Directed by:
Roar UthaugCinematography:
George RichmondComposer:
Tom HolkenborgCast:
Alicia Vikander, Walton Goggins, Dominic West, Daniel Wu Yin-cho, Kristin Scott Thomas, Derek Jacobi, Hannah John-Kamen, Alexandre Willaume, Nick Frost (more)VOD (3)
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Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent, and takes college courses, rarely making it to class. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father's global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he's truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can't understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death. Going explicitly against his final wishes, she leaves everything she knows behind in search of her dad's last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one- just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn't be higher for Lara, who-against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit-must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name Tomb Raider. (Roadshow Entertainment)
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Reviews (16)
Nice civil adventure with a pragmatic negative character “I don't want to rule the world, I just want to go home and I'll do everything for it". The movie is really well put for a dull blockbuster and “the artefact is not too supernatural." In addition, Alicia Vikander, whose physical performance (the less endowed, the more grunting and sighing) is an excellent match for Lara. However, it is spoiled by poorly selected songs, forced unnecessary story line tailored to the people of Chine / Chinese market and especially the middle part in the jungle, which is closest to the video game original, but in a movie where otherwise stuntmen and compelling action are highlighted you will suddenly watch a CGI escapade for twenty minutes. Unbelievable. Fortunately, we don´t see much of that anymore in the final CTRL + C / CTRL + V of the Indo-Indonesian last third.
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I still sometimes reminisce about the original Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie. I remember the times when I played Tomb Raider on my good old Pentium graphics card and the times when I started to go to the movies on my own. That is because the first movie my parents have entrusted me to see was Tomb Raider. Alicia Vikander, unlike Angie, is no Lara Croft. She came close to the restarted series, but even though she’s smoking hot, it’s just not the same. The story and the action scenes were good, but the entire time, I thought that something was missing. Something that stops me from saying that this is a great adventure movie. The movies with Angie were simply better, more fun, even though at the same time, they were sillier and quirkier.
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A classic in a new wrapper. Bells frequently ring inside your head telling you that this is really similar to Indiana Jones, but isn’t that what we wanted, for Lara to have the DNA of an adventure classic that can be copied whenever necessary? The new Tomb Raider is undeniably the best adaptation of the video game and I hope it earns enough for a sequel. This restart of the classic video game with the busty archaeologist was the best thing that could have happened and even though the movie takes the same route, it doesn’t matter. That’s right, there are almost no surprises and no need to roll back the milometer, but that’s exactly what I was hoping for from a potential first episode of a series. The wonderfully cast Alicia Vikander is great both in her girl-next-door pose and also as a raider of lost tombs. The main villain is pleasantly believable (Goggins is great as the corporate figure with understandable motivation). Thanks to making a sure bet (in story terms), director, Roar Uthaug, could concentrate on the characters without the need of building a new world. Exotica in the form of locations in China/Japan and legends set the scene for a believable outcome (less said about that now the better) and a feeling of distance in time from the rest of the world. Angelina can go fly a kite. Looking forward to the next part.
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It could be said that Tomb Raider is merely a metamorphosis of the excellent reboot of the eponymous video-game franchise from 2013 into a live-action film, in that it takes on the game’s story and environment, as well as its characters and action concept. Furthermore, in comparison with the video game, the film very much comes across as a poorer relation in terms of both the design and variability of the environment, as well as the narrative and character development. This illustrates the advantages found in the potential of video games in relation to cinema, which is analogous to the comparison of cinema with television series. However, it is necessary to recognise that film does not emerge from this situation completely devoid of positive aspects, which consist in ever-increasing mass accessibility and the less time-consuming nature of films, as well as their ability to enchant through casting and formal nuances. With respect to most of the cinematic adaptation’s positive aspects – starting with Lara’s development arc and ending with the superb physical action – it can be said that the game offered these in a more intense and sophisticated form. What remains intrinsic and indubitable, however, is the cast, with the actress portraying Lara Croft at the fore, though by no means limited to her. With her physical condition and charisma, Alicia Vikander is captivating as a new icon and role model for female viewers. Some fans and viewers who are familiar only with the classic image of Lara gripe that she raises her iconic twin pistols only at the very end of the film. In this, however, lies the demanding nature of the character’s concept, in that she has to carry the entire film and be an action heroine with those traditional attributes, which must be balanced with physical ability. Thanks to the fact that priority is given to action in which physical fitness and reluctance to engage in shootouts take precedence, the film not only superbly relates to the revolutionary concept of the rebooted video game, but also brings into cinemas a breath of fresh air in the context of action blockbusters. Though the action scenes abound with computer animation, their foundation is comprised of the lead actress’s physical performance. At the same time, it is worth noting the film’s subtle progressiveness with respect to gender and racial stereotypes. Whereas the classic image of Lara Croft had viewers of the films with Angelina Jolie staring at her cleavage and derriere, in the new concept (again established by the video game), her muscular back and arms become her main attributes. However, these are shown in the context of the scenes and not as a result of objectifying shots, thanks to which the film is refreshingly simple. In addition to that, with the supporting character Lua, played by Daniel Wu, American cinema for the first time tears down the stereotype that Asian men are not masculine and sexy.
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Lara Croft in Uncharted Territory or the last crusade to go after the mummy Björk. It succeeded. The mix of gaming aesthetics and realism is still quite unbalanced, but Uthaug is able to very pleasantly balance a digital ballast and the physical conception of the action. What’s more, Vikander is great, cheeky, rebellious and doesn’t meet the expectations of those who like to masturbate to cleavage. I had a great time and I hope this party will continue! Definitely one of the best video game adaptations.
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