Alicia Vikander stars in the new Tomb Raider, which premieres today in select cities. And while some critics are saying the movie leaves something to be desired, Alicia Vikander's Lara Croft certainly satisfied us. Here's why.
She's "not a superhero," she's a badass, multifaceted woman
In the trailer for the film, Vikander's Croft offers up a variation of that age-old line, "But I'm not a [insert what the character will develop into]." But this time, Croft's actually telling the truth. She's not a superheroine. She's a very human character who fails multiple times within the film, but that failure makes us value her successes so much more than if she were to fly through her universe headshotting every hostile islander that appears on her map. Points for authenticity.
She's a badass, multifaceted woman with insane archery and combat skills*
Being a whole character who struggles and develops is awesome for women's on-screen representation, but it definitely helps in sticky situations to be able to wield a bow and arrow—and to be trained in kickboxing and mixed-martial arts. As an action film, Tomb Raider absoltuely gets the job done. Points for blood-pressure spikes.
Her knack for good, old-fashioned puzzle-solving skills are a nostalgiac throwback
Remember the good old days when clues, coordinates, and government secrets weren't hacked out of emails and private servers? It was a simpler time, when all one had to do was piece together ancient knowledge with a bit of luck to unlock age-old secrets and save the world. Vikander's Croft throws it back in a modern, streamlined way that doesn't seem too corny or out of place. Points for childhood memories.
She is, among other things, cardio goals
We know, we know. Lara Croft is an incredibly intelligent, witty, masterful character with wide emotional range! How dare we spotlight her physical capability!
In all seriousness, Vikander put a ton of work into becoming a physical equivalent of one of video games' most athletic canonical characters. Trainer and nutritionist Magnus Lydgback helped prep her for the physically demanding role, and she even does her own stunts in the film, which is no small feat.
"We have a lot of water sequences, Vikander told Entertainment Weekly while filming Tomb Raider. "I spent my last two days of shooting in a tank, and that was my 16th total day being fully drenched or submerged in the water. ... For one action scene, we used the London venue for Olympic rafting. They threw me down that river — with my hands tied — about 50 times. I didn't need to act, just react!"
Points for surviving.
She raids the tombs!
It'd be difficult to be the ultimate Tomb Raider without raiding tombs, wouldn't it? Everyone's favorite part of the Tomb Raider franchise is still the film's most amazing feature. With booby traps, jump scares, dim lighting and danger, Vikander's tomb scenes will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Tomb Raider premieres tonight! Find your tickets here.
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