Tomb Raider (2018)
Over the years, the Tomb Raider video game series with the icon female Lara Croft character got lost with time. A series that has its fans surely to the extent. First coming out in 1996 with it spanning a series that was praised, it was basically a female Indiana Jones in my mind. With its fame came a film series starring Angelina Jolie in 2001. A series that spawned two films that were both sloppy and missed an opportunity. With a reboot video game that came out in 2013, it would only be time before a reboot film series was to follow. It's finally here.
Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander) is living a reckless life with who's missing and rich father estate is threatened to be taken away. After a finding a key that shows her father research into the Himiko who said to be led by the Queen of Yamatai, a queen known for dark magic. Laura heads to out a said island to hopefully find her father along with a drunk fisherman Lu Ren (Daniel Wu). Once she arrives on the island, she finds Mathias Vogel(Walton Goggins) who has his own story to why he's on the island.
The biggest question to the film is in lead role. I wouldn't say it's a strong performance from Alicia Vikander but still, she does a lot to please. Her strongest scenes are the action ones that use strongly memorable cinematographer and it's uses setting well in them. Action scenes still that are here just to extend running time. She doesn't have an edge to the character like you would want but Alicia Vikander is likable and can carry this film. Even the first act is fun watching her in normal life followed by strong boat scenes going to the island.
Where this falls apart is in script. All this film is Kong Kong (2005) (Why isn't Jack Black around ?) follwed by the series Lost (you could have a TV series based off everthing going on in someway based off this). Like the said action, the island is very fun with it's setting that goes into tombs, scenes on the water, and the jungle.
It's just so many questions arrive with it. How did Mathias Vogel survive being so long on it? Even Laura seems to be doing fine even though she seems to be getting hurt in every scene. Lu Ten character is misplaced, and something more could of been of him on the island. It's ending is more breaking more simple everyday life rules. A pretty island but it's still a mess to the main plot point.
It's better than the series from the early 2000's. You could only do so much with the character which factors into a lot of things. Sure, I would want a sequel to this but surely it's stumbles into along to that. A lot to wonder and 'what if' to the story.
