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Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of LifeAKA: Tomb Raider 2 Year of release: 2003 Genre: action Director: Jan De Bont Stars: Angelina Jolie, Gerard Butler, Ciar�n Hinds, Chris Barrie, Noah Taylor, Djimon Hounsou, Simon Yam, Terence Yin, Richard Ng Rated PG-13 for violence and language Version reviewed: US theatrical release |
In the sequel to the surprise hit adaptation of the popular video game Tomb Raider (for those of you who do not follow the "art", usually movie versions of games suck unholy ass), Angelina Jolie returns as the extremely busty archeologist/adventurer Lara Croft. This time out, Lara's after the mythical Pandora's Box, which was (at least according to the film's liberal interpretation of ancient Greek stories) hidden in a remote part of Africa known as "The Cradle of Life." With a reluctant ex-lover (Ciar�n Hinds) as a partner, Lara must discover the true location of the box before an evil bio-chemist (Gerard Butler) finds the prize and unleashes havoc on the world.
I really don't have that much to say about this movie. It was pretty much as I expected; Angelina Jolie provides some nice eye candy (though not as much as in the first film due to a loss of some wonderbras and no gratutious partial boobie shots) and there's some decent action. And, as might be expected for a production that covers three continents, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life looks great and has an excellent soundtrack.
Long-time Hong Kong film fans will mostly be at least kind of disappointed that Simon Yam didn't figure more into the proceedings here; his role is basically a glorified cameo (Terence Yin and Richard Ng also make appareances, but they really amount next to nothing in the grand scheme of this movie's system). Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life also seems to take itself too seriously in parts. Things weren't as bad this time out, as opposed to the hammy sub-plot in the first film dealing with Lara's dad, but there were a couple of scenes in here that screamed "generic character exposition", and that kind of stuff isn't really needed in this type of movie.
At any rate, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life is, at its' core, just one of those classic summer "popcorn" movies. It's something worth watching once, but nothing really you're likely to remember a few months from now. Despite any problems, the film is mildly entertaining, especially if you like Angelina Jolie. Lower your expectations a bit and don't pay too much at the door, and you should find yourself with a good way to kill a couple of hours, despite the fact that this movie is sporting the longest title in recent memory.
RATING: 5
