Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)

	Also Known As: -
	Year of first release: 2003
	Director: Jan de Bont (Speed 1-2, Twister, The Haunting)
	Actors: Angelina Jolie (Wanted, Beowulf), Gerard Butler (Gamer, 300), Ciarán Hinds (The Woman in Black, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance)
	Country: USA, D, J, GB
	Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
	Conditions of visioning: 03.02.2018, VOD, 10" tablet screen
Synopsis: Looking for Alexander the Great's Luna Temple, Adventurer and Lady Lara Croft (Jolie) is put on the trail to a much greater and dangerous treasure, also pursued by weapon manufacturer Jonathan Reiss (Hinds).
Review: After a decent Lara Croft: Tomb Raider that I rather enjoyed when simply taken as a video game adaptation, I find this sequel very embarrassing on many aspects. You just have to look at that ugly poster of Lara in her less-than-flattering grey outfit. I have the feeling that we see her too much in that one, from close up, and maybe she speaks too much and also has some romantic entanglements (haha Gerald Butler) while for me she should just be that unattainable goddess. Although at first I thought that she was more acrobatic in this movie, jumping off ledges and so on, being closer to the game and showing more of what was a bit missing in the first, but quickly I saw that she is spending more time shooting people and using Panasonic gadgets (good product placement shown in full-frame and slow motion) that solving puzzles. I found the action confused (the helicopter scene) and the stakes unclear (what the hell is this story of current at the beginning?). I also realized something that I could overlook in the first movie, in this one Lara Croft fully embraces her title of Tomb RAIDER by massacring corral, destroying temples, driving through flocks of flamingos and dumping her parachute in the middle of the savanna. And of course she cannot help herself but helping the enemy for the sake of her own curiosity. Well I cannot complain too much about that because the original character is written so, and even the model of the genre Indiana Jones does it (in at least Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade). Still, why going through all this to just say in the end "Nah, I'm leaving it here" and kill your lover with that decision. In contrast to Speed and Twister, not the best from cinematographer-turned-director Jan de Bont. He was not seen much more afterward.
Rating: 2 /10