In 2001, a video game leapt to the big screen with a case of casting made in heaven. Tomb Raider could not have chosen a better Lara Croft than Angelina Jolie. She would return for a sequel, 2003’s Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, but that would be it for the screen siren’s run as the action heroine born from the video game landscape. When it was announced that Warner Bros. and MGM were rebooting the franchise with another Oscar winner tackling the role, Alicia Vikander, it was another case of impeccable casting.
Does the film rise to the levels of her talents and give longtime fans of the character and video game something to cheer? Mostly, and that is largely due to the vibrancy of Vikander.
Tomb Raider, circa 2018, is a true origins film and as such one has to sludge through the monotony of meeting character we’ve already know. Yes, she is not living up to her potential until she finds the reason to live fully and fulfill her destiny. Been there, done that. But, once Croft gets a clue about her father’s disappearance in the Pacific that has her thinking she knows where he is… the adventurer Croft that is in her DNA takes over and we are off to Asia.
Once there, she runs in to an old colleague of her father, Mathias Vogel (Walton Goggins). Croft hasn’t seen or heard from her father for seven years since he disappeared. Vogel, meanwhile, has been on this secretive island with an army for seven years… waiting for some help in his effort to find some lost Japanese tomb that promises to unleash hell on the earth. This all at the request of his (mystery) employer.
When Croft crashes onto the beach of this island with notes from her father in tow, one can see how Vogel is happy and Croft may be kind of screwed. Our heroine won’t be put out for long. A complicated web is then weaved that involves evil forces wanting to control the supernatural powers of the world, the Croft family destiny and the fishing boat captain whose father also happened to have disappeared on the same mission as Croft’s daddy.
Norwegian director Roar Uthaug, who gave us the 2015 thrill-fest, jaw-dropping The Wave, is behind the camera for Tomb Raider. His gift of delivering intense moments, as shown in his previous work about a Tsunami hitting a small Norwegian town, are there in his latest. These suspenseful action sequences seem to come out of nowhere and catch us by surprise, which is a good thing. I cannot stand blockbusters where set pieces seem to be signaled to be coming at you as openly as a race caller saying, “ready, set, go!”
One cannot live on expertly shot, utterly nail-biting suspense alone. We need a bit more of layered plot with characters finding their true calling and destinies being filled. Sure, that happens here, but it is painfully drawn out and much is left for the audience to simply accept without question. There are holes in the story that scream out, and then an action sequence commences. Then, it is easy to leave those plot gaps or questions in the rear view. Sadly, those thrilling moments become less satisfying because there isn’t the audience-emotional connection to those doing the running around, fighting, leaping off cliffs and hanging off things (seriously, Lara hangs off of EVERYTHING!).
Goggins is terrific as a baddie, which is hardly a surprise… he’s been doing it for years. Dominic West delivers a solid turn as Lara’s father Lord Richard Croft. And Daniel Wu does everything he can with the two-dimensional boat captain Lu Ren. Lest we forget, Nick Frost is sensational in what little screen time he gets as a pawn shop owner. Hopefully he gets more screen time in a future installment.
Vikander handles the action like a pro and is as gifted a female action heroine as Gal Gadot is at Wonder Woman. The Oscar winner also delivers on the rare emotional moments that ground her character — when they are afforded to her by the lacking script by Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Alastair Siddons. If this film does decent business, which it is likely to do, we look forward to seeing her in a Tomb Raider movie where she can just go at it, without having to give us all that backstory. It is interesting, the Jolie Tomb Raider movies had a similar pattern. The first one was too bogged down in exposition and the second film was a tighter-knit thrill ride that could use all 120 minutes to pull you in and never let you go. For the Swedish actress, we sure hope she is offered the same opportunity as Jolie.
She was born to bring this embodiment of female empowerment to life. Much is being made of her being a terrific role model for today’s women and especially young girls with this film. If I remember correctly, the character has always had that element to her. But, there is something in the performance of Vikander that adds layers to that relatability that Jolie never quite achieved. It is a mesmerizing turn by a supremely talented actress and one that elevates this film solely on her kick-ass turn.
Grade: B-