Tomb Raider (Review)
Tomb Raider is The Best Video Game Movie To Date!
It might not be saying much, but Tomb Raider is the best video game movie ever made. Of course, it doesn’t exactly have stiff competition when it comes to that alocade. So, let me put this another way, Tomb Raider is an exciting action film with a compelling protagonist, intense action sequences, and a mystery that is incredibly exciting to watch unfold. It’s not just a great video game movie, it’s a good film in general.
Based on the famous games of the same name, Tomb Raider follows Lara Croft (played by Alicia Vikander), a British socialite who prefers spending her time ducking it out in MMA gyms and seeking adventure. Most people know that this eventually leads to her becoming the titular Tomb Raider, but this film is much more of an origin story for the character. We see the makings of the hero she will become, but now we get to see how her entire life was inadvertently spent preparing for this role in an attempt to follow in her father’s footsteps. Tomb Raider shows an in-depth understanding not just of the character’s origins, but the driving force that propels her forward into her transformation.
I can’t speak highly enough about Alicia Vikander’s performance. With her down and dirty portrayal of the character, she was much more a character of indomitable will rather than unparalleled skill. Meaning that she takes more than her fair share of hits in the movie, but this Lara always gets back up no matter how much it hurts. This is a characteristic I’ve always admired in heroic characters. Ones that don’t just walk through every challenge set before them, but struggle to overcome them. For me, this gives Lara a great deal of strength, because it’s up to her character, not her high kicks to keep her moving forward.
Vikander is met by an intense villain, played by character actor Walter Goggins. A man well known for his shiny, oversized teeth, as well as his acting prowess. While he isn’t given much of a character to work with, Goggins fills in the blanks and manages to become a menacing threat for the hero. The two of them circle each other like boxers in the first round, testing their reach, abilities, and determination, before they finally come to blows. While he might not be a memorable villain, this doesn’t undermine the film at all, since his presence gives Lara room to grow and prove herself to the audience.
Director Roar Uthaug deserves some sort of an award for being the first director to successfully adapt a video game to the big screen. His action sequences feel very much like cutscenes in a game, something which most gamers see as satisfying rewards for a mission well done. He spreads these over the top scenes out just enough though so that it doesn’t feel like it’s pandering to the audience, showing them what they want to see from the character. However, they still do feel very rewarding to watch, especially with Vikander’s incredible acting abilities hooking the audience from the very beginning.
Tomb Raider isn’t perfect though. There are plenty of moments where audiences are asked to hold their disbelief or ignore silly things like logic. However, it’s not meant to be a “stars” film. Instead, this is a popcorn flick that knows what it is but has enough talent behind it to smooth out the rough edges and distract the audience from the parts that it’s lacking. In a lot of ways, it’s a lot like it’s character. All the makings of something that should be posh and refined, but it prefers the down and dirty approach.
The highest praise I can give Tomb Raider is that this could be the next Indiana Jones franchise (hopefully without Kingdom of the Crystal Skull though). It’s a great adventure with all the elements that fans love from the video games. An ancient myth that could lead to the downfall of mankind, temples with lots of traps, death-defying stunts, and a hero that is badass, but also beautiful in her powerful nature. I have to say, Uthaug and Vikander won me over, and I’m sure they will win you over as well. Just remember that you’re walking into a movie that embraces all the absurdities we love about video games and, well, tomb raiding movies like Indiana Jones. Here’s hoping that studios are smart enough to let these two do whatever they want for the inevitable sequel.
