fantasy and a feminist character have to be mutually exclusive? Why can't she be both?

[@bombshellmsl7045]

Lara isn't complicated. I played the games, Its not that deep. She is a hero and a bad ass regardless of her breast size ot how men look at her, she is still capable and a BADASS on her own. wish you had gone this deep with why its OK for a 17 year old to have sex with a 25 adult man in Call me by your name but Lara's breast size makes her not a bad ass or too attractive or not capable or just a WOMAN..but this is one you chose to dive deep on...the first video i ever disliked by you ladies.

[@celinak5062]

Bombshell Ms L QaF might be a an influence also it's European 16 is around the age of consent depending on the country In Romeo and Juliet she's 13 In the graduate he's 21 In the man who wasn't there she's 16 In the lifeguard he's 17 In fish tank she's 15 In tadpole he's 15 In an education she's 16 In American beauty she's 17

[@SweetChildofMine-l5y]

Hello, Debra, Susannah? Can you please reply to my questions?

[@NeedMoreCoffeeOG]

I can only speak for myself on this subject. As a little girl in the mid nineties, going to computer conventions with my dad, Lara Croft made a huge impression on me because she was the only thing at those conventions at the time that I could truly, personally admire and wanted to relate to. To me, she is an icon. I don't mind that she is also "eye candy". Women are beautiful and for me she's never been Leisure Suit Larry fodder beautiful - she's always been empowered in her beauty.

[@NotAnotherKuromi]

As a tomboy, seeing a grown woman who was like me, climbing, adventurous & hung out with guys, Lara Croft made me feel less alone. Especially with the growing pressure from my female peers & society to conform to their expectations of girlyness. Asserting that these positive strong traits are unaquivically masculine annoys me.

[@Rennat456]

Hmmmmmmm I'm conflicted about this analysis. Personally I think we should get rid of the whole attributing being adventurous and brave as "masculine." I've never considered it "manly" to be thrill seeking like Lara. It's just... her! We shouldn't focus on what makes her masculine or feminine, just on what makes her Lara Croft!

[@depthcharge123]

It's lazy. The archetype of Lara Croft could easily be compared to the Greek goddess Artemis.

[@cartomancycarmen]

This!

[@sunnysolaris23]

But isn't that the point? Being adventurous and brave was for the longest time seen as "typically male". That more and more people stop seeing it like that and see those characteristics more individualistic than gender based is also thanks to a growing number of stories about action heroines. And Lara Croft was one of the first solo main heroines of the action genre.

[@Jeymez]

​@@sunnysolaris23these people don't realize that it's just simply that, it's make belief. sure females don't really do the things Lara does, but neither could any man. but that was the whole appeal, women wanted to be her, just as much as guys wanted her. video games are just another way to live out a child's fantasy, but movies aren't any different. you still get to play a character, but in games you get to control the action. so despite having a female character, you didn't think anything of it, you just played it. of course it doesn't hurt to have an attractive character, but the problem with the media is, Lara is a depiction of everything wrong about women. but why does Lara need to be placed in some box for people to coddle, that's the problem with modern Lara.

[@TheKeyser94]

The later Lara Croft acted by Alice Vikander is based in the reboot, that think that a great way to create "character development" is making your character suffer physically, without changing anything about the character really, the previous Lara prior the reboot actually had personality.

[@Kimcheegirlee]

Your points are interesting, however I do not agree with point #1. “All MAN inside...strong, assertive, inquisitive and brave...quiet...no make-up and plain clothes”. You are inserting your own bias there. Not every strong woman needs to be portrayed as a fashion plate in order to showcase that she is secure in her femininity and not trying to be one of the guys. Perhaps the character knows that she cuts a striking figure anyway and dresses in accordance with her minimalist fashion choices/comfort/lifestyle. It’s confidence, which isn’t a male only attribute. Same with being strong, assertive, inquisitive or brave. She is a way better feminist icon than say the trope-y female lead in Jurassic World who runs around the jungle in heels and is portrayed as “less-than” because she is into her career. I mean, they went from Laura Dern of JP1 to that? Anyway, I liked the rest of the critique.😃

[@logan825]

I agree with everything you said!

[@ibrake4rappers]

💯

[@BadBloodwillout]

I definitely loved watching Jolie as a teen girl. Obviously it's sexualising but because she was not in a relationship I did not mind. I think a lot of the male fantasy points you discuss work for female viewers too: her not being in a relationship might make her "available" but to me it read as "independent". Her child-like vulnerability made me feel protective of her and identify with her (probably because I was also young). Her being hot appealed to me as a teen girl because I wanted to be her, and I don't think that's a bad thing XD. Also, some women do have her coded male interests- I don't think a heroine HAS to be feminine but I see your point there; notably she was usually the only woman surrounded by men too, definitely one of the guys or the only girl exception (which is an annoying trope). Again though, she was respected and a badass and hot af: for me that was definitely a role model.

[@musicadictor]

I agree. that's definitely the way I saw her too!

[@stoneoffarel]

Totally agree

[@Hakajin]

Watching this now, I feel kind of the same about being an adult orphan. On the one hand, it does make you seem vulnerable. I do relate to that with characters (actually, I've long identified with characters who display emotional vulnerability, because they resonate with me on a core emotional level; this is one reason why I tend to relate strongly to characters from kids' cartoons). Actually, while certain assholes have patronized me... I can't say I mind if a guy I'm interested in feels protective of me; to tell the truth, I actually kind of hope for that response. But... Well, I was already emotionally independent; I've long had a strong sense of self and enjoyed my own company; this makes the situation easiesr than it would be for many. The idea of being in a relationship with someone I didn't really care about, just to have someone, sounds like a nightmare to me. I've had to learn how to take care of myself, without the comfort of having my parents to fall back on. I know I can survive a lot of terrible shit. In that respect... This actually makes me more of an adult. I do still feel like a child at heart, but... Well, I think of "child" as a state of being, and "adult" as more of a behavior or adaptation. Anyway, in the past, when certain world-weary people treated me like a little girl, it did affect how I felt about myself. Now, though, it's like, Fuck you. Same with guys who try to patronize me.

[@alexpuntiel]

What part of the original Lara was child-like (except for curiosity about the world around her)? If anything you needed to be protected FROM her, lol.

[@logan825]

Agree 100%. Also, sexual confidence is not inherently an evil thing. I think our society is in the middle of figuring out a balance between accepting our sexual desires and not exploiting others to satisfy those desires. So yes, lara is sexually confident but in no way does this mean she is an object for any man to use.

[@daramedina7332]

Growing up as a female gamer, the Tomb Raider series became my favorite games to play. Looking back I can see how she was overtly sexualized, but when I was little I admired her strength as a female action hero. Thanks for making the vid! It was awesome!

[@lilyjean9515]

In reality, it was just her silhouette. Her behavior was educated and never had anything sexual.

[@GaroTD2]

Yea, like superman is buff af - she was basically a superhero. I don't get why she has to be "realistic".

[@atomnous]

Dara Dara Tbh, I think the video is a bit one-sided about this. Male action heroes also tend to be overtly sexualized physically. Psychologically, though, women are more often being put into a submissive role.

[@daramedina7332]

I agree! That's why I loved Lara Croft and her attitude. I always saw her as a strong female action hero. And it's common for action heroes male or female to be sexualized in the movies, comics, and games. However, the downside of this video is that they talk about her not displaying feminine strength and acting like a guy. What is considered feminine and masculine is merely a representation of societal standards.

[@atomnous]

Dara Dara Yes I agree. The only objective masculinity vs feminine traits are probably those that have to do with reproduction. Not personality. Whatever attitude you give, if you are able to bear a child, then you're biologically feminine. Socially, feminine vs masculine distinctions don't make too much sense, since both sexes can display almost any kind of traits that are expected from either one of them. Women can be physically strong, muscular, unemotional, or really anything, and this means that those traits are not exclusive to males. Probably, it's better if we lose the ties between the concept of masculinity and femininity from the biological sexes. It doesn't seem to add up to reality...

[@Mrs.Sardonicus]

She kinda fits into the "grindhouse" style of badass woman character. She is absolutely sexualized and made to be a attractive eye catching character, but she's also helped open the door for other strong woman leads in video games and never took any shit as well, at least from what I remember from the video games.

[@JesusProtects]

Why do people act live being an attractive and confident woman is a bad thing for a main character now days? Why are people so soft? Like there are no femme fatales in real life too either. Is neither male or female fantasy, is a fantasy, and a good one. The main attract of the games is the journey of discovery and adventure, not "duhuhuhu, titties". The way men are treated like stupid monkeys nowadays is starting to piss me off.

[@tielcat]

I'm so tired of the debate over Lara. She used to be an awesome and badass game character whom I and my 3 friends cherished as we played her first game together. None of us four girls cared that she was supposed to be a sexy lady, she was just cool. Why can't she just be cool because of what she does, and not what she's got between her legs and on her chest? And aren't there tomboyish girls who don't have time to think about boys because they have interesting and fulfilling jobs to do? Why can't they have a cool game representation without everyone dissecting which gender-specific attributes she's got more of? And even if she was made to appeal to horny boys, so what? She appeals to a wider audience, but in the debate it's either male sexual fantasy or feminist icon, and anyone in between those extremes, be they lifelong fans of Lara, like me, is completely omitted as if we don't exist. Lara (especially the oldschool mature one, not this girl-on-her-first-adventure flat noob) is sexy and cool, like so many women out there, and it would be swell if people stopped treating her like some sort of freak of nature.

[@zak-of-all-trades9638]

"Why can't they have a cool game representation without everyone dissecting which gender-specific attributes she's got more of?" This is the one section of your comment is one that stood out most to me and for that reason you get a thumbs up. 😎

[@oswiroa4973]

Make Lara Great Again!

[@vishnuk67]

Nah. female heroes are just selfish compared to Male heroes.

[@nithyaniranjani]

I love this. You said what was on my mind. Lara is so much more and is the reason I started gaming in the first place. I admired how smart she was, how vulnerable she was and how strong she was despite her history. The Take just has the movie POV of Lara, which I actually thought wasn't the best part of the franchise anyway.

