Tomb Raider 1 and 2
Wanting an evening of light, fun entertainment, we decided to have a Tomb Raider “marathon” yesterday. I had seen both of them before (a few times, actually) but I still really like the films.
In the first one, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Lara (Angelina Jolie) finds a mysterious clock that was hidden for her by her now dead father. When she finds out that the clock can control time once placed together with two pieces of a broken triangle at a certain time on a certain day at a certain place when all nine planets align (which only happens every five thousand years), she just has to go and find this hidden temple. She is not the only one looking for a way to control time, as the sect the Illuminati also want to have the device.
Best scene: It has to be the scene where she is doing some sort of relaxation workout on bungee-cords in her house, which suddenly gets invaded by the Illuminati. She is up against hundreds of men who really don’t stand the chance against her.
In the second film, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, there is even more at stake. Here, Lara is looking for Pandora’s Box, which was supposed to have created life itself. She is working together with the British Intelligence and her ex-lover Terry Sheridan (Gerard Butler) to find the box before a scientist finds it who wants to sell it to the highest bidders to release a plague onto the world to rid it of, in his eyes, unwanted people.
Best scene: Lara needs to get to the surface of the ocean, so she cuts her arm to attract a shark, then punches the shark and holds onto the shark’s fin. Very impressive!
Both films are action-packed and full of mystery and intrigues. I have only ever played the game once, at my godfather’s place, a really long time ago, but I think the films do the game justice. I love the character of Lara Croft. She is so rich that she doesn’t have to work and archeology is her main hobby. She is a tomb raider, not because she needs money or anything like that. It just seems to give her a kick. She is living in a huge mansion with her butler and a geek who takes care of the electrical equipment. As far as action films go, these are two of my favorites. It is really nice to have a woman as the main character of an action film. And she is a lot cooler, tougher and better looking than most of her male counterparts. Somehow the stories in action films are never as important to me as the main characters. But I do like intrigues, so the stories of the Tomb Raider films suit me just fine 
.
Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft: I personally think she is perfect for the role. Angelina can really pull off the female Indiana Jones. She looks exactly like the computer game version and I can easily believe that she can do all those crazy things she is doing in the film (well, if anyone could do them, I think it would be her). She also has a certain arrogance in her appearance that fits perfectly for this rich, spoiled British woman who is risking her life just for a bit of fun. It is quite sad what is happening to Angelina Jolie lately…she used to be so cool and rock’n'roll (especially in Gina, Girl Interrupted and Gone in Sixty Seconds) and now she has become boringly mainstream. What a pity. But in Tomb Raider she definitely kicks ass!
Tags: Angelina Jolie, Gerard Butler, Lara Croft, Tomb Raider
May 21st, 2009 at 9:21 am
Thought the first one was pretty fun. Never got around to watching the sequel, but I heard they are rebooting the series. I thought Jolie was a nice Croft, but I really hope they get Rhona Mitra to play the character in the reboot. Shes perfect for the part
June 22nd, 2009 at 3:09 am
Love your write up. Agree with most of it , with the exception of the “mainstream” bit. I disagree. I think that Jolie has evolved into a legend that keeps people guesssing, it is the secret behind her immense success. With SALT coming up next, she is truly the ONLY female action star who can boast that a part originally given to Tom Cruise was rewritten for her. Her action movies have and will always bring in the high BO $ because she does what most don’t and that’s go hand to hand with men. She needs no sword or special fx to be believeable. She has always carried that ‘kick ass haughtiness’ easily. With just 3 movies, she brought in a billion dollars in a 12 month span. No other female actress can boast such a feat and that alone keeps her from being mainstream.
As for Rhona Mitra…she was the original TR…well the game was design in her image but the producers needed an actress more well known and sexier as Croft is sexy and decided to go with Jolie. Unfortunately for Rhona, the 3rd installment is of a younger Croft… late teens so Rhona is too old and not a big enough box office draw to offset the cost it would take to make the film. Unfortunately we may find ourselves stuck with Megan Fox as the young Laura Croft. Ugh! Neither Fox or Mitra would bring in the $400
June 22nd, 2009 at 3:16 am
Cont…
Neither Fox nor Mitra will be able to bring a Boxoffice like jolie ($350 mil – $400mil). I’d rather they just left the series at 2. But since Jolie won’t reprise her role and if given the choice…I agree with the 1st poster Rhona all the way.
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:12 am
Tani-well, you are right about Angelina Jolie brining in all that money but I don’t think this is the main purpose of actresses, or that this makes them good actresses. I do like Angelina Jolie! I just prefer her in the older films and feel that she has sold out a bit. But she is a good actress and I like that she is so hard core. In Tomb Raider she is absolutely believable. I don’t think a lot of actresses could pull off this kind of role without looking ridiculous.