Lara Croft and the Cradle of Life
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Director: Jan de Bont
Starring: Chris Barrie, Angelina Jolie, Djimon Hounsou, Noah Taylor, Til Schweiger
Synopsis: Ok...something should really be done about that clunky title!
A follow up to the box-office hit but rather lacklustre film Lara Croft - Tombraider. By all accounts this sequel should prove to be much better than the first which is a good thing No one enjoys seeing Miss Jolie's talents wasted.
All I have to say is this one better be ten times better than the first snore fest. Sure, Angelina Jolie is the perfect Lara Croft...now give a script that shows this. And that title? Pretty clunky...doesn't exactly roll of the tongue, what was the marketing department thinking? Excerpted from the DVDwolf Summer 2003 Guide.
Lady Croft must find her way to an underwater temple on a mission to find the mythical Pandora's Box. Problem is, she isn't the only one who wants it. Superbad guy Reiss, getting his Doomsday plans in order, dispatches Chen Lo, the leader of a Chinese crime syndicate, to foil Laura's plans.
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| Lara Croft and the Cradle of Life: Tomb Raider 2 (2003) | NA | NA | | | Lara Croft Tomb Raider The Cradle of Life - Novel by Nancy Krulik | | | NA |
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Lara Croft and the Cradle of Life Review
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Review: Interesting. This weekend we have a movie based on a video game and a movie about video games. Subtle comment on the times, huh folks?
Stupid overly long title aside I will say this, it is better than the first one. Of course, I loathed the first one.
Another simple comment. Angelina Jolie is Lara Croft and I can hardly think of anyone more capable to fill the shoes of Croft. But her one trait that needs to be exercised is not her wealth, strength, breast size or intelligence...but her humour. While this outing is definitely stronger than the previous one, it is lacking in any sense of irony, humour or fun. This is what keeps Lara Croft from truly becoming a female Indiana Jones.
Everything is so precise in Croft's world, so perfect for her, there is no real sense of danger for the character. No one is ever worried if she might get hurt, or that something may turn out the way she wants it. That simply doesn't happen. Well, not exactly.
In the prologue of the film (one of the best sequences in the flick) Croft's assistants are murdered and she is left for dead (much like Raiders of the Lost Ark) and she must escape a crumbling temple to live...(again like Raiders of the Lost Ark). I have no problem of the Indiana Jones rip-off stuff...as long as it is good, and the opening sequence is.
But when the film does get bogged down it is never because of the action sequences. None of them are highly original or boring, but the scenes that are meant to get from one action scene to another lack any humanity, humour and this slows the pacing so much so one questions when is Lara gonna kick some guys ass.
Ah, but when she does kick ass, that is when the film is fun. Punching out sharks, beating up her butler, base jumping, anything that has Lara Croft defying death and the odds...that's when I am tuned in...but get away from that and it's run to the concession stand time.
My other major complaint...the villain. he's kind of dull. Former Nobel laureate, Dr. Jonathan Reiss (Ciarán Hinds) may be evil killing people with Ebola and and all sorts of bio weapons, but he is boorish, dull, not at all like a good super villain should be, with charm and biting humour. He just kills them and is very businesslike about it. Who wants to see business men in an action film? That, and really, why does he want to destroy the world? Something about cleaning out the population so the best and the brightest can inhabit the earth...why not just get an island? Besides that, if he does unleash the power of Pandora's box who is to say that it might not just destroy every living organism...control is often impossible...and buying into this plot device is a little hard to swallow as well.
In the end I have to say, 2.5 out of 5...for the die hard fans and those needing to get out this weekend. But on an up-note, it is possible that when the third one comes out, it will be even better as they work out the kinks in character and plotting...so here's hoping!
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Copyright© Written By: Rob Paul
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