Film Review: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and the Cradle of Life

One of the most popular characters in video gaming lore returns to the big screen! I've always wanted to like the first Tomb Raider film, and it does have its moments, but something about it always threw me off. I blame it on its indulgence in style over substance, with its chopped-up action scenes, choppy narrative, and one too many surreal scenes.  As it is with any sequel, I expected improvements. Even though both films were poorly received by critics, I do believe that the second Tomb Raider film delivers the solid, straightforward adventure story I always expected.

If nothing else, TR:COL cuts to the chase and maintains a clearer narrative than its predecessor.  It still has its excesses (do we really need to see Lara doing flips on a jetski?), but the pacing is tight and even throughout.  This sequel is still really high on style and action, but it is a smooth and fluid experience; while the first film was rather choppy, this movie is smooth with its camera work and editing, allowing the action to flow and stand well on its own.  There are plenty of smashing shoot-out scenes (especially in the Hong Kong scenes), and quite a few impressive stunts.  Special effects are used quite liberally, for better or for worse.  Overall, the action and style is satisfying.

The substance suffers a little, especially since the strengths of the first film are absent.  This film keeps the characters one-dimensional. The best that can be said is that they try to develop chemistry, which is meant to resonate stronger by the film's conclusion, and it is partway successful. As far as the plot goes, it's pretty standard adventure fare, but I felt that the quest for Pandora's Box was a fairly interesting subject.  The film does suffer from some ridiculous scenes (such as Lara punching a shark...really?!), but for a brainless popcorn flick, I've seen way worse.

This film is really smooth and slick, with stylish and solid photography and editing. Acting is not a huge standout, but it's not as cringe-worthy as the first film. Angelina Jolie returns and does her best to bring Lara Croft to life; even though she still only channels the single-dimension action heroine of the late 90s and early 00s, she does a decent job at it. Gerard Butler puts in as much charm as he can, for better or for worse. Everybody else is passable. Writing is average. This production has some great-looking locales, and features some slick sets, props, and costumes. Special effects are fairly pretty to look at, but are often frivolous and still rather fake-looking. Music is cool; the soundtrack features a number of good songs, while Alan Silvestri's score pretty much uses the same melody as The Mummy Returns to strike up the right tone.

I personally enjoy this film, because even if it is a shallow run-of-the-mill cash-in, it is a good-looking action-packed one.  Really, it's only recommended to diehard fans.

4/5 (Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Average | Film: Pretty Good)