Two new Tomb Raider games have been announced.

[SatrianiRules]

Indeed. Have you ever watched parkour videos, because some of that stuff would make Lara look like an amateur and those people look normal to me

kind of makes the point though, not everyone can do that, those that can are extraordinary (and their physiques are going to be quite athletic)

if you are talking about looks, then yeah,

but again that is part of the illusion/fantasy/mystique. insane outrageous skills/abilities coupled with beautiful looks...

 

[Owain Taggart]

Indeed. Have you ever watched parkour videos, because some of that stuff would make Lara look like an amateur and those people look normal to me

Oh yeah, some of them make them look like magicians. Like, I don't even know how some of that stuff is physically possible. Good example. I think the first time I became aware of it was through Casino Royale, and I think maybe that's where most people got introduced to it, but somehow even the stuff seen in Casino Royale is fairly tame compared to some of the stuff in those videos. When people get hyperfocused, they can do some incredible things.

 

[Cicero]

Normal people can be extraordinary too! I don't feel they are mutually exclusive.

But that's not who Lara Croft is. She was based on Indiana Jones (a James Bond derivative) crossed with Jim Lee's stylish Psylocke from X-Men (partly inspired by Clint Eastwood).

Her antecedents were icons of attractiveness, so it's not surprising that she's expected to be one, too.

 

[Owain Taggart]

^ I feel like it's a matter of perspective, and perhaps culture. I tend to see Indiana Jones as a regular guy who under duress did incredible things.

Same goes with Lara. The only difference, she was born into a wealthy family and followed in her father's footsteps, but at heart she's still a regular girl that grew into her talent. And key word here is talent. That would be irrespective of how she looks. She can look however they design her and she'll still have those talents. I feel that she can still be extraordinary without the implied exaggeration, and that's entirely my point. It's the talent that drives them. And after all, they've both had to start from something.

 

[SatrianiRules]

that would eliminate the vicarious nature of the character, which is a huge part of any iconic character...and a huge (no pun intended) part of Lara Croft...and I think this transcends culture. I think every culture/society has rare extraordinary individuals that makes the rest say "Some people are just born with it all"...

Looks, talent, physique etc...

Indiana Jones wasn't really a regular guy, he was a PhD in archeology (smarts), who was dashingly handsome (looks) and incredibly athletic (physique), he checks all the boxes.

Lara is a brilliant explorer (smarts), who is beautiful (looks), and has the skills of a ballerina/gymnast (physique)

 

[Owain Taggart]

that would eliminate the vicarious nature of the character, which is a huge part of any iconic character

See, I don't think it necessarily would. There is still plenty to her character, and I do agree that she trancends cultures, which I think is partly why she's become such an interesting character. At heart, she's an intellectual.

Indiana Jones wasn't really a regular guy, he was a PhD in archeology (smarts), who was dashingly handsome (looks) and incredibly athletic (physique), he checks all the boxes.

Well yeah, and he was a professor too. But I meant that he's a regular guy in terms of what's achievable, and he was more or less just like us, only with a PhD and living a more interesting life. I have a now retired Uncle who was a paleontology professor, and in his heyday, he was travelling all over the world digging up dinosaur bones, such as Alberta, Montana, Egypt, China, etc. In his own way, he was living his own adventure.