“Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life” (Paramount Pictures)
“Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life” is the sequel to the original “Lara Croft” film that introduced Angelina Jolie as the young English woman who is a force unto herself. Like the first film this sequel is full of lavish locales and daring action sequences. Unlike the first film, it all gets old fast.
This film starts out with a bang as an earthquake reveals the location of a hidden tomb. Lara investigates this underwater mausoleum of sorts and discovers a mysterious orb. Before she can bring it back to the surface it is stolen by Chen Lo (Simon Yam), a soldier of fortune.
Later Lara learns that Jonathan Reiss (Ciaran Hinds) is after the orb and expects it to lead him to the locale of Pandora’s Box. This legendary object will give him world power. The British government assigns Lara the task of finding the orb and Pandora’s Box.
Lara asks for and gets her old flame Terry Sheridan (Gerard Butler) to work with her. Together they scour the world looking for Chen Lo, Reiss and their trophies. And with each meeting there is a spectacular battle and escape.
On a visual level this film is very pleasing. Jolie looks wonderful; and she is quite the athlete in the film. The stunts she is involved with as Lara are breathtaking. You marvel at the fact they are able to be performed.
The problem is the story. It is weak to say the least. You learn very little about any of the characters, especially Lara; and don’t care about them very much either. They are just objects to be moved about in the action sequences.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity & violence.
Angelina Jolie is a beautiful woman and a talented actress, but she can’t make magic without something substantive being in the script. This “Lara Croft” sequel gives her nothing to work with, and so it drags down her talent along with the audience’s enthusiasm.
Even video game enthusiasts will find that this “Cradle” doesn’t rock, it flops. And the “life ” seeps out after the first fifteen minutes.
I scored “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life” a dead 4 out of 10.
