Lara Croft - Tomb Raider [Blu-ray] Reviews

• I'm Late, I'm Late, I'm Late

  
  By A1M4NJYP0WNL8Q on 2002-08-04
  When the coming alignment of all the planets in the solar system triggers the ticking of a clock hidden away by Lara Croft's (Angelina Jolie) eccentric archeologist father (John Voight) it signals the beginning of a new era for the young adventuress. Lord Croft's disappearance and presumed death had hurt her badly, and she had spent her life so far in a desperate quest to be what her father wanted her to be, a great field archeologist, Britain's answer to Indiana Jones.

  Within the clock is yet another, this one the key to unlock the two pieces of the Pyramid of Light. And the holder of the Pyramid can warp time. Lara can return to her father and discover the cause of his disappearance. Or the Illuminati can take over the world. To prevent this Lara must outwit and outmuscle Powell (Iain Glen) the conspiracies agent. And keep her old friend Alex West (Daniel Craig) from selling her out.

  Based on the computer game series by Eidos Interactive, Jolie's Lara is smart, sexy, and tough as nails. The actress spent three months in hard physical training for the part and performed many of her own stunts. Of course, this isn't the kind of film where great acting is to be expected. But all the characters, from Lara's eccentric assistant Bryce (Noah Taylor) right through to the star herself turn in solid, professional performances. If the dialog isn't brilliant, at least it isn't stupid. Of course, the real stars of the film aren't the humans but the technical teams.

  I hardly thought that, when I first read Shea and Wilson's 'Illuminatus Trilogy' some thirty years ago, that I would find myself watching astonishing adventures of at heroine of a computer game in a race against time to save the world. Completely new technologies would have to come into being before this was possible. Back then, the closest thing to a real time game was an anemic version of Star Trek, and the only adventure game had you chasing (very slowly) through a few dozen 'twisty little passages.' Taken from that viewpoint, the spectacular visuals of 'Tomb Raider' are a testimonial to the state of animation and special effects.

  The film is meant to be fun, and a recreation in 'reality' of a computer game world, and does that perfectly. Lara, as a woman, succeeds in a world where we once thought only men had a place. Even so, almost every other actor in the film is male, the next longest female role being the bit part of a Cambodian girl (Ayla Amiral), who points out the entrance to one of the lost tombs. Angelina is literally 'without competition.' Even with a new Lara Croft film in the offing, this one will be tough to beat.

  The requisite extras are provided on the DVD. Features on visual effects, Angelina Jolie, the computer game, Angelina Jolie, the director's commentary, and (of course) Angelina Jolie.
  
  

• Lara Croft Tomb Raider - A great action flick!

  
  By A16X61RLY1YJL7 on 2003-06-18
  Oddly enough, if I were writing reviews when I first went and saw this film at the theater when it was first released, I probably would've given it only a three or four star review and slightly panned it, especially since the producers felt it necessary to "overly endow" Angelina Jolie. There are times in the movie where one might get the impression she may get "knocked" out.

  Not unlike other films though, this one kind of grows on you and can be appreciated for what it is, a great action film couched a reasonably well thought out plot. One of the most important aspects to the success or lack thereof in this film was the leading role of Lara Croft. The decision to cast the ever beautiful Angelina Jolie was right on target. I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever watched any of her previous movies, but I can say that she performs quite exceptionally in the role of the female "Indiana Jones/James Bond" type superhero. The fact that she spent several months preparing for this film and performed the majority of the stunts makes this movie that much more appreciable, especially considering the effort she put into it. Her reactions, facial movements and overall style of acting certainly adds a good "flavor" to the movie as well.

  Of particular note is the style in which this film was produced. Given that it is based on a video game and previous efforts to project video games onto the silver screen have come off as "campy" and lame, the producers made an outstanding decision to put this film in a "serious" light, with a mostly workable plot. Given that I've only had a passing familiarity with the video games themselves, I don't really wish to comment on that particular aspect.

  Of the many great action films I've watched over the years, I'd rate this one pretty high as it definitely exceeds expectations and leaves you wishing for more, which brings to mind the pending release of the second Tomb Raider movie. Hopefully this movie will stand up to or exceed the popularity of this first Tomb Raider film!

  The premise:

  Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, Tomb Raider performs exceptionally well; from A to Z she immersed herself in this role, including an extremely believable British accent. The film begins with a great main title and opening sequence where Lara Croft if "battling" Simon, a machine that is well bent towards killing her. This of course, is but the first of many outstanding action sequences for the Tomb Raider.

  From there we're brought into the real plot which is Lara Croft, prompted by dreams and letters from the grave starts to piece together clues about her missing and presumed dead, father. This brings her into the hunt for an ancient and powerful device while at the same time dealing with another person who is seeking this device for not so altruistic purposes.

  I highly recommend this film to any and all that are fans of great action sequences/films that "actually" contain a reasonably decent plot. {ssintrepid}

  Special Features:

  This one is definitely full of some great Special Features that are definitely worth the time to explore.

  Digging Into Tomb Raider
  Crafting Lara Croft
  The Stunts of Tomb Raider
  Visual Effects of Tomb Raider
  Are you Game?
  Commentary by Director Simon West
  4 Deleted Scenes
  Alternate Main Title Sequences
  U2 Music Video, "Elevation" Tomb Raider Mix

  DVD-ROM Features
  Tomb Raider Timeline
  Tomb Raider Chronicles Game Demo
  Web Site Archive

  Access To the Online Experience
  
  

• Lara Croft Looks Great In Blu-Ray!