[@Aleksandr017]

It’s incredible how the moment the female character does something out of line of a “regular girl”, she’s suddenly all masculine. Like, isn’t it what feminism should be about - giving the empowerment for women to do what they please without people pointing fingers? Also, the games rarely focused on her breasts, the marketing department was, it seems, full of teenage boys 🤦‍♂️ Just a note, I fully agree with the OP, just saying 😁

[@leahmarie112]

Lara was one of my biggest heroines growing up. I loved her and saw that woman can do what men do. Yeah she was beautiful but actually...young me just saw a badass adventurer. I learned how to do a french braid because of her. So, sorry I guess for being a woman who liked her?

[@mbanerjee5889]

Why is being "sexy" considered a male fantasy? Is it so wrong for girls to also want to be desirable? I’m not saying you can’t be both feminine and bad ass but seems that nowadays “wanting to look good” is somehow considered anti-feminist. A good example is Bayonetta who is super oversexualized. But many don’t consider a Bayonetta feminist hero because of all the focus on her looks/body (even though the games pass the Bechdel Test). I didn’t care that Barbie’s proportions are unrealistic, I just thought she was pretty. Or I didn’t care that Mileena from MK was mostly naked, I just really liked pink back then. Being oversexualized or not being oversexualized should not impact whether a character (male or female) is a good role model. It is okay to want to have sexy characters regardless of your gender/orientation.

[@donovanjameson]

Amen!

[@jasminem812]

i think it's the lack of agency, as explained in the video, that makes it a male fantasy rather than an empowered sexy women

[@somebodyactually1490]

It's more because it's a character rather than a person. A person has the freedom to choose how they want to look. Sexy Characters are made for the specific purpose of being sexualized by their creators. Think of it as less "she wants to dress like that" and more of "someone picked all her outfits out"

[@nekokna]

being badass is doing what one wants and is needed who cares if guys think ithis is things guys want to do or not, things are things, and people do things,who cares what is done and the gender that does it!

[@miaellenjaen3680]

On top, she do it for herself, not for the others. She wants to feel good about herself.

[@hambone.fakenamington]

Man, that breakdown of that robot fight scene really explains why little 13 year old me was so grossed out through a lot of that movie. I remember knowing that, even though everyone was telling me how excited I should be for a badass female hero in her own action movie, I knew this movie wasn't made with me (a young girl) in mind, at all. Really that's when Lara changed, when she grew up as a character; when she began to be written as a character for everyone and anyone to enjoy, not just for the guys, and became a more believable action hero for it.

[@user-mb9nm7bq5e]

Hambone Fakenamington really cause as a young girl I saw that and was like "holy shit, that woman is strong enough to hold up a freaking robot".

[@hambone.fakenamington]

Bar San well... yeah. Interstingly enough, two totally different people can feel two totally different things despite watching the same movie. Wow, who knew? 😜 Sorry, just ribbing you a bit, don't mean to sound genuinely snarky. Seriously though, just because I had a certain experience doesn't mean you had to have the same experience, we aren't the same just because we belonged to similar demographic s. We felt different things and that's okay.

[@user-mb9nm7bq5e]

Hambone Fakenamington lol I know girl. I just feel like this video doesn't take into account how diverse the female and male demographics are (no shit lol, it's a 15 minute video, they can't explore everything). But my gay male friend says he loves the shower scene and was something he would imitate by himself, so to him it was more empowering and made him feel sexy and was not seeing Lara as an object. I'm just saying, as you pointed out, everyone is going to interpret Laura's scenes differently......which kind of nulls this video in a sense

[@hambone.fakenamington]

Bar San I understand what you're saying, but this I don't think it nullifies this video because this video is more about the 'Why of Lara' than the impact of the franchise of kids/whoever (kids love a lot of not great things anyways). It's about why she's been a victim of Male Gaze/sexual pandering as well as about how acknowledging those things helped the Tombraider franchise, and Lara, break out of those shackles and grow. They even give her props for being feminist for her time, but that doesn't mean everything holds up. Tons of things in media that we love, things that are classics and were normal (or even progressive) at release, can be looked at in retrospect as problematic or as in poor taste, but that doesn't need to lessen the impact, good or bad, it had on people in it's hayday. It just helps us progress and do it better the next time. Sorry, this was probably longer than I meant it to be. I'm just trying to best communicate my opinion so it's understood.

[@allykat5899]

Hambone Fakenamington that robot scene kinda reminds of a rape victim fighting against her rapist

[@hambone.fakenamington]

To the comments saying "Why not both? Why one or the other?" ... Did you even watch the video?

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

Yes. Said both.

[@dummythicccdave5834]

What's wrong with looking at both sides of a coin. Like they said she started mostly as a sex symbol but has developed into a strong female character therefore she is both. To look at only one side and judge is disingenuous

[@hambone.fakenamington]

David Delany ... Oh... Honey... Seriously? Did my comment really fly that far over your head?

[@dummythicccdave5834]

Hambone Fakenamington apparently it has so rather than give me a holier than thou reply, enlight me

[@hambone.fakenamington]

David Delany I was hoping you'd be able to re-read my original comment (maybe watch the video again because you also maybe missed the point) and deduce that for yourself but okay. By mocking that the people who are complaining about the 'either/or' question posed in the title, by pointing out that they failed to comprehend the video I'm pointing out that the video does indeed talk specifically about how she isn't one or the other, but has been on both sides of the coin.

[@annaschmitt6589]

Wait people saw the opening robot fight scene in a sexual way??? I am a female gamer who grew up watching tomb raider and playing it almost every day. And I always wanted to be like tomb raider and even star in action movies because she looked so cool and strong. And the fact that people say that a woman who is seeing as strong and physically fit, as being masculine have it all wrong. Tbh I kinda liked the character that she had a of a sexy yet strong woman vibe and the recent tomb raider reboots kinda suck cos it doesn't feel like Lara croft. It feels like developers and game designers are trying to not anger feminists. You could have made the same character but just don't call her Lara croft because it simply isn't her. End of rant

[@benhicks7652]

As a feminist and a man: the video suggests that not giving Lara a strong romantic subplot in TR1 was done to leave the door open for men in the audience to fantasize about filling that role themselves, thus catering to the male gaze. I can easily imagine, however, that if Lara were given a more pronounced romantic opposite in the film that someone might even more easily criticize TR1 for playing into the girl-needs-guy-to-be-complete romantic narrative trope with the man also serving as a standin for the male audience member's romatic/sexual fantasies. That strikes me as a bit of a lose-lose and was wondering whether there might be a third way forward that I'm not seeing. (Great videos by the way, ScreenPrism)

[@saraa.4295]

Intresting queation.. I thinknif she had more of a character, you could have a romantic story built on partnership, mutual values and have the love story as an afterstory... But again movies are about fantasies.. Question is for whom?

[@KyrinaSpellweaver]

I hate to comment before I finish (I'm sure I'll miss something that may counter it but it still feels important) but I seem to loathe the idea that some female characters are 'just male characters in female bodies.' While there needs to be more than just the silent badass protagonist, I see more of myself in them as a woman than when they introduce more traditionally feminine archetype characterisations to make them more than 'male characters in female bodies'. I'm a woman. My not really being traditionally girly in many ways is a trait (not saying a better trait than more traditionally feminine ones), and not one that makes me not a woman. I know it's not meant maliciously but it's something I've heard before when related to female characters and it's always rubbed me the wrong way. (issues with POV and how she's presented is separate and I can't get into without seeing all of the video).

[@kimaya4503]

I think the feminist movement's fear of being sexualized (because there is a difference between being sexualized and objectified) is also ultimately what ended up canning the phenomenon of Megan Fox, and is the reason why we have not had a real female sex symbol after her, which actually bothers me. Feminism SHOULD be about inclusion. It should be about excepting all kinds of women and finding unity as women despite our differences. It should not be about competing men, rejecting femininity or sexuality. All sorts of women should be openly embraced and represented. Loved this

[@littleiish]

What are you talking about, feminism nowadays is FULL with sexualization and objectification and is actually lacking in the "lets look a bit deeper into WHY we feel sexualizing ourselves is empowering if we are giving the patriarchy exactly what they want from us but sold in a way that makes us think we are in control when we absolutely arent" section.

[@kimaya4503]

@@littleiish This comment is four entire years old. My statement and your statement are not mutually exclusive. You could have just made your own comment apart from mine.

[@littleiish]

@Kimaya i didn't know it was 4 years old until later when i already sent the message, and indeed they are not mutually exclusive. i guess thats the beauty of feminism, the fact that you can have various different approaches and perspectives inside the movement

[@yingkouzen]

Thanks for acknowledging Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft.

[@djsuperpirate]

the sequels characterization of Lara didnt "ruin" its success, the first movie wasnt that great, so less people were interested in a sequel, your insights are not without merit, but your conclusions are in this instance

[@Hakajin]

I'm also wondering about how the different socio-economic context has affected media consumption in general.

[@stethespaniard2]

Not everything is symbolism. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar

[@NawiTheCore]

So if a woman has a voluptuous body she's automatically oversexualized? When did Lara DO anything in the games to back up this claim? The marketing campaigns and comics did depict Lara in an oversexualized manner, but the character itself was never shown in-game that way. She was just a curvy, athletic woman who loved archeology and exploring/raiding tombs. In other words the overesexualization of the characters was non-diagetic, which makes this whole discussion pointless. I take offense at the newer games in which developers claimed that making Lara's body less curvy and reducing the size of her breasts and hips is more realistic. As if curvy, voluptuous women didn't exist in real life. Thinking that Lara can't be both a feminist icon and a male fantasy is stupid. She IS both. She is a male fantasy for the way she looks, but she is a feminist icon for the things she does and the way she behaves. This shows the agency of the character of wanting to be more than a pretty thing to look at and that's what's really important. Saying that just because you look a certain way which appeals to heterosexual males, you can't be a hero or a feminist icon is a very offensive and mysoginistic statement.

[@iihh517]

Well they do say that she was a Trojan Horse feminist. And yeah, with all those sexy grunts, you can't say Lara Croft wasn't sexualized. And so what if she was? She's still an awesome character!

[@samz8691]

OH NO A FEMALE CHARACTER GRUNTS, not like Nathan Drake does that or anything

[@princessjello]

Did... You not watch the video?

