The new Lara Croft fails to impress, says Rashid Irani

Almost two decades after Angelina Jolie first played the new-millennium action heroine in a brace of blockbusters, Lara Croft is resuscitated for a slapdash spin-off.

This time, it is fellow Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) portraying the headstrong young videogame icon, who is destined to become an adventuress after the disappearance of her archaeologist father (Dominic West).

The serviceable plot is set in motion after the discovery of a video recording in which he urges his daughter to locate the tomb of a ‘monstrous’ Japanese empress. A ruthless mercenary (Walton Goggins, underwhelming) is also determined to find it. Not surprisingly, his scheme bodes ill for the future of the planet.

Tomb Raider is high on chases, stunts and cheesy effects, but low on intensity.

The ensuing race-against-the-clock narrative is crammed with chases, stunts and cheesy effects, and totally devoid of intensity. Norwegian director Roar Uthaug also fails to add any shades of grey to his one-dimensional protagonist. The estimable Derek Jacobi and Kristen Scott Thomas are wasted in what amount to glorified cameos.

Neither as supple nor as charismatic as her predecessor, Alicia Vikander and her Tomb Raider don’t even make it to see-grade.