  
  By AACJQ1JF1T7PP on 2006-12-01
  I owned the standard Definition version of this, so I was really psyched to see the High Def version! After viewing this in Blu-Ray, I gave my old version away to a family member who hasn't made the leap yet to HD Video!
  I won't go into the movie plot, you can read the synopsis in this ad if you want that, instead, I will say the Blu-Ray transfer is great, not the best I've seen in Blu-Ray, but pretty darn good! Sharp scenes! Vibrant colors, and a film-like quality that sucks you right in! If you made the smart move to Blu-Ray already, then be even smarter and add this terrific action flick to your library!
  
  

• Strangely sterile, a troubling nightmare of forsaken femininity.

  
  By A26A64X86VL1R4 on 2006-04-21
  This is a movie that got universally bad reviews. It helped knowing that going in because my expectations were very low. Being a fan of Angelina Jolie, I was not disappointed in her performance. Despite a thin plot and cheesy effects, Angelina delivered her lines with class and finesse. Unfortunately even her talent cannot overide an overall lack of plot and unbelievable situations. The film grew tiresome very quickly.
  
  On a Jungian level this film portrays a strange sterility. The first scene is Lara upside down, in the middle of a training exercise set by her computer nerd flunkie and her all-purpose butler. This opening segment defined the problem for the film--someone who is not grounded and unconscious. Lara raids tombs and fights bad guys to no real purpose--except perhaps to pit her skills against someone else. This cycle repeats endlessly, as do video games, which create a feeling of accomplishment where there is none, sterile endeavors with no learning and no personal or interpersonal gain. The individual does not develop--just the skills. Lara steals the ancient wealth of civilizations from tombs, co-opting heritage and treasure for the love of the game. This disregard for cultural artifacts except as an exercise is indicative of lack of depth and insight.
  
  In one moment in the movie, there is a clear symbol of the futility of this lifestyle--Lara puts everything aside to retrieve a memento of her dead father. But then she reverts to form. In addition there is no mention of her mother--what happened to her and why is this not a loss? Obviously this is such a deficit it cannot be referred to except obliquely by one scene where an enormous statue of a woman is destroyed, and by the total lack of other women in the film.
  
  Overall a troubling nightmare of forsaken femininity.
  
  

• Blu-ray version of Lara Croft Tomb Raider movie

  
  By A1DMTMYNUU6MB0 on 2008-05-23
  I give the movie 5 stars as an exciting imaginitive adventure movie.
  But there are issues with the Blu-ray version - which are:
  The movie was not photographically focused with HD video in mind. Sometimes the details are clearly in focus, sometimes the details are only DVD clear. This is better than an ordinary DVD "upconverted" but is not consistently what I would expect from a true Blu-ray quality movie. If you already own the DVD it may not be worth upgrading - but if you don't I think it is worth it for adventure movie fans.
  
  This is based on the original Blu-ray disk release.
  
  
• One of the worst movies ever....
  By A1S8334K8A2B9I on 2001-09-09
  I've seen hunderds of movies over the years, but this is one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my life. I was bored with plot and the acting wasn't much better. The only positive thing I have to say about this movie was Jolie who looked great during the movie. Other than this avoid this movie at all cost and I regret giving my hard earned money to watch this.
  
  
• If I could, I'd give it 0 stars
  By on 2001-10-10
  I still can't believe I waited a month in agony for it to come out!! I was hoping for an Indiana Jones type movie where you can actually learn a little about some distant culture, but with a female star. Instead, I got an incredibly stupid movie full of ridiculous action scenes and very little actual excitement. It didn't even make sense. She should have brought her father back; she was selfish enough to not destroy the first triangle while she had it. I mean, she went through all that trouble to not even finish what she started. This was such a big disappointment; I wanted to leave after the second scene. Maybe I would like it if I was a teenage guy, but it was a waste of time. Don't waste your money on this and go rent the Mummy.
  
  
• Pure adventure and eye candy-- enjoy!
  By A1IU7S4HCK1XK0 on 2002-04-22
  The idea of taking a fantasy figure from a computer game and creating a whole film around it is bold--how much plot could there be? But the writers and director found good material, if a bit shopworn, to make a fun-filled adventure flick that delivers plenty of entertainment.

  The plot is one you've seen before on Star Trek; a dangerous weapon has been hidden to prevent man from destroying himself. It's being sought by the good guys (Lara) who want to destroy it, and the bad guys, the Illuminati, who want to use it. So, there isn't a lot of suspense, as you've seen this story before, but the adventure is fun and there's lots of eye candy.

  What makes this film so stunning are the special effects and sets. The sets inside the tombs are full sized, lending realism and excitement to the scenes. The film was made in exotic Ankor Wat, the world's largest temple complex, and in Iceland on the blue glaciers. In addition, Jolie does her own stuntwork, which makes a huge difference in the editing and realism. She was surprisingly good, very believable as the fantasy fighting babe Lara Croft.

  We enjoyed every moment. We were surprised how much we liked "Tomb Raiders" and especially Angelina Jolie. The extra bits at the end of the DVD on the making of the film are well worth watching
  
  

• It's a video game - where are the controls?
  By AUTBHG6070SL4 on 2004-09-08
  Starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. Co-starring a padded bra as Lara's breasts.
  
