The newest Tomb Raider delivers us a fresh look at Lara Croft, in line with the recent reboot of the video game series in 2013. The previous big screen version of Lara Croft (as seen in films from 2001 and 2003) was played by Angelina Jolie and represented the 90’s version of the video gaming heroine. This new look at the young and tough spelunker trades obnoxious sex appeal for a realistic and grounded character portrayal. With a good amount of action and some charm, Tomb Raider manages to be a pretty decent time. It won’t blow anyone’s hair back, but to my surprise, Tomb Raider ends up being one of the standout video game adaptations to hit movie theaters.
Tomb Raider introduces us to Lara, a young woman whose independence is spear-headed by her absent father. Raised in a wealthy manor, Lara left the life of luxury behind after her father disappeared on a business trip. Seven years later, she stumbles on a clue that may lead her towards the answers she seeks. Hidden deep in an island off the coast of Japan lies a tomb that holds more than just the decaying remains of the dead.
The overall story of Tomb Raider is passable, if not a bit predictable at times. Audiences will have to suspend their disbelief quite a bit, as Lara often comes off more like a super-human than an inexperienced explorer. However, Lara’s progression from a curious daughter to a hardened hunter is one of the most redeeming aspects of the film. Sure, the path to get there can be a bit ridiculous, but the film understands that Lara is ultimately human. When more violent and dangerous events occur, Tomb Raider stops to let the gravity of the situation sink in.
Where Tomb Raider truly succeeds is in the details of its overall adaptation of the 2013 video game. As such, your enjoyment of the movie will ultimately waver depending on how big of a fan of the source material you are. I personally play quite a lot of video games and was impressed with just how well director Roar Uthaug was able to capture the essence of the modern games. Although the actual story is in parts original, many aspects are pulled directly from the game. An early sequence involving a treacherously placed airplane will stick out for most who played the game, but bigger fans will notice the various winks and nods to the source material. From Lara’s outfit and weaponry to the situations she finds herself in, the movie does a great job paying homage to its source material.
The cast is also solid and well directed, with the best performance coming from Alicia Vikander in the starring role. Moviegoers may remember Vikander from her award-winning performance in The Danish Girl, or her robotic and reserved portrayal of Ava in Ex Machina. While those movies were slower paced and arguably more artistic, Vikander proves her flexibility in roles. Both physically and emotionally, Vikander throws herself into the role of Lara Croft with ease, giving us a character who is as relatable as she is badass. The supporting cast is held up well with decently fleshed out characters, such as the drunken but loyal sailor Lu Ren (Daniel Wu) and the admittedly shallow but effective Mathias Vogel (Walton Goggins). Lu Ren gives Lara Croft another character to banter with, and although he ultimately gets left on the sidelines, I enjoyed his character and nobility. The story gets its villainous push from Mathias Vogel, and although he has his reasons for criminality, they are flimsy at best. The character is held together by a good performance from Walton Goggins, an actor who I’ve happily been seeing more of lately. While not an utter waste of time, Vogel boils down to little more than the caliber of villain we see in lesser Marvel films.
The action is well shot and visceral, often culminating in over-the-top sequences. I was happily surprised with the look of the film and was impressed with a few shots here and there. Things can occasionally get too dark, literally. Two sequences stand out in my mind as being needlessly dark, granted how interesting the action seemed to be. The darker action scenes may be an attempt to hide shoddy CGI, as things can occasionally look on the cheap side. There are some pacing issues as well, most notably a mid-second act sag. Things pick up after a while, but there are a solid 15 minutes that could’ve been left on the editing room floor.
As a standalone action film, Tomb Raider succeeds as an enjoyable if flawed time. It accomplishes what it promises; a story of secret tombs on dangerous islands, led by a strong female adventurer. The character growth and decent setup boost the movie above most popcorn-action flicks, and the subsequent action and peril are exciting and fun to watch. It won’t blow you away, but you’ll definitely have a good time. As an adaptation of a video game, Tomb Raider excels. It recreates scenes from the game with excellent clarity, evokes the same themes, and depicts the characters appropriately in terms of source material. It may not be the breakout success that video game adaptations need, but it’s a solid win. For fans of video game films, that’s a better quality than most. It has a great blockbuster feel and still manages to contain worthwhile characters and charming dialogue. Whether you’re a fan of the game series or completely new to the world of Tomb Raider, I suggest checking it out.
[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KkhD0MnaJU”]
Movie Rating: 3 stars.
Movie Rating Guide
1 Star = Unwatchable
2 Stars = Cannot Recommend
3 Stars = Great for the Fans
4 Stars = A Solid Movie
5 Stars = Must Own (DVD/Stream Download)
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