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I've said this before and I'll say it again: there's a difference between a film and a movie. A film is a serious work of art and a movie is entertainment. While there was never any doubt in my mind that Tomb Raider was a movie rather than a film, I didn't think it would even be a good movie. Why did I want to see it then? Two words: Angelina Jolie. Duh! As much as I love a strong intelligent story, I also have my guilty pleasures. A heroine in scanty outfits and lots of cool fighting scenes will sometimes win me over. Tomb Raider did win me over, but not for those reasons. It turns out that this movie, even though it is based on a computer game (which typically makes for an atrocious experience: Street Fighter, Double Dragon, Wing Commander), it actually has a decent story. Lara Croft, played by Angelina Jolie (Girl, Interrupted; The Bone Collector; Gone in Sixty Seconds), must stop evil men from retrieving the two halves of a stone triangle that can control time. I said decent story, not great. It's not that bad, considering that this is the sort of story we usually find in James Bond movies. In fact, Tomb Raider is sort of a cross between James Bond (for all the impossible things that happen) and Indiana Jones (for the archeological elements and the supernatural aspects). While the plot of "Good vs. Evil" is pretty basic, a great effort was made so that this movie wouldn't just be a "shoot'em up" story. In fact, the fighting scenes are rather scarce for the genre. Director Simon West (Con Air, The General's Daughter) conducted this movie with skill: the action scenes are thrilling and the surrounding story is interesting and entertaining.
Some people will probably skip this movie because they think it's nothing but a 2-hour underwear and bra commercial. In fact, when my boss came in this morning, he told us that he heard that Jolie was pretty much strutting around half-naked throughout the movie (which would have been fine by me), and we even joked that it should have been called Boob Raider. While it is true that Jolie wears tight-fitting outfits that outline her breasts, they are covered throughout the movie (except for a shower scene in which we see her from behind), and I am glad the filmmakers made that decision. I was amazed by the talented and beautiful Jolie, who manages to stay sexy while fighting dozens of men, vicious robots and cursed creatures. In fact, Jolie (whose name means "pretty" in French) has a real knack for duality: in Girl, Interrupted, she portrayed the Lisa Rowe character both as a powerful and vulnerable young woman, brilliant, but disturbed. No wonder she stole almost every scene she was in and was nominated for an Oscar. And there's just something about her eyes that make her so ...dreamy. Ah, if I could be in Billy Bob's shoes right now! Lara's deceased father is played by Jolie's real-life father, John Voight (Midnight Cowboy, Deliverance, Heat). Voight plays Lord Croft adequately, although nowhere as good as his performance as President Roosevelt in Pearl Harbor. Voight made a big comeback in 1995's Heat, and he really seems to have found his niche in character acting.
The rest of the relatively unknown cast gives performances on various ends of the acting spectrum. Iain Glen (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Mountains of the Moon, Gorillas in the Mist) is effective as the "evil" Manfred Powell, although his character is probably the most clichéd. The character of Alex Marrs, however, is far more interesting. Interpreted by Daniel Craig (Elizabeth, The Power of One, I Dreamed of Africa), Alex is more than just a "bad guy" (to quote him, "Lara's in it for the glory. I'm in it for the money"), but he's also an ex-boyfriend of Lara (or something to that effect). This detail adds a lot more depth to his character, as he and Lara have a love-hate relationship and competition, which fuels the story even more.
The last two interesting characters are Hilary the butler and Bryce, Lara's technician, played respectively by Chris Barrie (first major production) and Noah Taylor (Shine, Flirting, The Year My Voice Broke). Lara has a complicity with both of these characters that translates into many funny scenes. The visual effects of the movie are very well done and they only play a minor role in the story. That was a wise decision, since too many movies based on comic strips or video games rely heavily on special effects as their main story-telling element. I was particularly impressed by a morphing transition effect from a city in Cambodia to Venice. Speaking of locations, the cinematography was quite impressive, especially the scenes that were shot in Iceland (where, it seems, Lara only needs to wear an unbuttoned coat over a thin shirt).
My biggest disappointment with Tomb Raider has to do with the ending, which is a bit of a letdown. There's a carefully crafted elevation of suspense throughout the movie, but the ending really doesn't live up to the build-up that preceded it. What the ending lacks most is "real" confrontation between Lara and her nemesis, as opposed to the weak scene we are presented with. The soundtrack of the movie is quite entertaining and should make many generation-X'ers happy. It features songs from Moby, Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, Groove Armada, BT, and let's not forget U2. In fact, U2 fans should be aware that they will have to stay through the end credits to hear the "Tomb Raider Mix" of "Elevation". Canadian contributions to the soundtrack include a remix of Nelly Furtado and Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" as well as Delirium's "Terra Firma." The bottom line is that Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is a very entertaining movie and it is not just about a pretty woman with big guns. The mostly-male demographics targeted by the studio should be pleased. Reviewed on June 15, 2001 |
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This page was last updated on: Sunday, 21-Mar-2004 16:23:20 CST © 1998-2004 Luc-Rock Paquin. All Rights Reserved. All movie images © by their respective owners. Used with permission. Before "borrowing" something from my site, please ask me. "Reel Canadian Movie Critic" logo by FranclyGraphic.com. 
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