  It's all I could ask in a summer movie - originality, action, a novel stunt or two, complete lack of plot, and breasts. First: the breasts, both of them. Since the Tomb Raider game was aimed at adolescent boys, physics and anatomical plausibility never limited the original Lara. Since the computer game was aimed at adolescent boys with mothers, the breasts stay covered, or at least off screen. I can barely imagine the building permit needed to construct a Lara-like padded bra, but the construction was successful. The bra's shape and movement reminded me in many ways of a human figure's. It disappointed me in one scene, though, where tee-shirted Lara climbs out of a moat into the chill of an ice-bound castle. The bra just couldn't rise to the occasion, and missed what could have been the high points of its role.
  
  As to the plot, imagine a movie cut into twenty or thirty sections, scrambled, and spliced back together at random. Would you notice the difference? In Raider's case, probably not. That seems true to the original game, where a clueless player guides Lara randomly and repetitively through hazards meant to challenge a pre-teen on a sugar buzz. Movies from games rank just below movies from comic books for attention span and continuity - if you were looking for either, you probably picked up the wrong disc by mistake.
  
  There's plenty of action, as in the game, without depending too much on chases, explosions, and fire. This may be the best feature of the movie: thoughtful, varied mayhem. The swashbuckling was only improved by being buckled onto Lara. Violence was mostly bloodless, although Lara briefly suffered a boo-boo on her arm. Gadgeteering, computer graphics, and stunts were pretty good. One of my favorite scenes was Lara's aerial ballet. You could easily see the bungee cords in that sequence - you were supposed to. I left wondering, though. Could she really have done all that on the ropes we saw, or was she also suspended by invisible ropes during the scene with the visible ropes? Make the most of that speculation. It's about as deep as Tomb Raider ever gets.
  
  The movie really stands out for its use of originality. The wardrobe closet, dozens of identical outfits, was quite original when it first appeared in 'Last Action Hero'. I think the combination jungle gym and planetary model was original to 'Dark Crystal'. The uber-geek sidekick with advanced Personality Deficit Disorder and grooming malfunctions was probably original at some point, long before his appearance in 'Short Circuit'. The bring-it-down-around-their-ears ending to every 007 movie may not have been James Bond's at first, but he made it his own. There was lots of originality in Raider, but I'm sad to say it was all someone else's.
  
  Tomb Raider is a fine bit of fluff, and you might enjoy it unless you liked Cider House Rules or Snow Falling on Cedars. You might enjoy it more if you're a testosterone-driven teenaged boy, or were one, or know one. This movie won't sink any of the actors' careers, but it probably won't launch any, either. Except maybe the padded bra's - the bra may get an Oscar for best supporting role.
  
  
• Huge disappointment
  By A82MLYSUUU3CF on 2001-10-01
  Lackluster adaptation of the hugely popular video game that has Angelina Jolie filling in more than ably for the title character. Swaggering around in great clothing and accesorized by the coolest gadgets imaginable, Jolie's Lara Croft is an action woman extraordinaire, seizing her audience by storm with her powerful physical and emotional presence, and presenting the most popular female action hero since Sigourney Weaver first started battling those evil aliens. The story, however, isn't up to her standards, wasting the gorgeous around the world locales and strong supporting cast in favour of overly-edited action scenes and deceptive but ultimately useless character development (all the scenes about Croft dealing with her father's untimely death never really tell us anything about her or her relationship with him). The plot, such as it is, concerns our heroine racing against time to save the world from being taken over by a Venice-based power cult called the Illuminati who require an ancient talisman to be used in a ritual during a powerful solar eclipse. Between these guys and Hannibal Lecter running a museum in Venice, the place has certainly fallen off my personal list of future vacation spots. Though it features many good visual effects and exciting battles in ancient temples and all the trappings you hope for in a film of this sort, there's always the feeling that something's missing. Once you reach the finale and find out it's topped off by the most anti-climactic ending of the year, you have finished watching an okay but unremarkable movie starring a very impressive but underused leading lady. And yes, her breasts are everywhere all the time. Looking forward to a better sequel.
  
  
• A Jolly Exciting Movie
  By A1HO9J4DCQDGP9 on 2001-11-22
  Why is it, that we want more from a movie than is on offer? Come on chaps, "Lara Croft - Tomb Raider" isn't a film of any intellectual merit, it is merely an exciting adventure movie with a whole host of good special effects and lots of quality funny moments. I for one really enjoyed this film, I expected nothing from it other than a series of explosions and gun battles and that is what I got and I loved every single minute of it. The plot wasn't too complicated, with Lara piecing together a mystery about an ancient clock and two pieces of a mystical triangle that has the ability to fragment time and space and of course there are the obligatory bad guys trying to get their hands on it. There was a fine cast of characters from Iain Glenn playing the evil Mr. Powell (the main bad guy) to Chris Barrie of Red Dwarf fame coming across with great aplomb as the overtly English Butler Hillary who tries and fails to make his young employer into a regal young lady instead of a gun-toting maniac. One of my favorite moments is when Hillary realizes that the security in the Croft Mansion has been breeched and there is a battle going on downstairs. He calmly gets out of bed, dons a bullet proof vest taken from his wardrobe, locks and loads a massive double barreled shot gun without blinking an eye then carefully steps into his leather slippers before stepping out to join the melee. I cracked up laughing, it was SO funny! Angelina Jolie is well cast as Lara Croft, and she manages a pretty good English accent too as well as doing ALL her own stunts which impressed me big time. The special effects were superb, watch out for when a husky-dog jumps through a break in the fabric of time, it's awesome. All in all this is fun, fun film and that is the way it should be treated. The DVD is worth every cent and is stuffed full of extras that just add to the enjoyment of the film. So come on chaps, give it a chance, you never know, you just might enjoy yourselves!
  
