Summary
Netflix just released The Legend of Lara Croft, a new animated series starring Hayley Atwell as the titular English treasure hunter, set after the events ofShadow of the Tomb Raider.
It has middling reviews from critics so far, withan aggregate score of just 65, but a vocal minority of gamers are outraged at one part in particular - Lara Croft’s design.
Not because it’s inaccurate to the games or because Lara looks like a radically different person. No, they’re mad that she’s ‘muscular’. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that the woman who scales mountains and fights dinosaurs is probably gonna be toned, at the very least.
They’re Even Saying She Looks Like A Man
UnderNetflix Geeked’s postcelebrating the new show with a collage of Croft’s different looks, the comments are filled with similar jabs. Popular replies say she looks like a man, even calling her “Larry Croft”, while others say that the design is “woke crap”.
Several YouTube videos have also cropped up and gained traction, especially on subreddits such asKotaku in Action, decrying that Netflix has “masculinized” Lara Croft. Some gamers even liken her toAbby in The Last of Us Part 2. Again,climbing up cliff walls and running marathons around the world is probably gonna build up some muscle.
The Metacritic page is even being review bombed as viewers say the show is too “trans-friendly”.
One commenter even tried to defend their criticism, saying that it’s “sexist” to make female characters look like men. We’re looking at the same Lara Croft, right? Andas always, there are many, many digs at her ‘square jaw’ and ‘DEI chin’.
Thankfully, these complaints are being drowned out in the thousands by those celebrating Lara Croft’s updated look, with her bi-coloured dress being a particular highlight for many. One post poking fun at those saying she looks like a maneven has 176,000 likes— the show might not be great, but I hardly think Lara Croft’s design has anything to do with it.
WHERE TO PLAY
Adventurer Lara Croft has been hired to recover the pieces of an ancient artefact known as the Scion. With her fearless acrobatic style, she runs, jumps, swims and climbs her way toward the truth of it’s origins and powers - leaving only a trail of empty tombs and gun-cartridges in her wake.
On this trail are the most breath-taking 3D worlds yet seen - where exploration, puzzle and platform elements blend in a seamless real-time environment.
Over 5,000 frames of animation on the main character, Lara, alone.
