'TOMB RAIDER' (2018) starring Alicia Vikander - a film review
Based on the 2013 video game of the same name, and including some elements of the sequel, Swedish Academy Award winning actress Alicia Vikander takes on the role of Lara Croft in this latest adaption of 'Tomb Raider'. The film follows Croft's perilous journey to her father's last known destination, hoping to solve the mystery of his disappearance.
It came as no surprise that 'Tomb Raider' was met with mixed reviews, as films adapted from video games are rarely received well by critics and fans alike. 'Prince of Persia' (2010), 'Postal' (2007), and 'The Angry Birds Movie' (2016) all suffered the same fate, while the Aaron Paul-lead 'Need For Speed' (2014) came off as boring. 'Warcraft' (2016) was targeted heavily towards an already-established fanbase that isolated new viewers, and the less-than-average 'Assassin's Creed' (2016) film and forgettably bad 'Super Mario Bros' (from way back in 1993) can be added to the long and growing list of video games to film adaptations that audiences love to hate.
Unfortunately, there's nothing new to truly relish about the film's plot. It can be aptly described as a "paint-by-numbers" way of screenwriting, though it is by far the grittiest and realistic take on the franchise, which is refreshing.
Vikander's interpretation of the character is one that has left viewers on the fence. While there are times that she appears little more than a punching bag, there are others when she proves more than capable to lead the film as the famous and much-loved Lara Croft. Though Vikander is clearly up to the task of tackling such a well-known character, being someone who has admitted to being a fan of the games and reboots herself, she was let down in the uninspired origin story that was the premise of this film.
While Vikander is by far the highlight of the film, she struggles with a mediocre story and one-dimensional support characters that assist fans in spotting a cliche coming from a mile away. She is assisted by Norwegian genre specialist Roar Uthaug, who doesn't try to fit Vikander's prowess and acting chops into a CGI-happy, action driven thrill ride. What he does do, along with Vikander, is create a more three-dimensional character in a sadly very one-dimension story. And while she may slay the enjoyable action sequences, fans trying to find a deeper meaning will see it as a fruitless task.
While it may be a whole lot better than many other video game adaptions, a tighter storyline could have helped this film to become an action classic. It is, however, an enjoyable film at face value.
'Tomb Raider' is in cinemas now.