  
• 3 star movie, 5 star package
  By A2XY7164O8EJ0K on 2001-12-19
  LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER as just a movie is average but the DVD version is way better. Ok, first thing, TOMB RAIDER is based on the popular video game by the same name. Lara Croft is the character in the game. She's an adverturer who hunts and collects ancient artifacts. Now in the movie version Angelina Jolie plays Lara Croft and the plot centers around her finding a clock that can stop/alter time. That's the basic plot. I thought Angelina was perfect for this role. She even looked like Lara a bit. I thought the accent was too fake and at times you couldn't even understand what she was saying. The special effects in TOMB RAIDER were well done. There were a lot of cool scenes and great looking locations. The acting was average. But who cares? It's an action film! Now for the extras. I really suggest getting the DVD version 'cause the bonus features are great. It comes loaded with deleted scenes, interviews, how Angelina prepared for the role, how the special effects were created, and much more. It even includes a playable 3 level demo of TOMB RAIDER CHRONICALS! Plus U2's music video and more!
  
  
• Incredible Movie on many scores...
  By A263Y2XEDGOZUP on 2001-12-24
  Incredible movie. The acting was good, not Oscar material, but not average either, and better than most pure action movies. The sceneries were breathtaking, incredible. The directing fantastic. At first I had reservations about Angelina being Lara Croft, but after watching the DVD, all reservations went out the window. She was born to play this role. There was understated humor, there was fast fast action that left one almost breathless. How anyone could fall asleep in this movie... well, if action movies with a sci-fi/sci-fantasy bent aren't your type, that's OK, just don't knock a movie only because it isn't your type. Angelina did her own stunts, thank you very much, which adds more to the film (no having to pull back shots with a double). Yes, Angelina did an acent, it wasn't a heavy one, or a stereotypical one where you could say "it's welsh for sure" or "it's scottish for sure".. but you know, I know in reality many people in this melting pot world where their accents are not very clear as to what accent it is they have. That's reality. She did a great job with it and made it seem more real to me (than some heavy-handed accent, or some too perfect accent, or some stereotypical accent). I could understand every word she spoke.
  
  And maybe the one reviewer was too focused on Angelina's great body and so didn't noticed that there really was a plot. Not a deep, filled with twists and undercurrents and many subtexts plot, but a good plot, one that actually did have some subtexts and some thought-provoking aspects to it, if one was willing to look for it. The movie has, then, layers to it, like a good archaelogical dig :-). Having said that, yes, the plot wasn't a 5* plot, but sheesh, do they all need to be? Diversity is great, and sometimes a decent average plot with some INCREDIBLE action and scenery (and not just Angelina scenery) is a very good thing. One does not live off of Shakespeare alone.
  
  And for those who say the camera was too much on Angelia (as if that could be possible ) were either not watching the movie I was watching, or that they were so captivated by her that they didn't notice the incredible landscapes and panaromas that were presented to them. That's not the fault of the movie that some veiwers are feeling guilty for gawking at Angelina so much that they couldn't tell you what the movie was about or that there were some fabulous direction going on with the photography. Is it wrong to have a beautifully photographed movie have a beautifully photographed star? No in my book. This movie is a must see, must have, must buy.
  
  
• Good DVD extras. Not-so-good movie.
  By A2VMF1Z0D3UB7I on 2002-02-09
  What can you say about 'Lara Croft - Tomb Raider?' It's a video game posing as a movie, and it shows. The plot is cheesy and far-fetched, while the many action sequences are so fast-fast-fast that they are nearly impossible to follow. The movie finds Lara Croft, the buxom tomb raider of video game fame, caught in the middle of a cosmic plot with nothing short of the future of the world hanging in the balance. Croft, played by the gorgeous Angelina Jolie, travels to Cambodia, Russia and other places, while disposing of lots of assorted bad guys... Still, Jolie sparkles as the movie's heroine in multiple tight-fitting outfits. (It's not her fault that the script is full of holes...) Aside from the movie, the extras on this DVD are pretty good. The disc includes deleted scenes, several behind-the-scenes featurettes, a U2 music video and other neat stuff. The quality of the movie itself, particularly on a high-end home theater, is top-notch. Here's a suggestion for next time: How about including a full version of the actual 'Tomb Raider' video game?
  
