Given the obvious care that went into updating "Tomb Raider," it's all the more surprising the film itself is so wholly unremarkable. Uthaug ensured the action was far more grounded than past efforts as well. ![]() Working from a screenplay from Geneva Robertson-Dworet ("Captain Marvel") and Alastair Siddons ("Trespass Against Us"), the film did well to update Lara Croft for more modern audiences, doing away with the character's signature short shorts for a look more befitting someone who might actually be seen climbing through caves in search of priceless artifacts.Īs for Vikander, the gifted actor managed to bring a surprising emotional weight to the character that was barely glimpsed in past films, and she proved herself more than capable of carrying the action scenes to boot. The "Tomb Raider" reboot arrived in 2018, with Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander taking over the lead role and Norwegian action specialist Roar Uthaug in the director's chair. And yes, the objectification of the Lara Croft character is a bit out of hand here, to say the least. Jolie's cast mates largely fall short of her energy as well, with most - apart from the always amazing Noah Taylor - looking like they're working in a completely different movie. That fact makes it all the more disappointing that the film itself never quite matches her energy, with West failing almost across the board to deliver on the blockbuster potential inherent to the narrative. In doing so, she arguably became the most believable live-action iteration of Croft the franchise has seen. While "Tomb Raider" clearly offered less to work with in terms of character, Jolie jumped into the action work with a verve all but unseen in past projects. Jolie's casting was indeed a bit of a coup for the franchise as she was fresh off star-making roles in 1999's "The Bone Collector" and "Girl, Interrupted," the latter of which netted her an Academy Award for best supporting actress. While many critics were quick to point out scripting issues in their reviews of "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," they almost universally praised the work of Angelina Jolie in the title role. While "Cradle of Life" scored a few points higher from Rotten Tomatoes critics, it remains hard to legitimately argue it's the better movie. For her part, Angelina Jolie brings the same superstar magnetism and unabashed sex appeal to the proceedings as she did to the first film, with new co-stars Gerard Butler and Ciarán Hinds adding their own sort of weight to the proceedings.Īs with its predecessor, however, the film is astonishingly short on story or character, and de Bont does little to encourage his actors to do anything but look cool and hit their marks during the film's many set pieces - most of which the director shows little interest in reigning in for the sake of story or believability. And it likely says a lot about the "Tomb Raider" sequel that de Bont has not directed a feature film since. ![]() The film was, of course, ushered through production with a new director calling the shots, with producers trading Simon West for "Speed" helmer Jan de Bont. If you've seen "The Cradle of Life," it's hard to argue the point.
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