[Review] Tomb Raider

It's been 15 years since Angelina Jolie's last destination in the Tomb Raider series. Now, reboot-happy Hollywood has decided to dig up the franchise for another go -- not exactly a surprise, is it? This time the ever-impressive Alicia Vikander takes on the role of butt-kicking explorer Lara Croft, and despite her tough and gritty performance, the film itself falls into a pit by functioning as one long setup.

After solving a nifty puzzle that was left behind to her, the fierce and ambitious Lara Croft, along with an experienced sailor (played by Daniel Wu, who unfortunately disappears for most of the film), embark on a mission to the sprawling Pacific island where her father (Dominic West) disappeared. Along the way, she encounters countless dangers, shifty traps, and a hostile beef with a group of nasty expeditioners (led by Walton Groggins) as she attempts to uncover an ancient mystery.

For a film that touts adventure, there's a lot more talking than action. It's one of those running-in-place that just never seems to kick into gear. There's a lot of preparation and exposition involved, and half of the duration seems to pass before Croft actually arrives on the island. The pacing only gets rockier from there -- it's rushed at times, and lulled at others. The lack of solid momentum becomes frustrating, and the story doesn't actually grip hold until the final stretch, which contains the film's most engaging setpieces, by far. On the bright side, Vikander makes for a really good lead here, which is why it's disappointing that the rest of the film doesn't share the same energy.

The other positive thing I can say about 2018's Tomb Raider is that it isn't nearly as bad as last year's Mummy reincarnation, but both probably should've remained buried.

( 5.5/10 )

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