Tomb Raider

As a fan of films and games, I know all too well that the two rarely mix well together despite Hollywood's best efforts. The Indiana Jones-esque Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider series did find some success with the Angelina Jolie films in 2001 and 2003 that still offer some cheesy entertainment, even it is now becoming very dated. Just recently, Assassins Creed tried its best with a loose adaptation but sadly that failed at producing anything memorable.

Hoping to inject some life back into the franchise, following a successful reboot in the video game series back in 2013, Warner Bros reintroduced a more modern take on Lara with Tomb Raider. Swapping out the "enhanced assets" of Jolie's films, Alicia Vikander takes on the lead role that is almost a direct adaptation from the 2013 video game, which I completed and thoroughly enjoyed. The game was a refreshingly tense and brutal experience as a ship carrying Lara and friends crashes on a mysterious island that they were trying to find, and it falls to her to rescue everyone. I knew the film would change a few things, and focuses more on her own quest to find the island her father (Dominic West) gave his life to find.

As with book adaptations, it can be hard not to grumble at the changes and missed opportunities that the source material provided. Regardless, when the film gets going, there is enough here to satisfy fans and newcomers but I couldn't help shake the feeling the producers had a tight grasp on the budget, restricting the chance to offer something visually striking and memorable. This isn't helped with an extended first act in London that just doesn't belong in the film as it holds back everything fans hoped to see.

But when it gets going, Vikander proves that she is more than capable in the lead role and I hope she gets a sequel that gives her more to work with. Meanwhile, the always reliable Walton Goggins does the best he can as the villain, who also deserved a better script, but not even his charisma can save this forgettable antagonist.

Tomb Raider ultimately feels like a test film, with a collection of familiar beats for fans to say, "I remember that..." so that producers might see if there's an audience to make it worth investing in a bigger sequel. As video game films go, this wasn't bad at all but I wished it aimed higher otherwise it'll soon be eclipsed by the inevitable Uncharted film.