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Tomb Raider
(Warner Bros/MGM/Square Enix/GK Films)
By Lucas Allen
One of the few titles in the often maligned video game movie subgenre that was a box office success was 2001’s “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” with Angelina Jolie as the butt-kicking archaeologist. But after its subpar sequel, “The Cradle of Life,” was released two years later, fans of the character had to wait another 15 years for another big screen installment.
The new “Tomb Raider” adapts the highly-acclaimed 2013 video game of the same name exploring the origins of the heiress-turned-heroine. Think of it as Indiana Jones meets Jason Bourne with an added dose of “Hunger Games.”
Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander) forgoes inheriting the estate of her late father, Sir Richard Croft (Dominic West), in favor of making ends meet on her own by taking part in some extreme activities. When her latest stunt landed her in jail, her guardian, Ana Miller (Kristen Scott Thomas), insists that the 21-year old lead a better example with her life as a Croft.
Just before she could, Lara finds a clue that leads to her discovering the reason for her father’s disappearance. Sir Richard was locating a small island off the coast of Japan, where legend says the country’s Queen Himiko was buried there with all her dark power.
After traveling to Hong Kong, she’s able to get to her destination with the help of a sailor named Lu Ren (Daniel Wu) whose father also disappeared. But at the island, she’s held captive by the ruthless Mathias Vogel (Walton Goggins) hired by the mysterious Trinity Organization on a mission to use Himiko’s power for evil purposes.
Using her wit and athleticism, Lara will have to survive both Vogel’s men and the island’s power to save the world.
Whereas the earlier Jolie movies were cheesy action movies marred by terrible CGI, this one feels more grounded in reality with only a hint of the supernatural. It succeeds in creating thrilling action, especially in the climax when things take a dark turn. Fans of the recent video game will no doubt get enjoyment out of it as playing the game.
It’s certainly a rarity that a video game movie gets you invested without picking up a controller. But any casual viewer’s enjoyment is tested over the fact that most of the movie mainly suffers from lifting moments similar to other adventure movies like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade or surprisingly enough, the first Lara Croft film. It can get frustrating when you’ll groan at any particular plot point you’ve seen a million times.
Your best bet is to keep your expectations low and watch it as its own film other than merely disposable entertainment. Besides the action, the other saving grace is Vikander giving a believable performance as a young woman thrust into a dangerous world. Comparing her performance to Jolie’s is like comparing apples and oranges, since each of them do a good job handling the character their own way. It’s up to you who you prefer after watching this film.
The rest of the cast is fine, especially Goggins, giving it his all to what amounts to a one-dimensional villain.
“Tomb Raider” is one of those action movies that’s unoriginal, but fun to watch if you’re in the right mood for this sort of thing. Lara Croft certainly has a place among the most well-known heroines in both video games and movies, so don’t be surprised if this film gets a sequel. With the ending setting it up, let’s hope they come up with a fresher story.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for sequences of violence and action, and for some language)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3 Stars (Out of Four)
