Warner Bros. Pictures
It seems pretty shocking that the new version of Tomb Raider, based on an extremely popular video game franchise that’s been around for 20 years, was only able to earn a paltry $57.4 million during its domestic run (worldwide the $94 million flick earned $273.5 million). The question is why didn’t the fans turn up? Was it bad timing? The film’s only real competition opening weekend was Love, Simon and I Can Only Imagine which served decidedly different demographics. Was it too close on the heels of Red Sparrow or were action movie fans waiting for Pacific Rim Uprising? Perhaps it was the so-so reaction from critics (with a 48% Rotten Tomatoes rating), but this is the kind of movie that’s usually review-proof. It is a puzzle, much like the one Lara Croft has to solve in the movie. It could have also been the Black Panther factor which was holding on to the Number 1 spot for a fifth week when Tomb Raider opened.
Tomb Raider is a reboot of two not very good movies starring Angelina Jolie (the first was okay, the second was not). The movie’s story is actually akin to an origin story, introducing us to Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander) before she becomes the world reknowned ‘tomb raider’ we all know from the video games. Here she goes on a quest to find her father who disappeared seven years earlier and whom everyone, including her father’s business partner, insists is dead. But dear old dad (played by Dominic West) has left some clues for Lara in the event of his death that leads her to believe he’s not really most sincerely dead. Before signing the paperwork to receive her inheritance — and the Croft mansion is also at stake — Lara finds a video of her father instructing her to burn all of his papers regarding an ancient goddess known as Himiko. If this information were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be the end of the world so of course Lara uses the information to try and track down her father.
In Hong Kong she finds a ship that looks like the one her father may have chartered but encounters the son of the man who Richard Croft presumably led to his death. Lu Ren (Daniel Wu) reluctantly agrees to take Lara to her destination, but they both get a lot more than they bargained for once they get to the uncharted island including Mathias Vogel (Walton Goggins), a rival to Richard Croft who is also seeking the entrance to the tomb of Himiko. Will Lara find her father, and will she be able to prevent Vogel and the mysterious company he works for from unleashing the apocalypse?
I have to say, Tomb Raider is not all that bad. Having never played the video games I didn’t have a problem with the story of Lara going on this mission because of her father as upsetting as a lot of the fans apparently have (which may have been another contributing factor to the movie’s failure in the US). For the uninitiated, it’s a decent introduction to the character who really hasn’t found herself yet, but is able to prove that she can be the strong, determined character from the video games … in the next movie. There are some great action pieces set on Lu Ren’s ship, with Lara facing certain death in white water rapids and inside Himiko’s tomb. The one real problem is it takes a good 45 minutes or so before there is a real action scene (an impressive storm at sea). Prior to that it’s just a lot of talk and ‘character development.’ The movie’s plot also seems to borrow quite a lot from the rebooted Lara Croft video games with scenes almost shot-for-shot from the game. If you haven’t played the game, though, you wouldn’t know that.
Alicia Vikander is terrific in the role. She’ equally believable as the sort of apathetic rich girl who doesn’t want her fortune and the strong, determined adventurer intent on bringing her father home (and the father character was never a part of the games until he was introduced in the second Angelia Jolie movie). She is totally invested in the part and gets you invested in her story (even though you know she’s never really in any danger, the girl does get quite banged up throughout the movie, lending to the film’s more realistic approach to things). Where the ball gets dropped is with the Lu Ren character. He and Lara have such good chemistry right off the bat that his absence from the story in places is glaring because you really want to see him and her working together more than they do. Chalk that up to a nice performance from Daniel Wu. It’s also nice to see Kristin Scott Thomas here in a small role, but one that is obviously being set up for something bigger should the series continue. The action scenes are also spectacular and despite what early critics said was a bit too much CGI, I felt it all looked pretty realistic (you know most of it is CGI, but it’s still rendered very realistically). So in the end, Tomb Raider is interesting enough to make me want to see the further adventures of this Lara Croft.
Warner Brothers has just released the movie to home video, and the 4K release is absolutely stunning. The Dolby Vision image is sharp and detailed — right down to the texture of paper — with lush, vibrant colors and deep, deep blacks. And the clarity of the image in no way makes any of the CGI more obvious. The Dolby Atmos audio is also impressive and immersive, putting you right in the middle of a storm, the rapids or a crumbling tomb, while the dialog is crisp and clear, front and center. Your subwoofer and surrounds will definitely get a workout with this reference quality presentation.
The 4K package also comes with a Blu-ray disk which is where the bonus material is held.
- Breaking Down the Rapids (5:33) gives a behind-the-scenes look at the prep and shooting of the rapids scene which makes you realize just how much CGI there is.
- Croft Training (6:03) takes a look at the intensive physical training Alicia Vikander underwent prior to and during shooting the movie.
- Evolution of an Icon (9:51) looks at the evolution of the video games and character from its inception to the current reboot version and how that plays into the movie.
Tomb Raider: Uncovered (7:04) gives a brief overview of the film’s production with input from the director and main cast members.
Overall, Tomb Raider is a fine, not great, action movie. It does have some terrific performances and some outstanding action scenes taken right from the video game. It just needs a stronger story, but look at this as an origin story setting up a lot more to come in the future. The 4K disk presentation of the film is stellar in all departments. There could have been a few more bonus features or even a director’s commentary, but if you’ve upgraded your system for 4K you will want this in your library. The Blu-ray and Digital HD versions a comparable but the detail, colors and sound on the 4K is outstanding.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment generously provided Hotchka with a 4K/Blu-ray version of the film for reviewing purposes.
Share this post
