This reboot of the Lara Croft film franchise does a nice job of creating a coherent film narrative from a very videogame-style series of clues, puzzles, and action sequences. The plane wreck over the waterfall sequence has been overexposed in the trailers but, thankfully, there is plenty more eye candy to be getting along with.
The cast does a good job. Alicia Vikander is, we know, a terrific actress, and she commits totally to Lara. Dominic West as her father plays the different mindsets which affect her father well, and the father/daughter chemistry is good. Walton Goggins has made a career out of playing villainy, and his character here is no exception. However, this character is a little more subtle than usual.
The action is well staged. Lara is just at the beginning of her tomb-raiding career. She does a great deal of running, jumping, climbing etc., but she is not particularly confident in her abilities. This is refreshingly realistic in the context of this film. It is at odds with Angelina Jolie’s Lara and the games. Does this matter? Not to me.
Booooobs!
This is not a film of great significance. It is a simple action adventure. Within that limitation, it is a good one. It sets up a sequel nicely and I would expect to enjoy that as much as this one, because Miss Vikander makes a good, athletic, lissom Lara Croft.
I have not touched on the issue of Alicia Vikander’s bosom, which has featured in the press with some prominence. The big question is “Are her breasts too small for her to be a good Lara Croft?” We are in an age of colour-blind casting – isn’t breast size an equivalent issue? Are we sery arguing about the breast size of a computer game character. Miss Vikander is an excellent Lara Croft in my view.