  
• 5 STAR ANGELINA!!! DISSAPOINTING MOVIE!!!
  By A1YHKSTVSYEYTU on 2002-02-27
  Angelina Jolie excels as Lady Lara Croft, a wealthy English archaeologist, and modern-times female version of Indiana Jones/James Bond in this video game adaptation. Not only does she look fantastic swinging through the air on bungee cords, knocking out menacing villains clad in black but she totally looks and acts the part of the Tomb Raider heroine Lara Croft, like she was born to play this role. She is stunningly attractive and looks every inch the action hero and what's more, her English accent is absolutely spot on. However, despite her valiant efforts this really is a soul-less film served up by Director Simon West (Con Air) that fails to live up to the excitement of the video games. The action scenes are merely a collection of set-pieces (often borrowed from other movies) that somehow fail to thrill and the plot (what plot?) is about as uninspiring as they come.

  So what is the "plot"? Tragically, Lara's father, played by real-life dad Jon Voight, died when she was eight, leaving her to a lonely life of raiding tombs... As fate would have it, Lara becomes embroiled in a plot to recover the pieces of an ancient artefact (a small pyramid) that was split into pieces to protect mankind and hidden in unspecified tombs around the world, guarded by elaborate defences. When re-assembled the possessor of the pyramid can control time and space when the planets become aligned and so it is left to Lara to race against time to stop the bad guys and save the planet.

  There is little or no character development in this movie. None of the main or supporting characters, apart from Lara Croft, are given any depth or explanation for their actions or motivation. Lara, we discover, still mourns the death of her father (Jon Voight, hamming it up with a truly awful accent) but even this sub-plot is pretty pointless. Meanwhile her fellow tomb raiders (Iain Glen plays a particularly loathsome villain) betray each other for no reason other than to serve the plot, and when ultimately Lara risks everything to save her former love (Daniel Craig) it's a bit hard to swallow, particularly when for the previous eighty minutes their has been no evidence of any previous affection or chemistry between the two of them and he spends most of the entire film being villainous with no apparent redeeming qualities.

  Ultimately the movie has its moments but it's a bit of a mess. No story, a poor script, no character development and lacklustre direction. It has no soul or integrity and insults it's audience's intelligence by assuming that all we want to see is a beautiful big-breasted woman shooting up bad guys in a series of action set-pieces in exotic locations, without any plot or cohesion to hold the movie together. Angelina Jolie certainly can't be blamed for this movie's failure. She excels as the confident and sexy tomb raider and makes a very believable action hero. I just hope that they make a sequel, a much better sequel, with a story, direction and plot to do Angelina Jolie, the character and the games justice.
  
  5 STARS FOR ANGELINA, 4 stars for the DVD extras but only 2 stars for the movie!
  
  

• Fun film
  By A26MBNH7KPR44Z on 2005-04-29
  Yes, many people are bashing this movie but I think they are all wrong. That is why there is a sequel since it was a good flick, right?
  
  This movie is a very good adaptation from a game, since I also love the games. Angelina was a good Lara Croft not just in the physical aspect but also in the attitude. She is as confident as the one in the games.
  
  The movie also circles in a great plot line. The plot is very well served and not draggy, unlike other movies. It doesn't aim to much to inform people a lot about the Illuminati but supplies what the viewers need, not over or under that. The whole plot makes sense in a not so draggy way.
  
  The adventure aspect is also well done. The exotic locations were mesmerizing as well as the action sequences. The stunts were very realistic, unlike the ones in movies like Charlie's Angels were people leap like animals. Here, Lara is very human but athletic, doing stunts that are actually possible to do and done very nice cinematically.
  
  The movie overall is very enjoyable. its a fun action flick. It may lack depth or may fail to satisfy one but its an action flick. Let go and enjoy.
  
  
• Uhg
  By A2794IPXHGHKHM on 2005-09-19
  What a stinky... yucky... pootchie movie. I mean... ew. Really. Just... ew. It was horrible. The only reason people watch this is for... I dunno. "Sex appeal." Do not watch it for the story line. Never buy it as a gift. Just my opinion, and a damn good one for that matter. Toodles. *uhg* DOESN'T EVEN DESERVE THAT STAR THEY MADE ME PUT. Yeah....
  
  
• Action, sex, and a script...2 out of 3 ain't bad...
  By A3PJMXBJ3HWDCG on 2001-09-26
  Let's all face the facts. We knew "Tomb Raider" wasn't going to be as good as we all wanted it to be. But, since there's going to be sequels, at least a decent foundation was laid.

  For a movie that came across as hell-bent to show us it had a plot, the action scene's were quite good, with lots of guns and loud noises, which we all like in our little U.S. action movies (Asian films would have fight scene's while in 0 gravity or on top of a moving jet or something) And we got to look at Angelina Jolie, which I centainly won't complain about, cuz any movie is better with eye candy, and anyone that says otherwise is just trying to hide the stiffy he has.

  Definatly the worst part of the movie, and pretty much all will agree with me, was the plot. In theory, the plot could've been good, but while watching the movie, you get the feeling that the story is rushed and what should be taken in moderation is forced upon you, liquified though a tube. Every plot point takes up about 2-4 minutes of time to go through, and the fact is with all the dialouge they tried putting in there, it just can't be done. It'd be like watching "Star Wars" and teaching the force is just Yoda saying "You must concentrate" and Luke suddenly being able to lift things with his mind and Vader walking up to Luke and saying "I'm your dad" in the first movie.

  "Tomb Raider" is a movie that seemingly had all the pieces put together: A good looking chick with the title role, quality actions scenes, a decent enough story, and being one of the most anticipated movies during a summer. Instead, the story was screwed up and it ruined the overall enjoyment of the movie and left many, me included feeling disapointed. I do feel they can learn from their mistakes when they eventually make Tomb Raider 2, and if they do, it can become the blockbuster Tomb Raider 1 was supposed to be.
  
