Tomb Raider (2018 Film) Review
"Tomb Raider" stars Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, Dominic West as Richard Croft, Walton Goggins as Mathias Vogel, and Daniel Wu as Lu Ren.
I'm gonna start moving away from attaching the Kids-In-Mind link to movies I review, but I'm making an exception for "Tomb Raider". Why? Because you should not take young children to see this film.
This film is more creepier, more scarier, and a tad more bloodier than the promotional material and the PG-13 rating have led on. It doesn't cross into R-rated territory, but children below the age of twelve should be kept at home if you choose to see this in theaters. I went with my family to see this movie with my family, which included my six-year-old, almost seven, brother and my sister who recently turned ten. Both had their eyes covered for certain scenes of the film. Maybe your kids can handle it, but just to be sure, you may want to see that Kids-In-Mind link.
If it weren't for the second-half of this movie, I'd like this film a whole lot less. Not to say that the second-half of "Tomb Raider" is perfect, but the energy from that second-half leaves you on a high, more energized note. The first-half boarders on boring. Admittedly, that first-half is setting up who our young heroine is, but Roar Uthaug and company could've made the pacing a little more faster and the set-up a lot more layered. Here, Lara Croft is set up in such a way that it basically becomes a checklist. It's far less entertaining that way and makes a long film feel even longer.
Beyond the slow first-half, the only other problem that I had with "Tomb Raider" at large, were it being a bit too sequel-centric in the last ten minutes. They wrap up the story of this film, but then have a jarring turn to "Okay, let's set up the sequel" mode. I find it a tad annoying when these aspiring franchises attempt to set up a future film in the final few minutes of the current picture. "Tomb Raider" does its best trying to not feel too conspicuous at setting up a sequel, but it still ended up feeling that way because it had such a jarring transition.
I'm not going too much into the supporting cast. Partly because Alicia Vikander's Lara Croft feels like the only character that has depth. The other reason being that there's not much to tell about the supporting characters. Daniel Wu has little to do as Lu Ren. He's more of a plot device than an actual character. Dominic West's Richard Croft felt the same way, but the father-daughter relationship between Lara and him had more heart than I expected, so I almost forgive it. Walton Goggins actually has menace as the antagonist, Mathias Vogel. I thought that while he didn't have too much depth, he had somewhat reasonable motivations behind his villainous actions.
Alicia Vikander
I'm not that familiar with the "Tomb Raider" brand. To my knowledge, I've never played any of the video games and I actually hadn't heard of it at all until I heard that Warner Brothers was making this reboot. I did some reading about the brand and I saw the first of Angelina Jolie's "Tomb Raider" films before I watched this movie (I'll be feuding those films in a revival of the "Which Is Better" series).
From what I gather about who Lara Croft is, Alicia Vikander fit the part incredibly well. I must admit, it took a while before I connected with her character. Again, that was due to the slow first-half. It was in that period of time that I found Alicia Vikander to be uncompelling, dislikable even. She played the character in a very sarcastic, mean way, but as I found out why she was that way, I forgave it. When we further explored the relationship between Lara and her father, that's when I found the character interesting. She had a lot of depth acting alongside Dominic West than any of her co-stars.
In an age where "strong, female characters" is, apparently, a new and unheard idea, this interpretation of Lara Croft fits that description. While the film was a little obvious about building a heroine that was not a Mary Sue (Lara's gets beat up a lot more than you think), her action scenes were spot on. The actress's physicality helped make the character's more outlandish stunts believable. Although, she does take on a soldier almost twice her size and successfully dispatches him while being injured the entire time, so maybe not too believable. Because the script set up that she was a great fighter, I caught myself grinning when she used that against her opponents. The fight choreography exceeding my expectations and after seeing what Vikander did to prepare for the role, it only heightened my appreciation for the her character's action sequences.
What I liked about the character the most though, was her ability to strategize on the job. She often finds herself in a tough corner and she uses her intellect to figure out a creative way to get out of the situation. The other thing that was particularly unique, was how the film handled having this "everywoman" kill for the first time. She doesn't get too weepy about it, but Vikander sells the sadness of the scene, that I actually shed a tear. I haven't seen the actress in many good roles, so I'm starting to understand why she's an acclaimed actress.
CGI/Score
In the trailers, I wasn't impressed with the CGI quality. It looked unpolished and that wasn't a good sign for the movie at large. Luckily, the CGI is easier on the eyes when seen on the big screen. It's not the most stunning CGI because it still has that effect that you're seeing something that's not actually there. However, the locations feel real and the cinematography captures that better than I thought it would. The tomb itself feel real and, to me, didn't seem too CGI-heavy. I actually applaud the detail taken with the sculptures and murals inside. In short, there's not much in the way of outstanding effects work. It's done simply good, nothing more.
At the start of the picture, I was worried that we would get a generic score to go along with this once-mediocre film. Like the rest of the film, that belief was changed as I entered the latter half of the picture.
When things started getting more adventurous and exciting, the score mirrored the tone. Tom Holkenborg, also known as Junkie XL, composed a soundtrack that elicits a swirl of emotions. It's often uplifting, sometimes saddening, and other times very creepy and sinister.
It might not be one of the soundtracks that will be memorable throughout the history of film, but when watching the story unfold, it's the score that gets you pumped. It certainly raised my enjoyment of the film, and is part of the reason why I left on such a high note.
Grade: C+
"Tomb Raider" won't necessarily win points for originality or consistency in pacing, but the lead performance, impressive action sequences, and decent score, make this film an above-average adventure flick. This film demands at least one viewing. Whether it is in the theater or not, is up to you. It depends if you're a fan of the brand, or if you are into this genre of filmmaking. While it has problems, I'd recommend seeing it in theaters because the bigger screen adds a touch of majesty to the settings. There's no need to see this 3D though.
Conclusion
This has been my review of 2018's "Tomb Raider". If you checked this film out in theaters, tell me what you thought of it and my review. If you have not yet seen the film, does this review make you want to see it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. If you want, you can recommend a film that you would like me to review. Again, share those comments and share this review with your friends and/or family. Thanks for reading, I'm The Film Fanatic, bye-bye.
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