A reboot of the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider franchise, this time starring Alicia Vikander as the titular character. Also serving as an origin story, it details Lara's first adventure in search of her missing father in the Far East Asia.
For those that have played the 2013 video game of the same name, which is also a reboot of the Lara Croft franchise, the film should hold some nice little scenes and easter eggs. Many action scenes borrow heavily from the game and the plot itself owns a lot to it as well.
And as a visual adventure spectacle, the film holds its own. The locations are exotic, the puzzles and traps are interesting, the bad guys, albeit clichéd, seem like a suitable threat. It's a discount Indiana Jones film, sure, but not in a bad way.
I also liked Vikander's performance. Angelina Jolie will always be the Lara Croft of my heart, but I can buy Vikander as a younger Lara very easily.
Unfortunately the plot of the film is very clichéd and not very well told. You can predict it beat by beat almost from the beginning and there are very few twists or surprises in store. Execution can make up for a clichéd story, but director Roar Uthaug does not rise up to the challenge.
That being said, I do not regret seeing the film. I'd watch its sequel, if they ever end up making one. I had fun. I just won't remember it, say, a decade from now.
For those that have played the 2013 video game of the same name, which is also a reboot of the Lara Croft franchise, the film should hold some nice little scenes and easter eggs. Many action scenes borrow heavily from the game and the plot itself owns a lot to it as well.
And as a visual adventure spectacle, the film holds its own. The locations are exotic, the puzzles and traps are interesting, the bad guys, albeit clichéd, seem like a suitable threat. It's a discount Indiana Jones film, sure, but not in a bad way.
I also liked Vikander's performance. Angelina Jolie will always be the Lara Croft of my heart, but I can buy Vikander as a younger Lara very easily.
Unfortunately the plot of the film is very clichéd and not very well told. You can predict it beat by beat almost from the beginning and there are very few twists or surprises in store. Execution can make up for a clichéd story, but director Roar Uthaug does not rise up to the challenge.
That being said, I do not regret seeing the film. I'd watch its sequel, if they ever end up making one. I had fun. I just won't remember it, say, a decade from now.