[@marigoldwitch]

I wouldn't say she's "curvy" and "voluptuous" because she's not. She was originally created as a thin big breasted character. Having big breast doesn't = curvy and voluptuous. Actually video game Croft is severally disproportionate to most actual natural women's bodies. I'm excluding most women in Hollywood since plastic surgery doesn't count as nature (and neither does photoshop lol). Also no one ever said you can't be conventionally attractive and be a hero or feminist icon. And I would disagree that she (originally) behaved in a way that would make her a feminist icon. She behaved and acted like a man. She was created, as stated in the video, to be a man in a sexy woman's body. Not to say that sexy women can't act like men, or don't act like men, but that simply being a sexy woman who acts like a man doesn't make you a feminist icon. I still like her character despite her original flaws.

[@thisisntallowed9560]

1. Camera views focused on her body parts 2. Super thin with abnormal big boobs and big ass wearing sexy clothes

[@emmax9852]

I remember when the game came out, I avoided it because I figured she was a fantasy for guys and that's about it. It wasn't until one of my female friends told me more about it and recommended it to me that I played the game myself. I loved the series ever since. I liked playing as Lara and going on adventures. I really like the newest version of her though because she does look more like a real person. Whether she started as a fantasy or not, her game was one of the few at the time where you could be a female hero. It meant a lot to have her game series around.

[@joselocalau123]

i think she IS a feminist hero because she was a male fantasy, but still managed to sneak into the scene even being a woman

[@Fate2024]

JCV both

[@shane8791]

>No Makeup, Plain Clothes >Brusque, Strong, Assertive, Brave, Inquisitive The assertion that all of these are "male only" and being a "real woman" is mutually exclusive to those traits... Is some of the most regressive and misogynistic talk I have ever heard from Screenprism. I would expect to hear this from Red Pillers. Not Feminists.

[@GabbyTarrant]

What a load of garbage. Modern feminist crap. This character is THE REASON I grew up wanting to be a strong, independent woman. There’s nothing wrong with a fictional character being sexy OR having a more sensitive side to her. She showed young women that they could do what the boys could do. She’s an absolute icon. I have nothing but positive memories of her character.

[@TwinAquarius484]

I figured that a lack of a romantic interest would be more feminist than male fantasy. Good video

[@xTLtokio]

What I see is that feminists want love interests, we just don't want to be the only focus on it and female characters to be just a love interest.

[@miche8868]

maybe love interests are more in the female fantasy?

[@bernitakt1437]

Michelle F The "love interest" is also present in male fantasy stories as James Bond, Fast&Furious or Transformers, but in this cases the main character/action hero is a guy and the sub-plot appeals to the male audience.

[@xTLtokio]

Michelle F I do agreed that love interests is a more female fantasy with fandom and shipping couples, etc, for the male fantasy like Bernita KT mention, is the typical womanizer kind thing.

[@FlymanMS]

How about she's a female Indiana Jones adaptation for video games minus witty one liners? Also, there were action heorines and strong willed females way before Tomb Raider video games and (not so good) movie adaptations. Ripley from Alien(s) for example. So saying that because of Lara Croft we got action oriented females in the movies is a bit of exageration.

[@skellymom]

YES! Thank you! Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor. I also enjoyed Vasquez from Aliens.

[@wallacyryan8211]

It's very interesting how many gays also love Lara Croft

[@ssaquiettraveler]

The old video games and movies are sexist fantasies. Lara is the ultimate role model. The camera angles and perspectives are all indicative of the artists, not the character. Who Lara is, like any other woman, is not dependent on the people looking at her. That's like reducing a woman to the cat calls she gets forced on her. Let's focus for a moment on her own actions instead. Lara is confident, unapologetic, and fearless. She is absolutely brilliant and uses her immense knowledge of history/culture to solve problems. She is continuously saving herself from dangerous situations by quick, creative thinking. She is a natural leader (as demonstrated by all of the people throughout the various iterations that end up on her team) that uses loyalty and compassion to achieve success. She manages to make tough decisions in spite of emotions that she still fully experiences as opposed to bottling up. She is athletic and puts time into training. She takes the time to plan before simply reacting. All of these things are certainly something I looked up to and continue to admire. She's an incredibly complex character. This video should have been more appropriately titled "How the Male Gaze Influences our Perception".

[@jdzspace33]

ok, there is a LOT to unpack here. Let me start off by saying this is a wonderfully put together video, and i completely understand why you came to the conclusions that you did. But i feel like you were taking the bits you showed and sort of finessed them to fit the thesis you wanted to support. First of all, it's inaccurate to say Lara was created to be the ultimate male fantasy. I won't argue that is how it worked out, but the reason her female attributes were "exaggerated" as you put it (correctly by the way), is because of the graphics of the time. So they had to exaggerate the female attributes (hair, hips, butt , chest) so that it was clear she was female. It has literally nothing to do with "male gaze" or "ultimate male fantasy". But i see where you got that from. After that there is the matter of her backstory in the movie with her father, it wasn't created to make her look vulnerable, if you had no exposure to the game, i get why you came to that conclusion. But there was always an air of mystery about her past and her family, as you pointed out, it isn't made clear. So they used that to jump start the plot of the first movie. That again, has more to do with plot than gender. I think some may find offense in the language you used, how in order for Lara to be a badass, she has to be a man. So any woman who isn't super into pink and overtly girly can't be a badass? I think there are many many women serving in the armed forces who would beg to differ. They are not "trying to be non threatening by being a man", this is how many many strong women are. I feel like you put too much of an importance on your personal view of femininity. A woman is entitled to act however she feels comfortable, she doesn't have to act like a pretty princess, and she doesn't have to act like a tomboy, she can act however she chooses, that does not mean you should label her as "man like" or "feminine" since your view on femininity is not definitive nor it is authoritative. I agree with her being sexualized in the movie, the character is (for lack of a better word given it's a digital character) a sex symbol. That is part of the draw of the movie, so i get it. Not saying it's right or wrong, it just is what it is. But the "single and chaste" portion of your video i found very problematic (i hate that word), a woman who does the things that Lara does simply doesn't have time for a relationship, that's how she is portrayed in all of the games. and as a matter of fact so are her male contemporaries, including he whom she was based on (Indiana Jones), you can't say the same for Nathan Drake (for all intents and purposes her successor). But how is making her too busy, and too independent for a relationship make more any more or less desirable? Every single "hot" woman in movie history has had a long story mostly hamfisted into the story, has it made them any less desirable to men? any less popular? I feel like this part has more to do with opinion than any form or objective fact. But again, i can see how if you were trying to make the argument that the pieces are all there for you pick up and use as you see fit. and saying she is like a child, she is an heiress, with a butler and guy who yes, fits the brother mold. But you use that to paint her as a child, which is odd. Because how she acts is indistinguishable from how heirs and heiress act in real life. Are they all just children? Sure, it might be fun to say that. But is it really fair to take this view and use it as valid criticism for Lara when she does more than any real life heir/heiress despite still having some of their traits. This has more to do with the character, in fact a lot of the criticism you leveled at her and used as evidence of her being "child like" or even "male like", has more to do with her being rich, the arrogance, independence etc. etc. But you don't even mention through the entire video how being rich and being alone for most of her adolescents might make the character act that way. Instead you put the onus fully on men and the male gaze instead of looking into how the character was developed. That isn't fair, and it kind of ignores the men and women who have spent decades developing that character. The sexual allegories in the first movie, i can honestly say i never noticed them. Granted i have only seen the movie once or twice. But again, i see where you got that from, but i guarantee you that unless you go into the movie looking for them, very few if any got that out of what was at it's core a popcorn, silly action movie. Much like the male driven movies of the 80s. But we'll just have to agree to disagree on that point. as a man and a lifelong gamer and movie lover, i find a little bit dishonest that you place the failures of the 2nd tomb raider movie on Lara being more "awakened" as you put it. As someone who was looking forward to the original when it came out, I was looking forward to it because video game movies sucked up that point in cinematic history. The best one to that point was Mortal Kombat, I wanted to see a good one, was desperate to see my favorite past time on the big screen done right. THAT was a HUGE draw to the first movie. The second one? Well come on, how many sequels in general do as well as their originals? How many sequels aren't HUGE monetary let downs from their originals. Hell the last Jedi lost 350 million compared to the the force awakens. Is that a commentary on sexism? or is it just when something is new and exciting people want to see it. second time around, it has to be special or it falls out. Lara was no different as the thousands of other sequels with the RARE exceptions of Godfather II, Terminator 2 and Empire Strikes Back. and in closing, for the record, as a male and as a gamer, I never saw cradle of life. Haven't to this day, i learned more about that movie in your video than i have from it's release until now. So I think putting it's failure on the factors you did is a bit heavy handed, unprovable, and at the end of the day presuming since you are breaking down a movie (for most of the video) that you are familiar with the medium and the history of such. The concepts of sequels almost always falling short of the original should be a part of the conversation without having insidious and sexist spins. That being said, I understand how you came to the conclusions you did. and you have just as much rights to your views as i do mine. While i vehemently disagree with them, I understand that your video was not for me in any regard. But I just wanted to say my piece. Well done video, and like i said, you saw things in the movie that I never saw. I'm sure you are not the only ones who saw it, I'm not going to say there isn't anything to that. But i think a lot of the criticism you have can be placated by simply trying to understand the character and her creation without looking for sexism as the answer. But to each their own. I respect your opinions and views and am impressed with how you put them together and laid them out, i guess we will just have to agree to disagree. all the best, and here's a like :)

[@franciscoancer2618]

Wow, reading all of that hurts my eyes, but I agree with you. Not everything about a woman (whether it’s an advantage or disadvantage) has to do with their sexuality.

[@jdzspace33]

@@franciscoancer2618 yeah, sorry about that. That was back before I learned about concision .

[@elisebech7549]

lol I love Lara's personality and I think it's weird that she don't get to be carefree and adventures without that being seen as a male fantasy. I get the camera angle and stuff, but Batman also has a butler that takes care of him. Yet with Lara having a butler it makes her "child like"??? Also suddenly it's good that she doesn't have a love interest but in the old movies it's bad??? It sounds like you're twisting facts about the movie to fit your perspective

[@qwertyugzb]

Elise Bech Absolutely agree, isn't it kind of sexist to say that girls are supposed to act girlish even if they're thrust into an environment where that would force them to be seen as sexual or get them killed. Sidenote: Batman is commonly considered to have a child-like mindset in the Dark Knight and some comic series before he becomes Batman. Just look at Lego Batman; that didn't spring out of nothing.

[@SweetChildofMine-l5y]

THANK YOU ELISE! At least someone knows what they talking about. (But what about the ''camera angle''? What do you mean?)

