Tomb Raider (Uthaug) 2018

If you're a fan of the Tomb Raider video game franchise, you will likely love this film from the very first scene. For people not familiar with the games, it might be a bit hard to suspend disbelief for the duration of the film.

I have personally been working my way through the three most recent Tomb Raider games from Square Enix. For those who have played Tomb Raider (2013) the general plot points of this film will feel very familiar, even if the characters (other than Croft herself) vary from the game. That said, the difference between game and film are enough to make the film feel like something other than just a big screen version of the game.

The decision to replace Angelina Jolie with Alicia Vikander was a great choice as Vikander embodies the character very well. Her portrayal aligns with the "new" version of Lara that appears in the reboot of the game series. She feels very much like an extension of the game version of her character.

As an adventure film, this checks all the boxes with puzzles, traps, crazy bad guys, and a loose plot line of family connection. It feels more like Indiana Jones than the Jolie Tomb Raider films and by forcing Croft to fend for herself in many instances, it captures the adventure/puzzle feel of the game. There are plenty of homages to the game itself which fans of the series will love and respect.

Tomb Raider is a fun ride from beginning to end and brings one of the strongest female action leads in a while to the screen.

6 out of 10

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