Tomb Raider (2018)

Review

118min

Genre:     Action, Adventure

Director:  Roar Uthaug

Cast:       Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Walton Goggins…and more

Writers:   Alastair Siddons, Geneva Robertson-Dworet & Evan Daugherty

-Synopsis-

Missing and presumed dead, British adventurer ‘Lord Richard Croft’ leaves a secret life-or-death archaeological mission in the hands of his independent and formidable daughter ‘Lara’, sending her on an adventure to a distant island where she must stop a deadly tomb from being uncovered in this reboot of a classic video game film adaptation.

It seems fitting and timely in the era of equality and female empowerment in Hollywood, that a film adaptation of arguably the most iconic female-led video game series would be rebooted for a new generation. So Warner Bros. turns to Roar Uthaug (Cold Prey, The Wave) in his first English language film, tasked with injecting millennial vigour into a Lara Croft origin story and franchise-starter, while entertaining audiences with the action and adventure they’ve come to expect from the brand—but it seems it was just about a bridge too far for the Norwegian director.

Swedish Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander stars as spirited heiress and aristocrat’s daughter Lara Croft herself, refusing her birthright while struggling with the long-time disappearance of her industrialist father Richard (Dominic West), only to embark on an ocean-spanning adventure to uncover his fate after receiving a message seemingly from beyond the grave. Retracing the treacherous steps of her father’s final expedition to an isolated island, the budding young adventurer pushes her limits and crosses swords with dangerous operator ‘Mathias Vogel’ (Walton Goggins) and his mercenaries—uncovering the secrets of a mythical tomb while unravelling a wider global conspiracy.

After forging a career in period drama and making a breakthrough as an entrancing android in 2014’s ‘Ex Machina’, Vikander dipped her toe in bid-budget Hollywood action with ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ and ‘Jason Bourne’, but now takes the full plunge and joins husband Michael Fassbender in leading a much anticipated movie adaptation of a beloved video game series—with which comes plenty of baggage and fan expectation.

‘Tomb Raider’ sets a darker grittier tone than the 2001 Angelina Jolie original, taking a more sombre stance in terms of the death and violence than you might expect from a video game movie, and featuring more dynamic and frenetic action sequences befitting a modern action piece. But the film takes itself more seriously than you might want or expect from an action/adventure, focusing too much on an origin story defined by a poignant father-daughter story which is underwritten and weighs down the narrative, and results in a film that’s largely devoid of any charm or humour—having to crowbar in a few comedic scenes to try and redress the balance.

The film’s leads—with their undeniable dramatic chops—do their best but they’re not given much to work with and are saddled with rather one-note characters. Vikander meanwhile is certainly game for the physical elements, relying on her dance background whilst showing poise and grace in some impressive action sequences, but thanks to the limits of the narrative she just doesn’t show the attitude or charisma that the character requires—something which her predecessor proved so adept at.

Yet while the drama and the narrative feels prosaic and unconvincing, most aren’t watching ‘Tomb Raider‘ for the pathos, so the film rises and falls on the strength of the basic plot and the quality of the action . . . and that’s where the problems become harder to overlook.

Make no mistake the film is well shot by cinematographer George Richmond (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Eddie the Eagle) in some beautiful South African wilderness locations, and it has more than its fair share of dynamic and acrobatic action sequences, as well as a couple of gritty fights too. But there’s nothing spectacular to separate it from the yearly slew of big studio action films, and nothing we haven’t come to expect from even run-of-the-mill films with a smaller budget.

Ultimately the action and lavish set-pieces prove as unimaginative as the story, rehashing the tropes of classic adventurer stories and brazenly referencing ‘Indiana Jones’ while offering very little that’s fresh or absorbing. Like many adventurer films that follow the classic Spielberg-Lucas series, ‘Tomb Raider’ takes the traps, riddles and puzzles, but leaves the earthy charm and tongue-in-cheek nature which made those films so successful at the door. But to be fair it makes no attempt to either—opting for an intense and action-packed but rather dour and most egregiously slightly dull take on the genre.

There is always a tricky balance when it comes to making film adaptations of video games, you’re essentially removing the key ingredient in the whole endeavour—audience participation. Which is why narrative and character should be treated as crucial, and not just a backdrop for the action which the gamer-turned-audience has no control over. But for all their efforts Roar Uthaug and co. just don’t give us anything substantial enough to seek our teeth into, and not enough unadulterated escapist entertainment or joy to make up for it—resulting and a perfectly serviceable action-adventure that leaves no mark, and fails to get us excited about a franchise . . . unless they do something about that tone.

The Bottom Line…

Reasonably entertaining and featuring all the Hollywood bells & whistles but lacking the charm and joy of a genuine adventure epic, ‘Tomb Raider’ lacks the imagination and inventiveness in its action and plot to make up for a dour tone and underwritten narrative—giving a dedicated and game Alicia Vikander little to work with, and leaving us with a Lara Croft without the charisma and attitude you might expect.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Assassin’s Creed (2016)

Michael Fassbender stars as dangerous criminal ‘Callum Lynch’; co-opted by a powerful and advanced organisation to unlock the memories of his deadly ancient Assassin ancestors, becoming an unwitting player in an age-old sinister power game in this adaptation of the hugely successful video game series from the director of 2015’s ‘Macbeth’.

Directed by Justin Kurzel and starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Irons among others.

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