155. Tomb Raider; movie review

TOMB RAIDER
Cert 12A
118 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, threat, injury detail

She may not be a household name already but I am convinced that Alicia Vikander will be.
Her versatility has already been seen in movies as diverse as The Danish Girl, Ex Machina and my favourite of hers, A Royal Affair.
I also admire the way in which she has perfected Oxford English without a trace of an accent.
It should be of no surprise that she impress in Roar Uthaug's Tomb Raider remake.
Indeed, if this had been Lara Croft's first incarnation on the big screen, I suspect she would have been on her way to superstardom. Sadly, she is in the shadow of Angelina Jolie.
Vikander's Croft is initially seen as trying to make her own way in London as a flighty courier who is being trained in mixed martial arts.
Then it becomes clear that she is actually heir to a fortune but is unwilling to sign her missing father off as dead.
As she is finally on the cusp of relenting, she discovers a clue he has left, leading her into an adventure to try to find him or his body.
Despite Vikander being accompanied by the likes of Derek Jacobi, Kristin Scott Thomas and Dominic West, quality acting is neither what Tomb Raider offers nor the audience necessarily wants.
Nope, they are after Indiana Jones-style adventure and that is exactly what they get with Vikander taking on all-comers whether it be cycling like a maniac through central London or facing rapids which are destined to take her over a cliff in a remote jungle.
Of course, the law of cinema means that there has to be a villain in an action movie - step forward Walton Goggins to tick every cliche that such a role requires.
Inevitably, the audience is left scratching its head at why the baddies are so incompetent and how the good guys manage to survive but as Mrs W said afterwards: "That is what you expect with these type of films."
Indeed, there is a large dollop of predictability about Tomb Raider but it also gave me a warm feeling of nostalgia.
I fear, however, that, noting its struggle to break even and panning by critics, that modern audiences may be so used to Marvel and DC, that Uthaug's film looks rather tame.

Reasons to watch: Pretty exciting adventure movie
Reasons to avoid: Storyline is largely predictable

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8/10

Director quote - Roar Uthaug: "Growing up in Norway, my favourite films were the Indiana Jones films and I was also a big fan of strong female characters."

The big question - How come Lara hardly bleeds when she is being dragged through trees, down caverns and to the edge of waterfalls?

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