[@atomnous]

Elise Bech Agree. Even masculine men have weak spots especially in films or storytelling in general. Strong character doesn't have to be strong all the time. Especially nowadays, I think even male superheroes have their soft and childish sides. Probably true for all humans.

[@NotAnotherKuromi]

Yeah men like Indians Jones & 007 get to be spontaneous & adventurous because they are fun men, yet in their twisted view when it is a woman this must be child like. Having an older adult care about you doesn't make you weak, it shows you are emotionally healthy to build stable platonic relationships. You are right this entire video was twisted bias. Ironic it ended up being so mysoganistic considering it was trying so hard to be feministic.

[@marigoldwitch]

I think the difference is that Bruce Wayne had a whole backstory that the audience is repeatedly reminded of in pretty much every film, comic, show etc about him. We know that Alfred's role is much more than a butler (he became a surrogate father for Bruce) thanks to the extensive backstory of Bruce. Alfred is also an important character throughout the Batman series. We know about him, his backstory, his likes and interests. We know nothing about Lara's butler or why he's so significant to the plot (or even if it's important that he's even there.) Ask yourself, if we took out all the scenes with Lara interacting with her butler would it severally impact the plot of the movie at all? Or is his character there to remind audiences that Lara needs someone else (particularly a man) to help take care of herself? Yes Alfred takes care of Bruce and looks out for him but we know why he does this and their relationship is explored beyond an employer/employee perspective.

[@user-mb9nm7bq5e]

Im sorry, but i really dosagree with your point if view. Lara croft is a female fantasy. Not just a male fantasy.

[@CanzambaGraphy]

I think they know this, some how they just cant tell that they just dont like as the nowadays producers

[@PatrickHogan]

But what if feminist heroes are my male fantasy?

[@Ninja07Keaton]

So long as they aren't 3rd wave, your male fantasy is perfectly fine.

[@sloanekella6385]

Ninja07Keaton 3rd wave all the way

[@ellymellyvids]

Like so much 3rd wave feminist diatribe, this is a bit overthought. As a pretty average straight female game player who was a teenager when Tomb Raider 1 came out, it was such a relief to have a fun, action female in the gaming industry. Girls wanted to be her because she isn't the PC, wishy-washy resume we're told we should admire. Some of like looking good - going on adventures - being bad asses - raiding tombs for the heck of it (okay so most of us can't do that last one). She's part of a long line of strong women from the late 90's which taught girls like me that we can occupy male roles whilst still being women. It's no secret why she was and still is popular. Besides, you can't tell me Indiana Jones wasn't a sexualised character.

[@SanguinaryBlade]

She always seemed to me to be very much in control of her sexuality; she was never a victim of it. Certainly isn't anything wrong with that.

[@JEllis-gf9vv]

Ew I hate critical thinking amiright

[@NotAnotherKuromi]

It's not overthought it's a bias review with an obviouse agenda. It is almost laughable that they are saying the lense is mysoganistic while simultaneously saying her attributes must be male bacause she is strong, confident & capable!

[@LauraM-kr9wv]

Male heroes in video games are a different thing, every study has shown that the average woman isn't a fan of overly-muscular men, but other men love it. They're designed to appeal to what men wish they were, not what women want to look at.

[@ajeetalbert91]

Thank you!

[@lauragueorguieva]

I think your analysis is far fetched. If you think having a butler is making Lara a child then James Bond having Q or M makes him a child since they provide for his every need and he follows their direction. Is Batman girlish for not overcoming his childhood issues? If she had a love interest (and it is innuended that she has a free sexuality which is pretty feminist) you would say that that bellitles her because she needs a man to be fullfilled. Moreover, she is not a tomboy, she wears dresses if she has to. I'm a womanly woman and I wear sports gear if I have to climb mountains (WHICH SHE DOES ALL THE TIME). Her gameplay in the game and the movie is not masculine. Yes she shoots guns, but how backwards do you have to be to say that only manly women can enjoy guns? and all the gameplay is based on agility, which was rarely the case at the time and is generally concieved to be a feminine characteristics. There are lots of other problems with your analysis, which is very superficial, but I'll finish on this. Boys had crushed on Lara, but girls had crushed on Lara too. Her sexyness doesn't come from her big boobs but because she is badass. She made little girls want to be just as badass, like other characters as Xena or Starbucks. Wearing confortable gear and fighting doesn't mean you are a boy, it means that you can be confortable AND sexy and don't refrain from agressive pulsions.

[@HealthyObbsession]

Ok yeah I get what your saying but why do I have to be feminine to show that I’m a good female role model I’m not super girly I never have been but your telling us that if we don’t put forth the effort of makeup and more feminine attire we are just playing into the male fantasy but what it that’s just our personalities And the whole thing with her dad it’s a plot device to get the ball rolling And god forbid a women walk around in her own home in her pjs that keep her covered but not like some chaste virgin just comfortable I guess she should have slapped on a pound of makeup before checking out the mysterious noise in her house Look I love your vids a lot but this one is definitely my least favorite Yes the games are over sexualized but as they came out in the 90’s graphics sucked compared to now But just because the character of Lara Croft is some ‘perfect’ male fantasy doesn’t mean she isn’t a great role model for young women and girls I watched these films while I was in middle school I was very painfully shy but watching Angelina kick ass and and still get a guy while not looking like one of the Sex in the City ladies that my sisters loved to emulate I finally felt like I found someone I could look up to to an extent Lara Croft might not be the most delicately feminine attired or attitude female in the world but she still has layers she has vulnerability like all humans but to say it’s bad because it’s her father that makes her vulnerable this feels like this way of thinking comes from people who possibly have never been physically or emotionally abandoned by a parental figure She clearly has not memory of her mother and was raised by a rugged father figure whom she clearly looked up but also who died while she was still very much a child It would make total sense that she would emulate a more rough and tumble way of living she’s a tomb raider of Pete’s sakes I know this in film or game canon but in the novelizations of the films she worked with mercenaries on different occasions If anything she is like a female James Bond Only difference is sure she doesn’t have 00 status and that she doesn’thave to be one of the Sex in the City ladies always talking about every single sexual conquests she’s ever had Look I’m all for women talking about sex openly but I’m also for talking about It smartly there are some people who you shouldn’t trust with everything in your life I haven’t had the opportunity to watch the latest Lara Croft though really looking Forward to it Alicia is an amazingly talented actress

[@Beatness121]

Okay so this is a small thing but... can we please say "heterosexual male fantasy" instead of just "male fantasy"? Because my male fantasy is definitely more Daniel Craig than Angelina Jolie...

[@brownkv081]

Maybe we need to change that too, I'm hetrosexual and my male fantasy is more piquerist than Angelina Jolie, but I would love to see what drains out of her lips, if I just had a nail, coat hanger and a sound proof basement, I could make her sing a beautiful melody.

[@dodgetrooper698]

brownkv081 ......

[@iihh517]

OH GOD. They are clearly talking about the average male fantasy. Homosexuality is what? 0.05% of all males?

[@Beatness121]

iih thanks for being the perfect example of heteronormative culture! There are way more people who don't fit into heterosexuality than you think.

[@iihh517]

Beatness What? 1-5% of the population? lol Either way, I am gay myself and i think heteronormative is a dumb word. Heterosexuality will always be the majority. Deal with it. PS Of course gay people should and can demand for equal rights if they are being mistreated. But being upset that they aren't the norm/average is silly. Do you care about disabled people? Are you gonna start claiming how this world is able-bodied normative? Probably not, because it doesn't affect you.

[@alcaulique8358]

I must say a major BRAVO here. It's been a long time since I had not seen such a temperate (which, coming from a swiss guy, is a compliment) analysis on a male/female relation. As always with you, AWSOME! Lara Croft is a great metaphor of the whole video game industry, starting a bit rough on the edges (not speaking about her tits :/ ) to go to something deeper and less stereotypical. Great job!

[@PhilipPetrunak]

Fuck this noise. The biggest fan of Tomb Raider I ever met was a girl back in high school. She loved LK. She grew up to be roofer. A woman need not be "feminine" to be a great role model for young girls.

[@mustache26]

You girls should make a video essay on Spring Breakers (2013) !

[@IzzieCookiestar]