  

• Tomb Raider Rocks!
  By A2M7NP7V5FJGK7 on 2001-10-16
  Angelina Jolie is Lara Croft. She sounds like her, has the lips, breasts, body, charm, and attitude of Lara. They couldn't have found a better actress to play Lara. I'm a big fan of the TR games and of Angelina, so I was really anticipating Tomb Raider: the movie. The only thing I was disapointed in was that there wasn't enough action. The action scenes that were in it were good, but I was expecting more. The movie revolved more around story, like Final Fantasy did. The special effects were decent, but for this day and age they should've been a lot better. Like for example the big statue that came to life. It looked very fake and made the scene kind of cheessie, like a couple of the action scenes. Overall, I being a fan was not disapointed. And since I'm a big Angelina fan too, it makes it even better. I'd give the movie 4 stars, but since Angelina is the perfect Lara, I have to give it 5 stars. Hats off to her for bringing Lara to life and doing so well on her english acsent.
  
  
• What are you looking for?
  By A3KBU11BVJNL1C on 2001-10-25
  If you're looking for intelligence, a good plot, or a riveting adventure, you're probably in the wrong place. If you're looking for good clean escapist entertainment, you're in the right place. If you looking for eye candy, you're definitely in the right place. The soundtrack ain't bad either.
  This movie has gotten some pretty bad reviews since it's theatrical debut. These reviews all made very valid points, if you don't have a clue what you're talking about.
  What you have here is a movie that's based on a computer game that's based on....wells T&A. Let's face it, the Tomb Raider fan base began as a bunch of lonely men with too much time on their hands. It wasn't until later that the game caught on for it's actual value as a RPG, and well...that value is questionable.
  I for one, went to see this expecting nothing more than a lot of great footage of Angelina Jolie doing some really cool stunts. I was impressed with the spectacle I received. Overly impressed. So, I give it a 4 star rating for its great spectacle, but if you are looking for something more....that's the fifth star that just isn't there.
  
  
• Angelina Jolie IS Lara Croft in this feelgood movie!
  By A245BG7SCVXDJB on 2001-10-30
  A perfect movie to get away to fantasyland for a couple of hours. The sets and special effects are incredible and there is no better person on earth that could have been cast in the role of Lara Croft. I'm not really an Angelina Jolie fan, nor have I played any of the Tombraider games, but I left the movie thinking, 'wow she is cool!' This not a movie for someone who thinks too logically while watching movies, after all how does Lara Croft survive hundreds of rounds of bullets flying around her without a scratch. However, if you can let go of reality and get immersed, it is very enjoyable. I have pre-ordered the DVD so I can watch it over and over again.
  
  
• Good...but coulda been better...
  By A11FMC9DTPI0UL on 2001-11-25
  This has got to be the best attempt at a good game-based movie that I've seen. There were a few minor plot discrepancies that didn't quite follow the storyline of the game, but they could be ignored-I actually didn't notice them myself until my avid Tomb Raider-playing pal pointed them out. I loved the action sequences-the "ceiling ballet" being my favorite, and I think that Angelina Jolie did a suberb job portraying our feisty heroine. The music was probably the best part of the movie, though. The fast-paced techno stuck with me more than the actual story did, and I bought the soundtrack almost immediately afterward.
  What I didn't like was that the storyline of the movie wasn't that well developed. The charcters were typical, the events were ordinary, and the plot was so predictable that I found myself speaking the dialogue before the characters did! The story wasn't that detailed or involved. A third-grader could have followed it without trouble. I had been hoping for a more provoking, mature movie. Overall, it was...okay. Maybe the next ones will be better...that is, if they don't follow the rule of sequels...
  
  
• A surprisingly good video game adaptation
  By A12964J94IUL5H on 2001-11-26
  If you have read the previous reviews, you can easily see that this movie has been debated greatly. Some thought it excellent, while others liked it and still yet, some who deemed it "trash."

  Some seem to think that Angelina Jolie (Lara Croft) was too sultry and self-assured, or didn't seem to show much emotion. For those that have played the game, Lara Croft is depicted just that way. In the video games, Lara Croft doesn't get scared too easily, or often at that. Not that I think it's right for her to seem so tough, just that it stayed true to the video game.

  Some think that Jolie's clothes were too skimpy. I understand where this is coming from and I would be just the one to object to a skimpy outfit, but Jolie's wardrobe was very well done. Her outfits were VERY much like that of the games.

  Others stated that they thought Lara Croft was depicted as invincible. I find some truth to that, but Lara Croft is wounded in the movie. She does bleed, she's not Superwoman.

  Still yet, some seemed to think that the plot was too weak. I, myself, found it rather well done. Some stated that the artifact she was searching for should have been more recognizable to the average person. Yes, this could have been done, but, again, returning to the video game, the artifacts that Lara is usually after are not well known, but they all hold some great power. (Much like in the movie)

  Overall, I think that, for a game adaptation, this was VERY well done. It WASN'T another underdeveloped Street Fighter. We follow Lara Croft to find a special triangular articfact that holds the mystery of time travel. A good self conflict happens when Lara must decide whether to use the artifact to find out what happened to her father. I found the plot was deepened by the mysterious disappearance of her father and, returning to her "lack of emotion," we see that Lara is not always sultry and tough. Her father seems to be her soft spot. Special effects were wonderful and VERY enjoyable.

