I was 10 when the first Tomb Raider: Lara Croft film hit theatres. I don’t remember much about the storyline, but what stuck in my memory was how empowering it felt to watch Angelina Jolie not only kick ass, but also solve intellectually complex puzzles at the same time. It also resonated with me because it was the first action movie I watched that had a female protagonist.

Back in 2001, when most of the other blockbusters of that year were classically male-centric—like Jurassic Park III, The Mummy Returns and Planet of the Apes—seeing Jolie’s charisma, wit and athleticism play out on the big screen was exhilarating for me as a little girl. It even inspired me later to stand up to a couple of immature boys on the playground.

Fast forward 17 years, and the excitement is back thanks to the Tomb Raider reboot starring none other than Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander (oh, and Hong Kong actor/hottie Daniel Wu). As a 27-year-old woman living in the empowering age of the women’s movement and Time’s Up, I couldn’t wait to watch, but I also wondered, would Lara Croft be the hero we need right now?

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