Prefer the new games and the new Lara or the old games and old Lara but one thing I particularly hate is how bad they're talking about the old games and the old representation of Lara in the games and the two previous movies with Angelina Jolie. Just because her proportions in the game were not realistic at the time (where no game hardly ever featured a character model that was "realistic" due to technical limitations and far smaller budgets for the gaming industry) and just because Angelina Jolie has rather big breasts does not mean she wasn't a strong, independent and complex character. Even though Eidos (the publisher of the older games) often advertised the character of Lara Croft in sexist ways that were common at the time to boos sales her appearance never even once was relevant to the gameplay or cutscenes of the games. Never did Lara Croft use her looks to get closer to an artifact and never was the focus in the games on her looks or appearance. For me, a little girl that loved video games but was stuck with mostly white overly muscular male protagonists to play in games it was such an amazing moment to first play a tomb raider game. For that moment I believed a girl could achieve anything a man can and I loved exploring those lush environments and dark tombs filled with traps and treasures. I never even bothered about her appearance and only started wondering about her body proportions when all the boys around me immaturely started sexualizing her for her looks while for me she just was a badass heroine (that yes... just happens to have large boobs). The gameplay was absolutely suitable for it's time and aside from the bugs and issues that the "Angel of Darkness" game had I never disliked any of the games or the representations of Lara Croft because she was never the problem in this whole discussion. It was all those people sexualizing her for no good reason. She was a determined, intelligent and adventurous character that I still enjoy to play. And I also liked her movies and think Angelina has made a decent job in portraying her. I fondly remember those movies as the last big adventure movies before the whole GCI blockbuster era began. No matter if you like the plot or not you can't deny that those movies had amazing real sets and stunning effects for their time. That greek underwater temple alone that they built for roughly 10 minutes of screen time and then actually flooded with real water that didn't come out of the computer looked stunning in the second film, while the new movie looks horrible to be honest. And I have to disagree with a few points you made. Never ever have I gotten the feeling that this movies puzzles and temples were a symbol for sexual awakening. And her wearing a dress and embracing her feminine side and thus growing as a character to be more complex suddenly is a bad thing while also criticizing her for being too much of a tomboy... ? And that "sexy CPR" that she performed on Daniel Craigs character was... was just CPR... there was nothing sexualized about her locking lips with him in that scene so YOU actually wanted to see that as something sexual. And yes, Lara Croft is mostly portrayed as a single woman but why not? Even if some sexist little pricks can now easier identify as her boyfriend or whatever I think we shouldn't rob her of her independence just because that would turn off some sexist turds. And even in the games there was a character which should've become her romantic partner. He was called Kurtis Trent and appeared in The Angel of Darkness. So even in the games Lara naturally evolved and opened up to men or friends in general. And in the movies Lara never actually wears any too revealing outfits (bc many people say she just looks too oversexed in the movies). If I wanted to join that ridiculous conversation in which we shame and judge women for their choice of clothing I would even say that the tank top in this movie is much more revealing that the black shirts Angelina wore in the first movie and the white T-shirt she mostly wears in the second film.And I get how unnecessary sexist some camera angles and the whole shower scene were but those are just a few flaws in my mind. The couldn’t have done it so much worse and me who’s been called a tomboy for all my life for my hobbies, interests and appearance were pretty happy to see her character represented that way bc she’s always been so. Even if her character was written that way to appeal to a male audience the way you described, I still found myself in this character which really made me happy. Especially bc not many movie characters went that lane back in the day. Ellen Ripley from the alien franchise and Sarah Connor from Terminator were two other examples but that’s it I think. Other than them female characters were mostly girly girls so I was really lucky to feel represented. But yes, I agree… in general I think strong women should also be portrayed in more „female“ ways to send a message that in order to be strong you don’t need to rob yourself of your femininity. And going back to the games... I actually I find the new Lara to be a step back... I mean she looks beautiful and has a really realistic physique but aside from that... it seems like she's the most dependent and weakest character in a video game. Her lust for adventure is basically absent since she's basically thrown in in all those locations, constantly screams and coughs while being thrown from yet another cliff and overall she mostly doesn't even want to be on this journey. She only seems to be motivated on cleaning her father's name and does everything just because she has those massive issues with him. Sadly that does not give her character depth but robs her of the free spirited, adventurous character that made the old Lara so amazing. Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series can go explore old temples and stunning places because he simply wants to but the new Lara just lives and acts for her father or because she unwillingly is trapped in a situation, on an island or a siberian military base... The older games also depicted her relationship with her parents but did so in a very sophisticated way that gave her more depth while still letting her be her own damn self. Her father's previous work mostly guided her on her own journey while the new Lara doesn't seem to have one. And her being younger in the new games is not an excuse. Oh, and Nathan Drake is allowed to age... why not Lara?? They could've included some passages where you play her as her younger self like they did in the old games or how uncharted did but sadly I think this is one of many steps back in a way more shallow and superficial direction of making the new Lara a young, beautiful but shallow empty shell that all those sexist boys that used to zoom the camera in on the old Lara's body can now throw from cliff to cave while she coughs, screams, cries and doesn't seem to enjoy a bit of the story or journey she's on. But hey... that doesn't matter anyway bc basically we're constantly reminded that it's not her journey anyway but her father's. I understand wanting to go a new direction with yet another reboot and thus changing her to be younger but like I mentioned I think it's only an excuse to profit on her being shown vulnerable, young and beautifully covered in dirt with her tank top being all ripped and shit *sigh*... So no... I don't think the new Lara is the "independent strong and deep character" that we're finally getting after two decades we had to spend with the old one. I think the old one was simply an intelligent, witty, sarcastic, determined, adventurous, curious, mature archeologist in her early 40s that made me a little german girl that grew up with very few women to look up to believe that I could be as awesome, independent and strong like her. So... that's my story with Lara Croft now go on and enjoy this sunny Saturday.

[@gilgamesh310]

It isn’t sexist to admire the beautiful female body.

[@Piccadally]

Du hast einfach genau meine Ansicht super ausführlich beschrieben und auf den Punkt genau getroffen. Die neue Lara ist schon fast langweilig und hat absolut nichts mehr mit der Lara Croft von früher zu tun. Die Reboot games sind okay für die Art von Spiel, die sie sein wollen, aber es sind keine Tomb Raider Spiele und werden es auch nie sein. Was ist dein lieblings Tomb Raider Teil? :)

[@Piccadally]

I grew up with the classic Tomb Raider games and I absolutely loved Lara because she was so cool. She was this great adventurer who could take on anyone and was so incredibly intelligent, spoke multiple languages (even the 'dead' ones), knew basically everything about history and that's why I always wanted to be like her. And I'm just gonna say it: I don't like the 'new' Lara as much as the 'OG' Lara. Because I don't think that Lara, as a character for an adventure platformer game, needs a completely fleshed out 'How did she become so strong and independent?' game. The reboot games were great, don't get me wrong, bur they weren't really Tomb Raider for me anymore. It's the concept of Tomb Raider and the gameplay that always stood out to me. That Lara Croft just happens to be a badass is, in my opinion, just a huge bonus. Also, to the point of making her appear more masculine, I honestly think that was just the case in the movie. When you look at some of the cutscenes in the game you can clearly see that she does act the part of a 'Lady Croft', no matter how much she can kick ass a few moments later. Besides, I never really cared about the fact that she was oversexualised, because, in retrospective, I think it was great to have a 'hot' woman be very strong physically, intelligent and independent in her adventures. Maybe it appeals the male fantasy, but I'd much prefer men having fantasies of the Lara Crofts of the world, than thinking that hot women are just stupid, easy to get bimbos (as still is the case for quite a few men out there).

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

Which is it? Like Xena and Dana Scully, she is both. We don't ask this question with hot guys being heroes of a non-chauvinist nature. Also, this essay is clearly framed in straight context. What about the views of ladies who drool over ladies? Or guys who love guys and love this character because their male fantasy is framed differently? What about this essay question in terms of bi women who seem to have a lot of hobbies guys can like? Also, it is not like any straight woman is like this character in real life (SARCASM). This essay has a very hetero sexist view.

[@MarkHogan994]

Why not both ? Why can't a feminist hero be a male fantasy as well ? Wonder Woman is both. Can't a woman be a strong, independent, intelligent person AND someone men find attractive ? How is it contradictory ? It isn't. You can be physically attractive and still have all sorts of other qualities that women can look up to. And some men find the combination of beauty with brains and strength to be even more enticing. This is a false dichotomy.

[@GloomGaiGar]

Um...yes? You watched the whole thing before commenting right?

[@abraham3673]

Dude, did you even watch the video?

[@samz8691]

Yeah I did, I agree with Mark

[@RamblingSailors]

Oh, this is so very close to all right, but.... See, part of the problem is than it is IN NO WAY okay to have a female heroine that is unpleasing to the eye. Pretty is a large part of male video game action heroes, but for female video game avatars it is absolutely required, de rigeur, a deal breaker if she's not. And before you say Thor, let me just say- Mario.

[@jsaav5848]

You don't have to be a feminist to be a hero to women.

[@sivula17]

I'm 24 now and I literally grew up playing tomb raider games. The impact they had on me was huge and I even wanted to be an archaeologist. At the time I had no idea about the way Lara was seen by others but to me she was a role model. I love those games

[@neosoontoretro]

I think it’s about time we get rid of this notion that there is such a thing as acting like a man. Lara Croft may a male fantasy but she was ahead her time in the sense that her personality wasn’t restricted by gender stereotypes. Character traits like bravery, stoicism, bluntness, should not be only manifest in the male form. If pop culture is to view as human beings with diverse, well rounded personalities then femininity can’t be synonymous with womanhood.

[@nunanana7]

I as female, I Disagree 2:25. It's not just male trail. Women can be strong, without makeup, few words and still be feminen. Not necessarily tomboy. Not all female/female Athlete use makeup or like wear dresses in rl. Lara is badass, cool, strong and fit. I looked up for as teenager. She's only character in the game that is acrobatic, which I love about Lara. I don't like new Lara soft and realistic. Game character doesn't have to be that real.

[@rockerguy9683]

In my opinion, this is completely wrong and written from a biased point of view. Let me explain why. Let's start with the beginning of Lara Croft. The first game was made back when gaming consoles were far weaker than today, so character models were oftenly downright riddiculous, as seen with Lara's breasts. This, however, became a sort of a joke that "Lara has huge breasts" in the gaming community, as it was mainly a guy thing back then. I'm not going to deny the fact that there were those who played the game only because of that, but those are a minority. The main appeal of the first Tomb Raider game was the prospect of making myths real and blending them in with the real world. Every gamer alive loves a good adventure and exploration game, and that is the main reason why Lara Croft was such a hit. Most of the biggest hits in gaming are games based around mythology: Tomb Raider, God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Prince of Persia, Assassin's Creed, etc. They all have roots somewhere in mythology and are centered around exploring them or being a part of them. And the Tomb Raider franchise is no different. Proof of that is TR - The Angel of Darkness, which strayed from mythology and ancient tombs into a more urban setting, and that landed it as the worst selling Tomb Raider game of its time. With Legend, the series was revived, and the reboot of the original game as TR: Anniversary, along with the sequel connecting Legend and Anniversary, TR: Underworld, really brought all the original hype of the game back. Mind you that only in Angel of Darkness was Lara portrayed as "vulnerable", which I personally hated and was annoyed by it. But when Lara became a badass again in the 3 following games, I really enjoyed them. One thing I'd also like to point out, as you keep mentioning her as a purposely sexualized character, is that as the games and technologies progressed, Lara's breast size got smaller. Now, I'm not denying that she does have large breasts, but I've seen girls irl with an even more "feminine" figure than Lara in let's say Legend (smaller waist and/or bigger breasts, since those are your key points in her portrayal), so she's far from being portrayed unrealistically since the technology allows for it. And I highly doubt you could say her costumes are revealing anything they shouldn't be. That's as far as the games are concerned. Now for the movies. The biggest issue with the movies is not how Lara is portrayed, although it is a contributing factor. No, the biggest issue is the same issue as with the Angel of Darkness game, especially in the second movie. There isn't enough tomb raiding. When you have a title such as "Tomb Raider", you expect to see tomb raiding as the main theme. And the first movie somewhat captured it, but the second one failed. It's the same as with Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides. You wanted to see pirates, battles and pirates doing pirate stuff. Instead we got the humiliation of Jack Sparrow, a few sailing scenes and lots of island exploration. But even that isn't the biggest issue in my opinion. The absolute biggest issue is that the Tomb Raider movies have no connection to their original content, the games. And that's understandable, since it's impossible to transfer an entire game's worth of content into a movie, without it lasting too long. Every time a game is turned into a movie, the movie fails. And the Tomb Raider franchise is simply a franchise known and loved for its gameplay and ideas. The games created a huge hype which the movies could not match up to, because movies are costly to produce and noone would watch a 6+ hour long movie unless they were maniacs for the franchise. And let's be honest, if we were to trh and the the "smallest" of the last 3 games, Anniversary, you'd need at least a 4 hour movie to encapsulate it all. So you see, the reason Lara Croft was so popular and why the second movie did worse than the first isn't because of Lara's portrayal. It had a certain say in the matter, for sure, but the main reason for all of that is what the game is at its core. It's a game combining fantasy, puzzles, action, mystery and tomb raiding, and putting all of that into a "realistic" world. That is why Lara Croft is so popular.

