The Tomb Raider franchise has been revered as one of the most popular video game franchises of recent decades, beginning with Tomb Raider in 1996 when the first game was released by Core Design. Since then, players have followed the adventures of Lara Croft in over a dozen games, as the British globe-trotting and pistol-wielding archaeologist pioneered the action-adventure genre. In 2001, it was time to bring Lady Croft to the big screen in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and again in 2003 in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life, and Angelina Jolie was selected to give life to her sassy personality and scintillating proportions.
The films were big blockbuster affairs and certainly entertaining, but criticized for their thin plot and over-the-top scenarios. When the game franchise was rebooted in 2013, it was time for a new film and a new heroine to strap on the thigh holsters. Alicia Vikander stepped into the role in 2018, and Tomb Raider was a more gritty and realistic take on the adventurer's origin story. Here are five reasons why the Tomb Raider (2018) is the perfect adaptation and five why it's still the Angelina Jolie movies.
TOMB RAIDER: PROVIDES AN ORIGIN
Because Tomb Raider is based on the 2013 video game of the same name, it acts as a reboot of the early adventures of Lara Croft. It provides a reimagined backstory, reconstructing the origins that provide her the skills to be the famous tomb raider fans know and love.
Instead of meeting Lara Croft when she's an adult, living in an 83-room manor in the English countryside, she's shown to be a university student, operating as a bike courier before getting swept up in the adventure that would force her to become an action heroine.
ANGELINA JOLIE MOVIES: DON'T TAKE THEMSELVES SERIOUSLY
The tongue-in-cheek humor of the Angelina Jolie films perfectly captures the sarcasm and snark inherent in Lara Croft, who had a witty remark for just about every situation in the games. And while most movies based on video games aren't taken seriously, these films represent why they don't need to be if the source material is equally light-hearted.
By not taking themselves seriously, they can lean into the extravagance of their ridiculous narratives. No scenario is too "over the top" when Jolie herself seems to be enjoying mugging for the camera and engaging in outrageously overblown gunfights.
TOMB RAIDER: DELIVERS GRITTY REALISM
The Tomb Raider video games have always combined the realistic with the fantastic. Just consider Lara Croft using a pair of pistols to take on a T-Rex. The rebooted games in 2013 sought to downplay the fantasy element and focus solely on the gritty realism, which Tomb Raider doubles down on.
Gone are Lara Croft's impossible proportions. Alicia Vikander is a lean, mean, fighting machine. She doesn't cruise around in Aston Martins or ride Ducatis. When she takes a hit, she doesn't grunt in some psuedo-sexual way, and there's a tenacity to her crucible that is impressive.
ANGELINA JOLIE MOVIES: HAVE A SENSE OF ADVENTURE
Perhaps it's all the Hollywood packaging and the Indiana Jones-like jauntiness, but the Angelina Jolie films have a true sense of adventure. Lara Croft uses just about every sort of transport to get around, and goes from the frigid wastes of Siberia to the blazing deserts of Africa.
This Lara Croft is supremely confident, has friends in every port from London to Hong Kong, and never lets the audience think she's outnumbered. The fight scenes in both films, involving everything from base jumping off skyscrapers to supernatural smackdowns, are as superfluous as they are highly imaginative.
TOMB RAIDER: IS BASED ON THE MODERN GAMES
While some fans may not feel like Alicia Vikander represents the Lara Croft they remember from the early '90s, it's important to note that she's very much in keeping with the 2013 reboot game. Her story has been re-imagined, and she isn't a tomb raiding badass yet.
That being said, Vikander does a commendable job playing the new version of Lara Croft, who is unsure of her own abilities but never backs down from her obstacles. The strength of spirit she'll need to become the Lara Croft of olde is visible in her performance.
ANGELINA JOLIE MOVIES: CAPTURE THE EARLY GAMES
For anyone who played the early Tomb Raider games, Angelina Jolie bears an uncanny resemblance to Lara Croft. With her hypertrophied proportions, thigh holsters, tiny shorts, and swinging braid, she's the fantasy come to life for fans devoted to that iconic aesthetic.
She also captures the witty commentary of Croft, who even as a young girl (who can be seen in Tomb Raider: Revelations) was known for her smart remarks. In the early games, Lara is bold, sassy, sexy, and extremely confident in her abilities as a marksman and archaeologist.
TOMB RAIDER: HAVE BELIEVABLE EMOTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
While the writing for Tomb Raider isn't its strong suit, it has a certain emotional depth imbued into it, especially concerning the relationship between Lara Croft and her father, which has always been important. The entire reason why Lara becomes a tomb raider is tied to the mysterious disappearance of her father, played by Dominic West.
The scenes they share together, though not extended, are surprisingly touching. Even more so than the ones shared between Angelina Jolie and the man playing Lord Croft, which happened to be her real father. But their estranged relationship outside of the film might have had something to do with that.
ANGELINA JOLIE FILMS: INCLUDE ACTUAL TOMB RAIDING
Tomb Raider is an origin story film, so it can't be expected to have much in the way of tomb raiding, as Lara Croft hadn't yet found her calling. But the film's premise does reflect the absence of tomb raiding, and it becomes something more generic altogether.
If Lara Croft isn't tomb raiding, then she's a generic action heroine. The Angelina Jolie films are filled with all sorts of tomb raiding, including underwater temples. Heck, when Lara isn't raiding real tombs, she's got mock tombs set up in her house to practice on.
TOMB RAIDER: HAVE REALISTIC ACTION SEQUENCES
Tomb Raider seems to pride itself on action sequences that have more in common with the Bourne movies or Mission Impossible than they do with Indiana Jones. They attempt to adhere to the laws of physics, and even the heroine appears to reflect damage from enemies.
Unlike the Angelina Jolie films, which featured action sequences that were borderline cartoonish, the Vikander vehicle wants its audience to believe that a bike messenger might actually be able to learn enough survival skills to stay alive and eventually find her father.
ANGELINA JOLIE MOVIES: HAVE A GREAT CAST
Ever heard of Daniel Craig? Gerard Butler? Iain Glen? Ciaran Hinds? Jon Voight? While the Angelina Jolie films might be a testosterone fest, they feature some of the best talent the UK has to offer. Prior to Daniel Craig becoming James Bond, he played a former archaeologist and Lara's former lover, replaced by Gerard Butler for the sequel.
And as far as villains go, Iain Glen (recently of Game of Thrones) played the inscrutable Manfred Powell to perfection, while Ciaran Hinds (also of Game of Thrones) played an equally scenery-chewing baddie. The dialogue may not have been the best, but it was delivered with gusto by these fine gentlemen.