  I found that casting was very well done. Angelina Jolie made for a perfect Lara Croft. As for doing ALL her own stunt, I found myself in awe with some of the extremely challenging motorcycle stunts as well as the bungee roping. I found the casting of Lara Croft's father, perfect. Using Angelina Jolie's own father, John Voight, to play her character's father made for perfect scene chemistry. As for Lara' enemy, talk about good. I hate to say that I'm not sure of the actor's name because he did such a good job. He was so devious. I think that a very enjoyable scene is the Croft Mansion break in, but if you haven't seen the movie, I'll let you see it for yourself. This movie has a little of everything and would be enjoyable to men and women. There is loads of action, adventure to different countries (Cambodia, Britain, Russia), drama, comedy, and even a bit of subtle romance, with Lara Croft's ironic attitude and sarcasm as well as her "sidekick's," if you will, goofiness. BOTTOM LINE: Very enjoyable and recommended.
  
  

• Not quite what I'd hoped for.
  By A1DNQK8JS8QXB9 on 2002-02-21
  When I first heard about this film, I was both excited and apprehensive. While I was certain that Angelina Jolie was a great choice for protraying famed videogame character Lara Croft, I was worried that the game's look and feel would not be translated correctly onscreen.

  Sadly after watching the movie I was proved right on both accounts. Angelina Jolie nails the part of Lara Croft perfectly, even down to her faux British accent, and is perfectly fit and just enough of a badass to make her believable.

  That unfortunately is where the fun of this movie ends. Sure, there are the requisite beautiful locations, such as fabled Angkor Wat and Iceland, but what happens between beautifully-shot scenery is a bit of a mish-mash.

  The plot is largely ignored for the sake of some good action sequences, most notably the bungee attack. There's something about an all-powerful triangle (triangle?!) that the secret society Illuminati wants, and Lara has to find it. Or what? Oh yeah, the bad guys will get it.

  The DVD is perhaps worth a rental; it 's chock-full of extras, including deleted scenes, a U2 video, Alternate main title sequence, and various featurettes on special effects, stuntwork, and Angelina's intense physical training for the film. There's also an easter egg and some ok DVD-ROM material.

  Unfortunately while Tomb Raider looks great and has a pretty good soundtrack and some nice action sequences, the whole film feels rushed and just simply pasted together. Let's hope that if there is to be a sequel that more time will be spent on storytelling and less on blowing stuff up.
  
  

• You mean people like this movie?
  By A169I83JL8QJGN on 2002-03-01
  If ever there were a lesson on how not to translate a popular video game series into a movie it would be Mortal Kombat Annihilation and Tomb Raider. Both movies are B-Grade and only good for an MST3K party at midnight. Tomb Raider was torn apart by the critics, and with good reason. It features no coherent plot, mediocre acting, poorly planned action scenes, and dialogue so bad it makes an episode of Barney seem like Legacy of Kain... not that the games were much better. The game is well known for [poor] graphics, and horrid control, I guess the same could be said of the movie, and while Angelina doesn't pivot around to change direction, she may as well have. The story of this movie is just bad. When asked to summarize it's plot a friend of mine said "Jiggle jiggle splash splash, jiggle jiggle", and when we pressed further and asked for the moral of the story he simply replied "Kaploowey". I think that pretty much sums it up pretty well. While Jolie is a beauty, this film is not. It is over hyped garbage if I ever saw it. It is an excellent MST3K (Mystery Science Theater) movie though.
  
  
• Garbage
  By A3GR1VFK9UPE9P on 2002-05-13
  Before typing this, I'd just like to make one thing clear: I generally like action movies. I generally like Angelina Jolie. I even think the Lara Croft games are fantastic. But, nonetheless, this has to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my entire life.

  The movie starts off well with the introduction of Lara, but once she goes off on her adventure, it becomes a completely incoherent babblefest. It's pure stupidity at it's worst and I'd avoid it like the plague. However, because there is an interestingly campy quality about the acting that allows you to relish in the sheer complexity of its badness, I will give it another half-star.

  Oh wait, you can't give half-stars here. I guess I'll just have to leave it at one.
  
  

• Your typical action film
  By A2R4XG0L7Z01V8 on 2003-07-27
  Instead of your typical pumped full of steroids male, you get the very svelte, toned & very female, Angelina Jolie, playing the computer game heroine. Making a computer game into a film has not always been well accepted in cinemas - for example, Mortal Kombat & Resident Evil - but this one is a sure-fire hit for the studio. Had they not picked Angelina, it might not have been that good. I can't see it being good without her. You really can't imagine anyone else in that role now. She's taken it and made it hers.

  Apart from the physical attributes she brings to the role (put the tongues away guys), she also manages to speak very well in an English accent, which actors have failed to do so in the past. (Think Keanu Reeves in `Bram Stoker's Dracula' or Tom Cruise's pitiful excuse for an Irish accent in `Far & Away')

  Angelina has been well known for her tattoos, so the studio probably weren't that keen on her for the role, because of the difficulty make-up artists would have had covering them up. None of them can be seen during the film - particularly the well-known `Billy Bob' tattoo on her left arm. It's not easy to cover up tattoos, and sure, some of her tattoos are in parts of her body which wouldn't be shown on film, but that `Billy Bob' tattoo must have been HELL for makeup artists every day.