[@soldier4242]

Is it automatically anti-feminist for a to be sexy? I am sincerely asking. Whenever someone is trying to point out a character as anti-feminist often the first point of evidence they will look to is whether or not the character is sexually desirable. Is sexual desirability a line you cannot cross if you want to be egalitarian?

[@adrianghandtchi1562]

Thank you ms.jolie

[@DQNPRSN]

To answer the question posed in the title, I’m gonna say both.

[@Shockguey]

A male fantasy can't be a feminist hero according to patriarchy theory.

[@DQNPRSN]

Well I don’t subscribe to that theory, so I couldn’t care less.

[@Moscato_Moscato]

Isaac Asimov well that’s if you only see the first iterations if Croft as the only iterations...future ones became more feminist like

[@Shockguey]

*Deebo Molina* Well then that puts into question "how far can an adaptation go before the only thing that ties it to the original is the name?" There were plenty of adventure games released at the time of the first games but what put Tomb Raider at the forefront was the sexualization of the main character. When they desexualized her the games didn't sell as well. If history repeats, the same will apply to this film. Honestly Tomb Raider (2018) looks like Rogue One - Star Wars.

[@SweetChildofMine-l5y]

Both, eh? Explain, i'm curious to your reasoning.

[@blaze556922]

Why can't she be both like Black Widow or Rey? Think about it. Natasha is just a Russian Lara Croft.

[@Shockguey]

Feminism opposes patriarchy theory, Male fantasy is patriarchal in nature as it advances gender norms. You cannot have both, pick one.

[@blaze556922]

That is a very naive take on things. I guess you don't think someone can be both good looking and intelligent by that logic. You can have both. Only fools lump things into a single category that can't be evolved or improved upon. Open your mind and change your thinking. That is part of the problem.

[@MarkHogan994]

Yeah, or Wonder Woman. Or Scarlet Witch. Or Nakia in Black Panther. There are lots of examples of strong women who are also attractive.

[@blaze556922]

That is a great example Mark. I was thinking of women who aren't literally godesses but she is the perfect example of a female empowerment and every man's fantasy :)

[@MarkHogan994]

+Isaac Asimov I'm sorry to say this but you honestly sound like a massive idiot. You're saying it's impossible for a woman to be strong, intelligent and beautiful at the same time, which is in itself sexist. You're also denying that strength and intellect are attractive qualities. And what's your point honestly ? That men aren't allowed to have fantasies ? Are we not allowed to be attracted to women ? You need to grow up and start using your brain more.

[@thembanitheone]

Daenerys Targaryen is more feminine?? I don't know what exactly you define as distinctly "feminine" traits but Daenerys regularly displays bravado, belligerence and a certain sexual assertiveness that's commonly only displayed by the male characters on that show. If machismo can be considered as a form of masculinity that emphasises its own domination and power without regard for consequences or responsibility then congratulations I'm sure you'll find that Daenerys is the most aggressively manly character in game of thrones. Sorry Screenprism.. I usually agree with much if not all of your commentaries but that Daenerys statement in particular was just egregious. 😅

[@NotAnotherKuromi]

I think it's sexist to say those traits are masculine in the first place but if they are playing into stereotypes then this video makes even less sense. If a man is adventurous, inquisitive & brave it is strength but for a woman it is childish, what the hell?! Maybe they meant because Daenerys wears make up & a dress?! As that is what they seem to think femaninity is. Of course while masculinity is all other positive attributes!

[@hanaamasalmeh1906]

I think your comment really highlights how difficult it is to talk about concepts like “masculinity” or “femininity” because each country, each culture, and heck, each PERSON has such a different idea of what that means. Especially with high fantasy like Game of Thrones, which is a mashup of very different cultural ideas, everyone brings their own idea of what femininity or masculinity mean in that context. That being said, I find it worthwhile to keep these discussions going because they remind us not to get stuck in our own isolated ways of thinking.

[@lostinthestorywithjeremymi9385]

"A lady should be modest." (God I hate that line.)

[@thehightable5995]

I really like more from Alicia's version of the charecter. Mostly because the movie is based upon the 2013 reboot. Which in my non-important opinion, is much better than previous games, becuase of its great story, setting and gameplay and turned Lara into a real action hero. She is not a sex symbol. She is gorgeous, but her take on Lara reminds a little about Sarah Connor, not really caring about her appearence and much more about the dangers that follow her. Great video girls. You could consider talking about some video games. The Last of Us, Uncharted, all of them have great stories and compelling charecters and would great having you talking about them.

[@hambone.fakenamington]

O Mestre Das Artes Místicas Sarah Conner is a great comparison for the new Lara. Definitely some strong connections there and honestly, when writing a female action hero, Sarah Conner is one of the greatest examples to take inspiration from. What an awesome character.

[@thehightable5995]

Hambone Fakenamington Yes. Thank you.

[@tony_starch]

Oh I would love if they made a video on Uncharted The Lost Legacy

[@Monichanz]

Sadly, they erase Sam in the movie, i do hope there at least a female friend around her age (where is SAMMMMMM)

[@bromthyrant3391]

the 2013 reboot is NOT better than previous games, they just copy the Uncharted franchise but with way worse dialogue and shallow characters PD: Amy Hennig is a genius

[@Elizabeth-mf3dn]

I love Lara Croft! I always loved her figure I thought she was so pretty. And I think she’s a badass! I like how her father encouraged her to stop the evil men invading the tomb instead of treating her like a fragile flower I hated how they forced romance on her. I liked how she was a lone wolf, I thought they were just trying to be more commercial or provide more fan service 🙄 I just wanna see her kick lots of ass!

[@stoneoffarel]

I loved her. I could relate to her tomboy persona and she was just plain bad ass!

[@NatoShinobi]

stoneoffarewell absolutely!!!!

[@jjwebster1]

Watching this video in 2021 it's shocking how the narrator peddles in classic stereotypes and makes crtisism based on a highly prejudice view of what constitutes male and female behaviour. I find it shocking that the narrator sees being tough as a male attribute which disempowers women as it says you can't be a woman and be tough without losing your sense of being a woman. This video is a good example of someone peddling in stereotypes while giving the illusion they are fighting against stereotypes.

[@PeterEhik]

Why can't she be both? The male action heroes do it, they're male heroes and they're desirable to women. You've heard it before, women want them and guys wanna be them, I'd like to think female heroes can elicit the same feelings.

[@alyissaaragon6943]

Peter E you want to be sexualized? This reminds me of an episode of futurama when the men turned in to women, they loved all the attention, I can't wrap my head around anyone wanting to be seen as an object

[@morganrakes4184]

I don’t see myself as an object if a man enjoys looking at me sexually. They would see me as a woman with features that appeal towards them, yes even sexual ones. To me it’s no more degrading them looking at a girl with nice makeup on and thinking she looks great. Why would me being looked at as sexy suddenly turn me into an object?

[@alyissaaragon6943]

Morgan Rakes you'll understand when you're older

[@partycitydumpster]

The video came to that conclusion, that you can be both.

[@sajisama24]

That's stupid :D. "You'll understand when you're older" = "I don't know, I just think that way, and I'm right". When I look at a sexy woman, I don't see an object. I see a sexy woman. Sex is the most natural thing we can do, and sexual attraction is a very much natural thing, it doesn't makes you an object. If a man desires a woman or vice versa, it means that they recognize the other as a desirable mate, not an appealing object of self satisfaction.

[@pamponpan3376]

I love this channel! You guys literally can find pure insight in everything.

[@redknight4805]

*Classic/original Lara:* - Goes on adventures as a tomb raider for her own personal thrill, because she enjoys doing it. - Stands up to her parents and cultural norms of British nobility and gets disowned as punishment, because she doesn't want to accept typical gender roles and marry a rich nobleman as their parents planned. Still, she gets wealthy on her own by doing what she likes. - Goes on adventures by herself, because she is strong, independent and doesn't need help. - She funds her expeditions completely by herself. - Has a roguish-no-f***s-given attitude - Is always portrayed as being in control. Even when captured, she is never abused or humiliated - and she always gives off a vibe like she has a plan how to get out of that situation. - Indulges herself in her own wealth without caring what others will say. - Original games were not action packed. They were mostly cerebral puzzle games where you needed to use your brain to navigate through complex mazes. Action scenes focused on Lara's positioning and agility, not raw brutal strength. - Doesn't have a boyfriend/partner because she doesn't have time for it. She is always adventuring, training or doing research. In a way, she is an artifact-nerd. Her attitude being, you either accept me as I am, or you have no place in my life. - Has a butler who she uses as target practice, because she is Lara Croft and she can do whatever the f*** she wants. --- Feminist analysis: All of that is problematic, because... err... well... err... being a strong and independent woman is just portraying women as men, because everyone knows only men can be strong and independent. Strong and independent women don't exist. And she is pretty... and in the movie they show her washing her hair, which I interpret (in my own subjective way) as catering to male fantasy. Daniel Craig being shown off half naked, showering... well.. that is entirely different, because I interpret (in my own subjective way) that the camera is supposed to deliver a message of deep thoughts while taking a shower! *Crystal Dynamics/Feminist-approved-Lara:* - Goes on adventures because she has unresolved daddy/mommy issues - not because she just likes the thrill of it. - Inherits the wealth from her parents, so she isn't self-made. - Has a whole team of loyal friends always behind her back, because she can't rely only on herself. - She works as a bike courier, barely making the rent - despite being a privileged child of British nobility. - In TR2013 works as an assistant for dr. James Whitman, who makes her do all of his research for him while constantly berating and dismissing her. - Has to ask for others to fund her expeditions. - Tonally deaf portrayal, where we see her pivot back and forth from a virtuous paladin to an indiscriminate murderer of bad guys. - She is constantly battered, tied up and brutally abused - there is even a brutal rape scene where if you fail to press the button at the right moment she gets choked to death by a violent man. There are even interrogation scenes where she gets slapped and kicked around by a man. - "More realistic portrayal" the girl from the video talks about is I guess turning a cerebral puzzle game into a mindless shooting gallery full of explosions, loud and bombastic set-piece moments in which our heroine keeps falling from one danger into another, zip-lining towards burning oil rigs with a shoot-first-ask-questions-later attitude. Okey... --- Feminist analysis: Well... she shows off less skin... and... and... hurrr... durr... she gets abused all the time and then she murders everyone. That's a more realistic portrayal for us women... How anyone can buy these fake narratives is beyond me. Lets see if this comment gets deleted, because I deal with facts and not narratives.

