Review: Tomb Raider
The search for the Holy Grail of video game films continues…
Beware: Spoilers for the film and game
Tomb Raider, directed by Roar Uthaug, is the latest film based on a video game property that attempts to break the curse of mediocrity. This rebooted adventure featuring a new Lara Croft does not break the bad streak, but it does not diminish the Tomb Raider property. This film is a middle-of-the-road adventure that will please those not expecting much, but disappoint those looking for something unique.
From the trailers, it was evident that Tomb Raider would take some inspiration from the video game that kickstarted the reboot in 2013. It took more than inspiration; it took practically everything from the game and found some way to put it on the big screen. The story is mostly the same: Lara shipwrecks on the island of Yamatai, which is home to the sun queen, Himiko. Lara gets captured by a group looking to use the island’s power for nefarious reasons. The film even uses tape recordings from Lara’s father as exposition, similar to when Lara rests at a campsite in the game. Like the video game, the story is forgettable and just pushes the characters around the island for the exciting moments. Tomb Raider is one of the most faithful video game films created. While it is definitely commendable for fans of the game, the film is ultimately true to a fault.
The worst crime the film makes is how it treats the iconic Lara Croft, played this time by Alicia Vikander. Lara starts as a struggling bike courier in London, who refuses her family fortune. After receiving a message from her seemingly deceased father, she defies his wishes to burn his research and, instead, uses it to travel to his last known location. All of this would have worked if it was established that Lara was truly interested in archeology. Throughout the film, Lara discovers little on her own. Her father did most of the heavy lifting in finding the island and the villain, Matthias (Walton Goggins), finds Himiko’s tomb. Once inside the tomb, the film takes a page right out of the Indiana Jones book: the villain is unable to open a door and needs the knowledgeable and passionate archeologist to go past the barrier and venture deeper to find the treasure. Lara is neither of those things. When Lara discovers the big secret behind Himiko’s death, it feels unearned and that it came out of nowhere. Alicia Vikander delivers a great performance, but it is difficult to love Lara as she just stumbles through her quest.
Also, it is sickening how every male in the film wants Lara. She is obviously very beautiful; it is not necessary to have everyone look at her like a dog slobbering over a bone. While the romance with Lu Ren (Daniel Wu) never materializes on screen, even the possibility of it happening is not earned. Lara Croft is in the pantheon of strong fictional women alongside Wonder Woman. That should not be diminished by forced romance or constant flirting.
Ludonarrative dissonance is when the gameplay and narrative of a video game clash. For example, in many open world games, the main character is supposed to be saving the city, but when roaming the open world, they can wreak havoc. The Tomb Raider video game does this after Lara’s first kill. She seemed so distraught that she had to take a life. A minute later, she is shoving an axe into someone’s skull. The same dissonance occurs in the film after Lara chokes out her first victim. It could be argued that she shot all those people with arrows as a means of survival, but the way she kills Matthias is excessive and gruesome. Lara’s transformation into a cold-blooded killer happens with a snap of the finger.
The action in Tomb Raider, which is also faithful to the game, are exciting and tense. From beginning to end, the heart-pounding moments display the creativeness necessary to keep audience’s attention from the lackluster story. The bike chase through the crowded London streets was incredibly fun to watch, even though it added nothing to the story. The memorable rusted plane climb from the game is recreated beautifully. Throughout each action set piece, Lara demonstrates excellent ingenuity and Vikander encourages new fitness goals. Tomb Raider’s energy is definitely the highlight of the film.
The “great” video game film fans have been waiting for still has not arrived. Many video game films, like Assassin’s Creed, are oblivious to what makes the property so popular. Luckily, Tomb Raider understands the game’s strengths and is extremely faithful to the source material, for better and for worse. Even though this film is not particularly good, a sequel should be strongly considered. With the reveal that Ana is behind Trinity, the next iteration (presumably based on 2015’s Rise of the Tomb Raider) has the potential to tell a gripping story as well as continue to deliver on the action front.
