Alicia Vikander is body-shamed over 'Tomb Raider' — and the internet is fighting back
Alicia Vikander steps into the spelunking shoes of famous video-game heroine Lara Croft when Tomb Raider opens this weekend. A reboot that’s divorced from the character’s two prior big-screen outings — 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and 2003’s Lara Croft Tomb Raider — The Cradle of Life, both of which starred Angelina Jolie in the role — the film will seek to establish the Oscar winner as a viable action star. On the eve of its domestic release, however, it has come under sexist attack, and the internet is most definitely not letting it slide.
Last weekend, Twitter user “Amazing Atheist Guy” (real name TJ Kirk) posted the following denigrating — and NSFW — comment about Vikander’s physical suitability for the role of the (traditionally buxom) Croft:
Do I have to be the asshole who says her tits are too small for me to see her as Lara Croft? Do I have to be that guy? Do I have to be the one who fucking says it?
I guess I do. Sorry. pic.twitter.com/5CsXwYFjBb
— Amazing Atheist Guy (@amazingatheist) March 10, 2018
Following that ugliness, Philly Voice critic Jerome Maida then included the following passage in his review of the film — which, apparently, has since been deleted from the piece (likely because of online objections).
This week in “Male Film Critics Who Should Shut Up”! pic.twitter.com/jThYuy3t67
— Jacob (@JEBermanator) March 14, 2018
There’s no doubt that Vikander’s embodiment of Croft is less cartoonishly busty than the one found in the original video games. On The Graham Norton Show last month, the actress, who packed on 12 pounds of muscle for the role, admitted that one of the main differences between her version of the character and her predecessors’ is that, “My breasts are not as pointy as the first Lara!” Nonetheless, her Tomb Raider look is hardly out of sync with Lara’s game counterparts because she very closely resembles the more athletic, and less exaggerated, Croft found in the 2013 reboot series. And regardless, such criticisms — which are in line with the complaints that met Gal Gadot’s casting as Wonder Woman — reek of outright misogynistic body-shaming, and were thus greeted with heated responses from fans online:
Dear fanboys, if you’ve never played this game and have no interest in doing so, quit whining about Lara/Vikander’s boobs. Your opinion is not valid nor wanted. #TombRaider pic.twitter.com/g4cbikMcVG
— ? (@PapurrCat) March 13, 2018
you also have the option to not be trash
— derek (tired) (@derekdirge) March 11, 2018
The people talking about Alicia’s boobs being too small…. well, their opinions do not matter and neither do they, because this movie is not for them. It’s for us. #tombraider #tombraidermovie
— Jenn Croft (@_JennCroft_) March 13, 2018
It's wild that I have to say this but here we are:
If the new tomb raider movie is bad, ITS NOT BECAUSE THE ACTRESS' BOOBS WEREN'T BIG ENOUGH.
Okay thanks.— Deep Space Fine (@thisismewhatevs) March 15, 2018
Men / critics who are crying after Lara Croft's huge boobs prove two things.
One, they have no idea about the new rebooted Tomb Raider series.
Two, they need big boobies on screen since they apparently have no access to boobs in real life.— (@theskybandit) March 15, 2018
Tomb Raider blasts into theaters tomorrow, March 16.
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