  The CGI & the set are extremely similar to `The Mummy' and `The Mummy Returns', and all three films obviously take their inspiration from the Indiana Jones movies.

  There's not as much action or violence as I expected in this film, I expected a lot more. There are bursts of violence, interspersed with strange scenes, with a haunting/pounding soundtrack. The use of guns is big in this film, shooting the strange CGI, or shooting bad guys - none of whom seem seriously hurt!

  I know he's dead in the film, but Jon Voight, as Lara's father (and also her father in real life!), should have had a bigger role. He's only really seen at the start, opposite a young actress playing a young Lara Croft, and then at the end, playing opposite his real-life daughter.

  If you're a fan of Red Dwarf, look out for Chris Barrie (Rimmer), in the very Batman butler role of Henry.

  I didn't expect to enjoy this movie, but as I like Angelina Jolie as an actress, I thought I'd give it a go. It's very fast paced, the time flies by and before you know it, it's over. I'm glad I bought it now.
  
  

• Worst summer blockbuster ever? For me, at least.
  By A3L2U581LL17EB on 2003-10-15
  Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is an amalgamation of everything it is I hate about summer movies. It's lifeless, soulless, crafted without the slightest care towards genuine enjoyment, and serves as nothing more than a springboard for a charisma-free star. I'm still flabbergasted over the irony that the inspiration for the existence of this movie was Indiana Jones, the trilogy that represents the summer blockbuster at its very best.

  Tomb Raider boasts something of a plot, but actually deciphering it is a puzzle. Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) is apparently some sort of rich archaeologist, and her latest personal mission is to search for two artifacts that, if placed together, can somehow enable the user to control time. Naturally, there are going to be a lot of villains who seek the same device.

  General incomprehensibility of the plot aside, the aspect that makes Tomb Raider the turd that it is is Lara Croft, both in the way this character is written and through Jolie's portrayal. Here is a heroine who thinks she's just uber-cool, riding motorcycles, wearing slick shades, acting cocky and arrogant, to the point of pure abrasiveness. This is not to mention that she's also able to accomplish physically implausible to impossible stunts, and is also apparently invincible in combat, and almost impervious to pain.

  What kind of a heroine is this? It's hard enough to like someone who spends most of her time trying to act superior to almost everyone around her (the movie does give a half-hearted attempt to show her respect for other cultures, this brief scene totally overshadowed by her "coolness"), but the filmmakers do away with even the slightest bit of suspense by making Croft apparently invulnerable to harm in all her surroundings. Part of what made Indiana Jones so charming were his numerous flaws: he was afraid of snakes, often got captured by the villains, and was vulnerable in combat (he got beat up a LOT). This is in stark contrast with Croft, who's really nothing more than a superhero without the villain to match her.

  Some of this could be forgiveable if the movie were in any way fun or exciting, but it's not. The action sequences are few in number, and what little there are are rapid-cut and packed with one impossible stunt too many. The movie's adventure holds no ebb and flow, Croft simply gets from one location to another in a second of screen time.

  It's not impossible to make an enjoyable Indiana Jones knock-off. Stephen Sommers' The Mummy accomplished the task with exuberance and childish glee. But Simon West merely gave us little more than a case of eyestrain.
  1/2 out of *****
  
  

• extremely grainy blu-ray picture
  By AL1XV4L25FZ2S on 2008-02-02
  I won't bore you with my views on Tomb Raider the film. Chances are if you are here researching this to buy, you've already fully formed your own opinion on this. Why people feel the need to post lenghty movie reviews here I'll never understnd. But here is something that you might find useful to know: the blu-ray edition is a real mess. This happened to be the first film that I put into my new blue-ray player to view on my new 1080p tv and I was shocked. The film is shockingly grainy. I could see all kinds of grain and noise and garbage in the picture through much of the movie. It looked like a really poorly made standard def movie. I started playing with my player and tv thinking surely I must have not set the right options on it or something. Either that or my equipment must be horribly defective in some way. It wasn't until I tried a couple other blu-ray disks that I realized what a poor transfer this disk is.
  
  If you are a big Tomb Raider fan, you still might enjoy watching this (after all, we've all gotten used to standard-def equipment over the years). But if you are looking for a film to showcase your fancy blu-ray player and tv and get that "theater-like" experience, then definitely avoid getting this disk.
  
  
• Worse than the last "Batman" film!
  By A2J57EQ9KPGXR9 on 2001-10-30
  Amazing! This film is worse than "Batman Forever", one of the few films that had me running from the theatre. Bad casting (the "super-weirdo" Jolie as Lara Croft?? What were they thinking?), pedestrian action sequences, a bad "script" and a large budget mixed into an unwatchable mess. Did'nt the producers of this sewage watch any "Indiana Jones" films to see how Tomb Raider should have been made; or even play the game?

  To quote Leonard Pinth Garnell: "Simply awful, could'nt have been worse.."
  
  

• Lara Croft Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (Special Collector's Edition)
• The Mummy [Blu-ray]
• Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow [Blu-ray]
• The Italian Job [Blu-ray]
• The Mummy Returns [Blu-ray]