[@milliondoller06]

media illiteracy, these people have never or never pay attention to these properties only view it from outside lenses. I blame the Anita Sarkeesans of the industry for spreading lies like tomb raider even though they were caught lying or never consuming the property ever before.

[@redknight4805]

@@milliondoller06 The sad part is that a lot of feminists jumped on the bandwagon of promoting Reboot Lara without doing even the bare minimum of research. They bought the lie how original Lara was made by a bunch of sweaty/sexist men, while the new version was made by a woman (Rhianna Pratchett). In reality, reboot Lara was a product of the whole writing team, most of which were men - including Noah Hughes (Creative Director) and John Stafford (Senior Narrative Designer). Basically, these men had a problem with the strong, independent Lara, and they hired Rhianna with a clear goal to change Lara's personality. And Rhianna was then also heavily used as a marketing ploy in order to help sell the lie more convincingly and obfuscate the fact that a bunch of really sexist men were involved. Whereas the original Lara was actually the sole creation of a woman (Vicky Arnold). Yes, Toby Gaard did create her original look and animations, but Lara's backstory, her motivations, the attitude, personality, character traits and the original script were all made by Vicky Arnold. And if you read what most fans have a problem with in the reboot, it is not how Lara looks like. It's about huge changes to her personality - which is the exact opposite of her original iteration. Namely classic Lara and reboot Lara don't share a single personality trait. So, the truth is that the real feminist icon should - by every objective parameter - be the original version, yet feminists are literally actively trying to tare down that version in order to prop up a character, which was a product of a mostly male writing team. What irony... EDiT: Another fun fact about the web of lies coming from Crystal Dynamics is that when they aquired the rights for the Tomb Raider series, they hired Toby Gaard, who (as I said) crrated Lara's original look and animations, and then they marketed him as the "creator" of Lara Croft. Now, true Gaard played a huge roll in kickstarting the whole TR project - and he made a lot of work in the art design... BUT it was Vicky Arnold (a woman), who actually created Lara's personality and backstory as well as the original script. And for Crystal Dynamics to try and erase what that woman did, so they could prop up a man as Lara's "creator" is again so typical for Cfystal Dynamics.

[@koshnu7475]

Chris Hemsworth's Thor: A heterosexual girl's wet fantasy or male hero?

[@gina333]

Romanov 1917 hero. Thor doesn’t exist to be a sex toy for women. He stands alone and just happens to be sexy. Lara exists purely for male fantasy. Biiig difference .

[@patrickmassey1939]

Romanov 1917 Thor's visage is meant to evoke power and strength which are traditionally masculine. You bring up a good point that some heterosexual women are attracted to this, but this says more about what we teach girls to value rather than the nature of the character. Thor isn't necessarily meant to exude sex. That's just a byproduct of him being traditionally masculine. Male Gaze doesn't just mean the frame in which men portray women in media, but also how they portray themselves. Lindsay Ellis has a great video about Male Gaze as it relates to the Transformers' movies.

[@alexforce9]

and in what game or movie Lara is sex toy for men? She is a badass that just happens to be hot.

[@gina333]

Alex Force horse shit. She is a sex toy that just so happens to be badass.

[@patrickmassey1939]

Alex Force have you noticed that every single female heroine seems to "just happen to be hot" and how movies never let you forget that? Take for instance the two shower scenes discussed in this video. Clearly the writers are trying to appeal to heterosexual men in a way that is disempowering.

[@Lag22987]

This is the fastest I've ever clicked on your gals videos

[@EvilMeans]

How are you defining “feminine” and “male”? Being into fighting and guns and tech is “male”? That’s ridiculous.

[@lieutenantmyst]

Can't she just be a good character that both male and female video game players can like? Or does she have to represent something for the audiences?

[@beckyginger3432]

I should trust y'all more - of course you'd make an excellent video about Lara Croft and feminism. I'm sorry I doubted

[@SweetChildofMine-l5y]

Except they didn't. I love these guys, but the way they brushed off some points as ''male fantasy'' was annoying as hell.

[@lilyjean9515]

I agree. It is not a good video for me. They only focus on the silly version of Angelina Jolie which is not similar to the game.

[@freddiehudson4154]

One thing I disagree with is that having a lack of back story doesn't make people envision themselves with a character. Tom Hollands spider man doesn't have a backstory and people don't imagine themselves with him. (And IK this is because of the Andrew Garfield and Toby Migier films but it's a different multiverse and cast and story)

[@heromi2277]

The 15 year old little girl me would have been devastated to see the majority of this video. Especially how in gaming it was rare to find a female main character that was both strong and independent (basically didn't need a man to survive). To me that was revolutionary in gaming and to this day I still "look up" to such game characters and am proud to play as. Maybe it's just me, but this is my first time learning that the fight with the robot was suppose to suggest something sexual a fantasy or whatever or that the tomb scene indicates "her sexual awakening". All I saw was a strong independent women, who could express herself and opinions even among men and be respected for it and sometimes even feared. Her being attractive or expressing her sexuality is something I only noticed when I grew up, but it didn't decrease from her value at all. There is nothing wrong with women being attractive and NO it doesn't have to be for a man. Whether that's what the creators intended or not, it's up to interpretation. But, the creators did put the effort into developing her personality showing her strong well and independence they also showed her back story and her being a curvy women or wearing any types of clothes does not change any of that at least for me. Edit: Either way, thanks for opening the discussion in this video.

[@naderhumaidan8604]

im a male and i LOVE lara but.. not in a sexuell way... i think of her as a hero

[@pierrerovira]

this is so BAAAD, u are saying being a woman and have big boobs and be athletic is sexualize her? NO!

[@Mel1lvar]

Can I just say that if you're in any way interested in video games or women in media then you HAVE to play the rebooted Tomb Raider games. They are not only stunning games (both visually and in terms of gameplay) but Lara is quite possibly the best female character in the whole medium.

[@gilgamesh310]

Not even close.

[@SerGmanize]

probably you haven't played a lot of games if you say so, there are plenty of good female characters that surpass Lara in terms of character development. Take Elle from The Last of Us for example

[@Piccadally]

The reboot Tomb Raider games from 2013 are pretty basic gameplay and story wise. They look stunning, yeah, but they're just using the Uncharted formula with the name 'Tomb Raider' on it. These game have nothing to do with Tomb Raider I to IX.

[@juliadiana9046]

Lara was and still is a huge inspiration for me ever since I was little, as were many other "sexy" heroins. The looks do attract unwanted male attention, but I always managed to see beyond that and view the sexyness as a strength. There's something fascinating about a beautiful creature that can do her thing, be good at it and kick ass.

[@obiwancourtnobi]

Still love Lara Croft, but your analysis was extremely thorough and well put together. Well done 👏🏽🌻

[@depthcharge123]

Lara Croft was sexualized by the marketing department, which in turn was then promoted by the media, who used her as a way of getting publicity while demeaning the young men that actually played the game.

[@maccarta]

I love all you videos, Screen Prism, except this one. I'm a gay female and I don't see why when Beyonce is dancing half-naked and singing about feeling sexy, that's empowering. But when Lara trains, dressed in pants and tank-tops and wants to have adventure & travel, that's a "male fantasy", because she's also sexy? Why is that? Is it because of the so-called 'masculine traits' that Lara has? What makes these traits masculine? Being 'a man of few words' is not a masculine trait - it's a harmful stereotype about how talking a lot makes you seem like you care too much about things - like a chatterly girl. I'm gonna call double standard on this vid.

[@antkcuck]

Gushkins exactly

[@Scerttle]

Some questionable leaps on logic in this video. Saying audiences didn't want to see better character development in the sequel is one reading. But it could just simply be that audiences didn't want to watch the second movie because they found the first one so shallow.

[@natureworld5749]

5:25 T: "and a butler named Hillary" Lara: "Thank you Henry" ?????

[@mithramusic5909]

I usually think The Take is spot on, but this really missed the mark in my opinion. A couple things that rubbed me the wrong way...the mention of gamers having control over her. Well, that's every video game. The implication is that women can't be main characters in video games. No, we need MORE women in video games that we're "in control" of, that's the point of a video game. Also the lack of any explicit sexual activity is referred to in this video as an "invitation" when in reality it makes her less approachable by men and more intimidating. Wouldn't a woman who has SOME sexuality be "inviting"? I had these moments of disagreement throughout the entire video. That's not too say everything was wrong of course. I thoroughly agreed with every mention of framing, like the shower scene or the opening fight scene being overtly sexual in a way we rarely see with male protagonists

[@ryanhires9361]

The real Lara Croft is supposed to be intimidatingly beautiful, sexually aggressive, deadly, fearless, and larger than life. Not some wimpy feminist tool.

[@pooplesmcsmootles2997]

Ultimate Power Move: take a female character originally designed to be a male fantasy and turn her into a feminist icon.

[@CarolinvonPetzholdt]

I just found your channel and subscribe. I am watching all your videos. They are wonderful.

[@Xeopuppy]

Are you going to do videos on Joey and Pheobe from Friends as you have done the rest of the cast... Awesome videos by the way...

[@thetake]

yes they're coming! stay tuned.

[@serenaistheb.o.a.t]

ScreenPrism CAN'T WAIT!!!! You guys have made me view Friends in a completely different way. I always loved Friends but I never noticed just how well written the show and it's characters were until your videos.

