Lara Croft - Tomb Raider (Special Collector's Edition)

Lara Croft - Tomb Raider (Special Collector's Edition)
by Simon West

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Movie Reviews of Lara Croft - Tomb Raider (Special Collector's Edition)

Movie Review: Lara Croft Tomb Raider - A great action flick!
Summary: 5 Stars

Not unlike other films though, this one kind of grows on you and can be appreciated for what it is, a great action film couched a reasonably well thought out plot. One of the most important aspects to the success or lack thereof in this film was the leading role of Lara Croft. The decision to cast the ever beautiful Angelina Jolie was right on target. I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever watched any of her previous movies, but I can say that she performs quite exceptionally in the role of the female "Indiana Jones/James Bond" type superhero. The fact that she spent several months preparing for this film and performed the majority of the stunts makes this movie that much more appreciable, especially considering the effort she put into it. Her reactions, facial movements and overall style of acting certainly adds a good "flavor" to the movie as well.

Of particular note is the style in which this film was produced. Given that it is based on a video game and previous efforts to project video games onto the silver screen have come off as "campy" and lame, the producers made an outstanding decision to put this film in a "serious" light, with a mostly workable plot. Given that I've only had a passing familiarity with the video games themselves, I don't really wish to comment on that particular aspect.

Of the many great action films I've watched over the years, I'd rate this one pretty high as it definitely exceeds expectations and leaves you wishing for more, which brings to mind the pending release of the second Tomb Raider movie. Hopefully this movie will stand up to or exceed the popularity of this first Tomb Raider film!

The premise:

Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, Tomb Raider performs exceptionally well; from A to Z she immersed herself in this role, including an extremely believable British accent. The film begins with a great main title and opening sequence where Lara Croft if "battling" Simon, a machine that is well bent towards killing her. This of course, is but the first of many outstanding action sequences for the Tomb Raider.

From there we're brought into the real plot which is Lara Croft, prompted by dreams and letters from the grave starts to piece together clues about her missing and presumed dead, father. This brings her into the hunt for an ancient and powerful device while at the same time dealing with another person who is seeking this device for not so altruistic purposes.

I highly recommend this film to any and all that are fans of great action sequences/films that "actually" contain a reasonably decent plot. {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

This one is definitely full of some great Special Features that are definitely worth the time to explore.

Digging Into Tomb Raider
Crafting Lara Croft
The Stunts of Tomb Raider
Visual Effects of Tomb Raider
Are you Game?
Commentary by Director Simon West
4 Deleted Scenes
Alternate Main Title Sequences
U2 Music Video, "Elevation" Tomb Raider Mix

DVD-ROM Features
Tomb Raider Timeline
Tomb Raider Chronicles Game Demo
Web Site Archive

Access To the Online Experience

Summary of Lara Croft - Tomb Raider (Special Collector's Edition)

Perhaps to distance himself from Lara Croft's video game origins, director Simon West takes things a bit too seriously; Tomb Raider handles its plot (involving a planetary alignment, the nefarious Illuminati, and coveted relics that hold the key to controlling the flow of time) with all the gravity of a championship chess match... minus the tension. If the movie had lightened up and been truly suspenseful (instead of being suffused with been-there, done-that familiarity), it would have been an instant popcorn classic. As it is, however, this is an elegantly mounted adventure featuring exotic locations (in Cambodia and Iceland) and an exotic star born for her role. Even without her padded bra, Jolie would be the living embodiment of Lara Croft, and that's enough to bode well for inevitable sequels. --Jeff Shannon