Tomb Raider Dir: Roar Uthaug (Film Review)

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Starring Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Daniel Wu, Kristin Scott Thomas

The video game movie curse is alive and real. Does Tomb Raider defy all odds and do what like the likes of Warcraft and Assassin’s Creed could not? Well keep reading and let me tell you.

The Tomb Raider video games have been around since the mid-nineties, and they first made the big screen with two Angelina Jolie-led films in the early 2000s. Those Angelina-led films (believe it or not) have had the largest box office takings than any video-game adaptation in film history. So it seemed like a good idea to bring it back with the amazingly talented, Oscar winning Alicia Vikander at the helm.

Many of you (like myself) played the Playstation 1 and 2 games as pimply faced teenagers, and those original games were much more sexualised, with a Lara Croft made up of polygons running around in short shorts. That version of Lara Croft isn’t in this film, actually you won’t find any women in this film who are being sexualised. This ‘reboot’ is actually based on a reboot, which reestablishes Lara Croft from that ‘teenage fantasy’ version to a strong female adventure hero. You won’t find any skimpy or revealing outfits here. Vikander in the film even says “I’m not that kind of Croft”. Appropriate if you ask me.

The film opens up with a gutsy Lara in the ring taking hits to the face and getting slammed onto the canvas, we quickly learn that this version of Lara is a badass. In this film, Lara refuses to accept her wealthy roots and lives a humble life, working as a bike courier in a modern hipster-like London. She may continuously attempt to push away her old life, but she’s constantly haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her father (Dominic West). His sudden vanishing haunts her, quite literally. Her humble life is quickly interrupted when her past finds her in the form of Ana Miller (Kristin Scott Thomas). If she doesn’t accept her inheritance, the Croft business, including Croft Manor will be sold off. Everything her father worked for will be gone forever. When she comes to terms with everything and just as she is about to sign on the dotted line, it is revealed that her father left some rather elaborate clues for her to find. The resourceful Lara quickly starts to piece it all together, which leads Lara to discovering a recording of her father. In the recording we learn that he was in fact investigating the legend of Himiko, the Queen of Yamatai. Learning this, Lara sets her off on her own globe trotting adventure to unravel her father’s past and his disappearance. Despite him warning Lara to destroy all the evidence and research.

Lara arrives in Hong Kong, and after a Bourne-like chase sequence she seeks out Lu Ren (Daniel Wu), to take her out to the remote island where the legend of Himiko originates. On this incredibly dangerous and remote island Lara meets a scruffy Matthias Vogel (Walton Goggins), an archaeologist who works for an organisation known as the Trinity that are attempting to find Himiko’s tomb, for it’s own evil purposes.

The film doesn’t let up, it has it’s foot on the pedal the entire time. Lara runs, fights and just like in the Playstation games there’s always a ledge or something for Lara to dangle from. But the film isn’t just about action. This more gritty and realistic version of Lara Croft has just enough heart to stop it being some sort of hollow, quickly cut flashy film. In this film we see her take her first life, and see her confronted with her own inner demons. Vikander is engaging and I honestly couldn’t see anyone else in the role. Although Daisy Ridley did come close apparently.

The only major flaws for me in this film is that characters such as Lu Ren (the handsome boat captain), were not really developed. The film made out as if this is an important character who I should care for and I felt nothing for him. The constant ‘daddy issues’ theme started to get a little tiresome around the last half-hour. But those were my only negatives from the film.

A film such as Tomb Raider will struggle to stand on it’s own, and it will always borrow from or somehow be compared to Indiana Jones. But honestly it makes for a great film. You know what you’re going to get when you see the trailer. It proves to the world that you can make a great video game film. Is it a fantastic film? No. Does it have it’s flaws? Yes. But it is what it needs to be and that’s just fine with me.

The film leaves just enough story for there to be a sequel. Will there be one? Well, I know I’d buy a ticket to see Tomb Raider 2.

Allan George

The 13th Floor
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