The curse continues…
For most movies I try to enter the theater with an open mind. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised, at the very least I’ll leave having seen a decent, okay film. At this point though when it comes to video game based movies, I have zero room for error. Not one film has come out that has been even close to good and for this reason a video game movie better blow me away or head straight to Netflix. We have been let down far too many times to allow for mediocre movies based on games we love. These studios have opportunity after opportunity to do it right and every time they fail miserably.
While I can say that this version of Tomb Raider is more faithful to its source material than any video game movie attempt before it, it still falls flat on its face. Much like Assassin’s Creed, Tomb Raider possesses a lot of great attributes primarily with its cast and yet still misses the target entirely. Alicia Vikander is an Oscar winning actress starring alongside Walton Goggins who is a proven talent in the villain role and together even they could not keep this movie afloat.
I can’t outright call this movie awful but with so much talent available it boggles the mind how a film like this can be such an aimless, boring adventure with no enthusiasm. I was somewhat entertained as the movie played in front of me but the moment the credits began to roll I simply didn’t care anymore. I think Vikander embodies Lara Croft perfectly, I believe she was a great choice but no matter the talent of an actor the story must be up to par and this is a movie on cruise control.
As I said before this is a very faithful adaptation of the 2013 release but to a fault. It borrows so much from the game that the film has zero identity of its own. I might as well play the game again and save my money. Show homage without oversaturation and you have a strong jumping off point. Aside from a few moments of visually stimulating action sequences this movie is a sure cure for insomnia.
Walton Goggins plays the villain but despite a possible relatable angle he’s a run-of-the-mill bad guy hell bent on completing his mission. There is a moment when he mentions that he himself is a prisoner on the island but it’s quickly left behind. His actions are deplorable and take away any relatability they had tried to attempt by making him a family man. He wants to get home to his two young daughters, makes sense. He murders innocent fisherman and attempts to kill Lara Croft numerous times, suddenly his home life means little to me. He’s a psychopath that deserves isolation and his family is probably better off without him. By the end he wants power and will stop at nothing to obtain it. Yawn…
A mediocre adventure movie in every other way but a failure in the realm of game based entertainment. I didn’t care about any of the characters or their haphazard relationships. The action sequences are the best aspect but cool action scenes aren’t a movie, they’re a montage at most. Decent at times, boring for the rest of it. The curse of the video game movie continues. Oh well…
Rated PG-13 For: sequences of violence and action, and for some language
Runtime: 118 minutes
After Credits Scene: No
Genre: Action, Adventure
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Walton Goggins, Dominic West, Daniel Wu
Directed By: Roar Uthaug
Out of 5 Nerdskulls
Story: 2.5/ Acting: 3.5/ Directing: 3/ Visuals: 3
OVERALL: 2.5 Nerdskulls
Buy to Own: No
Check out the trailer below:
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