[@AirQuotes]

Me too but Ross still sucks

[@coffeefrog]

1. I LOVE Angelina Jolie's Lara, and I'm a prudish straight woman. It's not sad that she's masculine--it's totally fine. You saying masculinity is bad in women? 2. Danerys is a spoiled brat there to serve naive girls' power fantasies about ruling the world without facing the real consequences that others do. She's a horrible example. How about a real badass like Joan Holloway instead? 3. Please stop insisting that female protagonists must be female audience surrogates. They don't have to be role models, and they don't have to be YOU. 4. She had an ex, and her being "chaste" only makes her more independent and thus appealing to independent female viewers. I figure you'd praise that in other female protagonists. 5. Feminism today is trash. "Feminist Trojan horse?" Come on, don't word it like being eye candy is at odds with being empowered. 6. I'm not interested in the new movie honestly because she doesn't seem sex-positive like every other iteration of Lara. It doesn't feel like Tomb Raider otherwise.

[@NotAnotherKuromi]

Very good points. This entire video annoyed me. Also why do they assume that Lara Croft wasn't a good representation for some females watching? As a tomboy me seeing another women who likes climbing, action & hanging out with guys made me feel less alone, I got bullied by girls in my school for not being girly enough for them. Also while they are pushing an extream feminist narrative why are they saying positive attributes like being strong, confident & a skilled fighter are unquestionably masculine traits?! That is mysoganistic.

[@vipslol]

Totally agree with both of you.

[@mol1866]

Man why always daenerys she is the worst female character in got i rather girls and women took cersei and sansa as model rather than her

[@Swimdeep]

Well done Ladies. Good analysis. While I loved Angelina Jolie’s Female Badass, I’m looking forward to Alicia Vikander’s iteration of Lara.

[@samwhite9499]

Why is her wearing more masculine clothes not-feminist? Especially, as wearing dainty dresses and pink and formal things with her lifestyle makes no sense. Why is her being a person of few words and behaving aloof male qualities? Those aren't male qualities, they're just qualities more often pushed on men than women. Are you implying that a woman should be loud and loquacious or else she doesn't a womanly enough personality?

[@xTLtokio]

it's the ideas that so many have that for a female character to be "badass" or interesting is that she needs to have male (characters) qualities. Sometimes it seems to be an abstract idea that a woman one day is wearing a dress and the other used non-feminine clothes or that she can kiss ass and still talk about makeup or something like that.

[@DanielMartinez316]

Personally I don't like feminist analysis, because the video makes her look like a victim. I inform you that Lara Croft is a badass, and not a victim. This idea of "the male gaze" is an obsolete feminist theory

[@antkcuck]

spot on

[@laracroftonline]

So having breasts is a wrong thing now? And using them too? If thats true I am offended that women now need to cover up and cannot be curvacious sexy anymore. The world really has gone more prude. I prefer old Lara she thought me more than weasel reboot Lara with a daddy complex. And why do we need identification with a fiction character. We use gaming to escape the real world.

[@RossKroft96]

I know you from Twitter and you are like my favourite person after reading your comment you speak the truth hun

[@lancelovecraft5913]

I don't mind a tomboy every now and then but a female with strong masculine traits does not make a strong female character to me. I prefer someone more complex and original. grounded and real. Im not interested in a man in a females skin

[@maccarta]

So... If I don't chatter and I train a fighting style, that's masculine? Interesting assumption.

[@lancelovecraft5913]

Never assumed anything. No where in my comment do I associate "fighting style" with masculinity nor "chattering" with femininity

[@atomnous]

Lance Lovecraft Manhood are not masculinity. Womanhood are not femininity. Lara was a female with masculine traits. Not man in woman's body.

[@lancelovecraft5913]

+Atom Nous thank you for making that clear

[@saralance6682]

What is the difference between Lara's backstory and that of Batman for example? He is not seen as a child in male's body, right? Although he plays with his toys, dresses up in costume and can't overcome his parents murder. So again your take is quite sexist, because Lara is a woman, this backstory is not enough, her being adventurous is seen as childish not brave, because riding a bike is not what is expected from grown up women, right?

[@artorhen]

I find it rather funny that they called out to all of the sex appeal in order to get people to like her, but then we already know that is used everywhere and learn from it. Although there are male characters that are also shown with over exaggerated appeal for women audiences, so it is not that dire. Also she as a character, would be more believable to have certain stereotypic male characteristics as otherwise she would not be her, she would not choose the life she has, and the story wouldn't exist.

[@morganfarrell2442]

I have to say that as a tomboyish kid who was very uncomfortable with overt sexuality and that was a huge appeal of the first tomb raider film for me. I could better relate to and want to be a chaste character.

[@nnkk7742]

Not agreeing or disagreeing. I hate when screenprism creates a narrative then fits the content matter to the narrative. It's extremely disingenuous and they do it far too frequently.

[@DianeCooperTW]

That's feminism

[@hambone.fakenamington]

Are you under the impression that ScreenPrism came up with this narrative/critique about the Tombraider games? Because people have been busting ass over dissecting the pros and cons of Lara Crofts character (and lacking aspects of it) since way before SceenPrism was even a channel. Or is it the angle of the narrative you don't like? The focus on Tombraider as a feminist topic? I'm genuinely curious, not looking for a fight. I just want to know specifically what you mean.

[@laurenbi]

Can you give a couple of examples as to how they’re fitting the content into the narrative? Or counter examples?

[@nnkk7742]

Neither. I just don't like when the data doesn't seem to be where the conclusions are coming from. I have nothing against tomb raider, or females, or screenprism. As you said, it could just be that they were analyzing analysis of analysis of initial observations and then mixing them all together and trying to force it to be cohesive. To me, many of the explanations and connections seemed tenuous and the conclusions didn't seem to follow from the examples. Of course many people are going to take this as, "omg, they hate feminism!" But my real issue is with screenprisms scripting, editing, writing. As mentioned, they have done this with several other movies, ones without politically charged narratives.

[@SoLazy100]

Lauren Bennett I can give you an example. The claimed the second movie was less successful because they developed her character more. That's just horse shit. It was less successful because the first one came out during the Tomb Raider hype in 2001. The second one aired in 2003. Nobody cared about Tomb Raider at that time.

[@sophiazaynor2089]

I saw tomb raider as a 13 year old girl, and I absolutely developed a huge hero-worship for Angelina Jolie because of it. I was too young to understand that she was sexualized, so instead I just watched a movie about a woman who was talented, intelligent, played by her own rules, demanded respect from those around her, and could kick ass. I also learned about how Angelina Jolie trained really hard for the movie's stunts and I was just in Awe. I'm not even gunna lie, Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider goes on my list of movies that shaped me in my youth in a positive way. That movie was imperfect, but a gift.

[@rhysgarner8677]

In the backstory of Lara’s iterations, her relationships with her family has always been a driving point for why she does what she does. Summarising: Core Design - Lara’s parents, both mother and father, did not support her adventurous lifestyle, so they cut her off. Adventuring and selling stories of her exploits allowed her to maintain a very comfortable lifestyle. Crystal Dynamics (Keeley Hawes’ iteration) - Her mother disappeared in a mishap with an artefact and her father set out to find her. SPOILERS - He died during an expedition in Thailand when he betrayed an employer. She began her journey to finish her father’s work, find her mother and clear the family name. In fact, in a cutscene, Lara even mentions that she pitied her father for thinking that her mother was still alive and indeed that could imply she didn’t support his work. Crystal Dynamics (Camilla Luddington’s iteration) - Her mother lost her life when she was to meet her father in relation to his great discovery. Her father, already obsessed with the concept of immortality and in his grief, sought a way to bring her back. SPOILER - He was killed when he got close to the truth and it was made to look like a suicide. My point? Of course her father, and indeed her family in general, influenced her life and her desires to travel. Lara’s desire to adventure was not just because of her father, however, but also the result of other experiences in her backstory. Indeed, the most recent Lara didn’t believe in her father’s work until she witnessed the supernatural history of Yamatai and came to realise her father was right about the possibility of immortality. There’s more to Lara’s motivations than just parental issues. Her parents always played a part, but they were not the sole reason for her love of adventuring,

[@ogjames21]

Goon to use this video for discussion in my AP Lang class. Thank you-this is important!

[@teresafelicity3008]

I feel like this critique is antifeminist, like these are the opinions of a person who has not grown up female and has such a two dimensional view of any female character. Sought of like an outsider looking in.

[@MeiziVu]

She's not a one dimensional being! there are many sides to humans! that only makes her real!

[@kiriki4558]

So much angry fans in the coments that can't accept that while their popular game that was part of their childhood and hace feelings for it can have flaws or negative messages. That sometimes changing making something a bit different is actually improving it, even if it doesn't necesarily catter to old fans that like it for the wrong reasons.

[@KaiDecadence]

Pretty much agree. I like both versions of Lara but after listening to many different opinions about Croft, specifically the ones who thought her design was sexist back in the day, after years of thinking on it, I totally get what they meant. Yes Lara as intelligent and a very capable adventurer in the old games but her design was pure wank fetish. It's a sexy design which isn't bad in ando f itself but when you compare her to her male counterparts in those types of games, you can see how they clearly wanted her to be sexualized with no rhyme or reason. Her classic tank top was one thing but the booty shorts were definitely pushing it. An argument that helped me see through this was when I was having a discussion with a woman who never cared for the old outfit and asked me this one question. "Why?" Lara Croft is an adventurer who crawls, climbs, and all sorts of physical feats on rough terrain and it makes no sense for her to just bare her whole legs which could be easily scratched and injured being exposed like that. And then I said "Well it's video game, it doesn't have to be realistic" to which she responded, "Okay then how come male characters in the adventure genre aren't dressed like she is? Why isn't Nathan Drake wearing a scantily clad outfit" and that helped put things in perspective.

[@Alison-970]

You've clearly not touched a single Tomb Raider game in your life, or any game even.

[@Alison-970]

@@KaiDecadence Same as to why Kratos is running half naked through the old God of War games. It's called character design and it doesn't need to follow any reasonable logic. Nathan Drake would wear a scarf in the middle of the desert, does it make any sense? No.

[@nicolle2126]

Any chance we'd get a video in the same vein talking about Bayonetta? As much as I love the direction they took with making Lara into a more grounded and relatable character, having a character like Bayonetta who has as much agency of her own without downplaying her sexuality is also pretty cool and inspiring ^^