Tomb Raider (2018) - Review

The circumstances surrounding Tomb Raider are certainly unique. A re-make of a series of films based on a series of video games. While the Angelina Jolie-led series was an over the top romp, this new film offers a more grounded, realistic take on the origin of Lara Croft; inspired by the critically acclaimed 2013 game which itself re-booted the series. The question is - does this new film strike gold, or are the tombs just as empty as they were in 2003?

In Tomb Raider, Alicia Vikander plays Lara Croft, a young lady full of spunk but leading an unfulfilling life after the disappearance of her father. Stumbling onto his archeology notes, she decides to track him down to his last known whereabouts, until she becomes entangled in a search for an ancient Japanese goddess of death.

Unfortunately, Tomb Raider falls into much the same trappings as its earlier series did in the early 2000's - style, but little substance. While the realism and Woman vs Wild survival scenes are a welcome change, the plot is simply too thin, the dialogue too hokey, and the overall product too forgettable to be noteworthy.

Vikander brings a youthful energy to the lead role in what may be the films only redeeming factor. It's clear that she really enjoyed playing Croft, and that helps keep viewers energetic during the overly-long 2 hour run-time. Unfortunately, the material provided is lackluster, and the time spent on character development is so minimal that we merely get a handful of big moments without the small, quiet moments that flesh those out.

In the 2013 game this movie is so heavily based on, players are given a dozen hours from start to finish to see Croft progress from vulnerable young girl into a mature, adult survivalist. The long-form storytelling that goes along with video games allows the writers to linger on the bigger moments for more time, giving the sense that Croft is truly learning as she goes. The downside with a film translation is that there is no time for lingering. For example: At the beginning of the film, Croft loses a boxing match handily. By the end of the film, she is proficient in hand to hand combat, besting trained mercenaries. At no point do we see her actively learn these skills, they jus develop. While I can suspend my disbelief quite a large amount, it is things like this that make me check out of the film.

The rest of the cast is sub-par, with Walton Goggins playing an absolutely uninspired villain, and Dominic West playing Croft's father. West's dialogue is a real disappointment. As anyone who watched The Wire can attest, West is a really good actor, but he is not given nearly enough to work in this film.

One final note I would like to make is on the cinematography, which was actually quite good. There is one shot where Lara jumps off a sinking ship that took my breath away. The color contrasts are nice, with the island a lush blue-green, and the tomb during the finale the appropriate shadowy darkness. I wish director Roar Uthaug would have given cinematographer George Richmond a little more leeway to craft some more longshots, as that is really where the on-screen image sings.

Like most video game film adaptations, Tomb Raider is a picture of mediocrity. The tension isn't particularly tense, the action isn't particularly gripping, and the dialogue isn't particularly witty. While Vikander is likeable, that only goes so far when the plot is paper thin and rushed. I am saddened to say SKIP IT.