Time: 101 Minutes
Age Rating: M – Medium level violence
Cast:
Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft
Iain Glen as Manfred Powell
Jon Voight as Lord Richard Croft
Daniel Craig as Alex West
Noah Taylor as Bryce
Director: Simon West

While movies and shows have been turning this around (particularly recently), video game adaptations don’t have the best reputation. That said, for a while Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was considered one of the best video game movies, and its easy to see why. It’s not great by any means but translates the source material well and is entertaining for what it is.

I’ve only played the newer Tomb Raider games starting from 2013 but from what I can tell, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider really captures the tone and over the top silliness of the earlier games. Even the action scenes and puzzles are straight out of a video game. The plot doesn’t really make sense and is dumb, but it is nonetheless an entertaining globetrotting adventure, with the right amount of camp and self awareness. 

Angelina Jolie plays Lara Croft and is really good here, very witty and embodying the character, especially in the action. Iain Glen does well as the main villain, and Daniel Craig is also in the movie.

Simon West’s direction is energetic and has a very 2000s action style, from the camera movements to the music choices. The cinematography is very stylish, the movie feels huge in scale, and the practical sets are really good. The action sequences are well crafted and entertaining, with some impressive stunts work, even if the special effects are quite cheesy.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is a very cheesy and entertaining 2000s action movie. It’s generic and doesn’t make much sense, but it works with its light tone, fun action, and Angelina Jolie as the title character.