The Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle Costume That Probably Shouldn't Have Been Greenlit
Throughout the history of film, there have been many controversies surrounding scantily-clad leading ladies. From the iconic yet objectifying gold bikini of Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in "Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi" to the shiny hot pants of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) in "Suicide Squad," the list goes on.
Even the 2017 follow-up to Robin Williams' 1995 classic "Jumanji," entitled "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," is no exception. The film follows four teens who get sucked into a video game version of the board game that ruined Alan Parrish's (Williams) life so many years ago. Once in the Jumanji jungles, they're transformed into their chosen avatars: Dr. Xander "Smolder" Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), Franklin "Mouse" Finbar (Kevin Hart), Professor Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon (Jack Black) and Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan).
About a year before the movie's release, a "first look" image was dropped (via The Hollywood Reporter), and a costume discrepancy was certainly noticeable. While Johnson, Hart and Black are dressed to the nines in proper outdoor attire, including cargo pants, boots and hats, Gillan is sporting a lot less. Ruby Roundhouse's costume is comprised of a red, short-sleeved crop top paired with low-rise camouflage shorts and knee-high leather boots.
Many fans weren't on board with this impractical outfit of choice. On Twitter, @kiki_be_crazy said, "That looks like the dumbest thing to walk around a jungle in! Except perhaps a ball gown!" @jkpars84 added, "I was going to say, you want to wear long trousers and sleeves when you're in the jungle. Trust me."
Is there a reason why this look for Ruby Roundhouse was greenlit? How did Gillan feel about it? Let's take a look.
Karen Gillan says there's a purpose behind Ruby Roundhouse's tiny outfit
While promoting "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," Karen Gillan and Dwayne Johnson kept assuring audiences that the cast's drastically different levels of clothing would make sense upon seeing the film. Gillan tweeted, "Yes I'm wearing child sized clothes and YES there is a reason! The pay off is worth it, I promise." Johnson wrote on Instagram, "Our dope 90's vintage costumes will all make sense when our plot's revealed. Truuuuuust me."
Ultimately, the avatar of Ruby Roundhouse is meant to poke fun at the sexist female images portrayed in video games of the 1990s. The look isn't meant to be taken seriously because, inside Ruby, is awkward teen Martha Kaply (Morgan Turner), who denounces her avatar's appearance immediately upon arriving in Jumanji: "Why am I wearing half a shirt and short shorts in the jungle?"
In an interview with IndieWire, Gillan said, "My character is not happy about it, and she's a really interesting, introverted girl, but in the body of a warrior woman. It's about learning how to inhabit that and dealing with this ridiculous costume. Everything that anyone's been saying about the costume is exactly what the character is saying about the costume."
Gillan actually saw the public outcry against Ruby's getup, inspired by Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) in "Tomb Raider," as a step in the right direction toward eliminating "this ridiculous male fantasy" in pop culture. She told the Evening Standard, "So we had to go that way with the costume to make that point. The fact that the picture sparked that kind of debate, I think, is actually a positive thing for people to be having those conversations."