Yes, “Tomb Raider” is formulaic. But it’s also heaps and heaps of fun.
The action film is based on the video game of the same name – a reboot of the successful movie series based on the “Tomb Raider” series of games. The original “Tomb Raider” film series starred Angelina Jolie as the titular raider of tombs, Lara Croft, where she was an excellent fit for the role (except for some awkward two-handed shooting sequences, but everything else was dandy).
In this new film, Alicia Vikander takes up the mantle of Lara Croft as she goes on a quest to locate her missing father. She handles her action sequences with aplomb, lending believability that a human being of such athleticism and grace can actually exist in the real world (okay, granted, I know a few human beings with this level of skill in movement, but she makes it look effortless).
There’s no doubt that it’s formulaic. Set pieces appear like clockwork, giving us fights, chase sequences, adventures and other adrenaline-pumping escapades every so often. It is, after all, an action-adventure film. However, there’s a comforting regularity to their appearances – almost as if Lara Croft were in, you know, a video game? It manages to eke out the best experiences of a video game without falling prey to the usual pitfalls of video game movies, adhering to the premise in a way that makes the best use of the film medium.
Plot-wise, there’s an interesting twist which manages to surprise, although the subsequent conclusion plays out as expected. This may be a spoiler, but “Tomb Raider” utilises humanity’s fear of the supernatural in an organic and engaging way. Suffice to say, it doesn’t fall on the crutch of “it’s magic!” when it comes to explaining plot elements.
If you want to know – the film truly lives up to its name by letting Lara Croft raid tombs almost from the get-go. It’s not as macabre as you might think, and there’s a heavy dose of adventure and mystery weaved into the exploration of said tombs. However, it’s more of a fun exploration rather than a loot and plunder scenario.
The film finishes with room for a sequel (but of course) while still tossing us a bone in the form of the main character finding her signature weapons. It manages to deftly avoid the trite ending of video games, without having to make use of dangling cliffhangers as a way to market the next film. In fact, “Tomb Raider” is a pretty great movie in and of itself.
Yes, “Tomb Raider” is fun and formulaic. But that’s not a bad thing, since it manages to ape the style of a video game while still delivering a coherent narrative. It serves up action, some mystery, and lots of adventure in a bold new interpretation of Lara Croft. It might be based on Indiana Jones, but it feels more Ducktales in terms of execution (minus the anthropomorphic ducks, of course). And to me, that’s a huge plus.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes.
Should you watch it more than once? Nah.
Score: 3.8/5
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 118 minutes (~2 hours)
“Tomb Raider” is an action-adventure film based on franchise of the same name. It is the third overall film, but the first one in the rebooted series.
It is directed by Roar Uthaug and written by Geneva Robertson-Dworet, with additional screenplay credits for Alastair Siddons and story credits for Evan Daugherty. It stars Alicia Vikander (Lara Croft), Dominic West (Lord Richard Croft), Walton Goggins (Mathias Vogel), Daniel Wu (Lu Ren), and Kristin Scott Thomas (Ana Miller). It is rated PG-13.
“Tomb Raider” opens in cinemas:
– 8 March, 2018 (Singapore)
– 8 March, 2018 (Malaysia)
– 8 March, 2018 (Philippines)
This is an original article on marcusgohmarcusgoh.com
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I’m a Singapore television scriptwriter who’s written for Lion Mums, Crimewatch, Police & Thief, and Incredible Tales. I’m also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find me on social media as Optimarcus and on my site.
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