Tomb Raider movie: Review, Cast and Director

Film: Tomb Raider

Cast: Alicia Vikander, Kristin Scott Thomas, Dominic West, Walter Goggins, Daniel Wu, Hannah John-Kamen

Director: Roar Uthaug

Rating: * * * *

Is this video game/movie reboot an instance of “anything you can do I can do better” for Alicia Vikander? After all, her hubby, Michael Fassbender starred in Justin Kurzel’s Assassin’s Creed. Fassbender’s his own man (dashing, smashing) and Vikander’s her own woman as she evolves into the feisty titular heroine. Yesiree, Vikander shows she’s got spunk in this dramatic origin tale helmed by Norwegian director Roar Uthaug.

Uthaug’s fantasy action remake of the popular video game franchise and movie starring Angelina Jolie is, actually, a prequel about Lara Croft’s growth from a much loved, cossetted teen to feisty young adult. We see how Lara, the rebellious, headstrong daughter of missing adventurer Richard Croft (Dominic West), is sorely tested on the remote island where her father had gone looking for the lost tomb of a fabled empress.

Arriving on the island with sailor Lu Ren (Daniel Wu), Lara runs into a well-armed hostile lot led by Mathias Vogel (Walton Goggins) who also wants what she seeks. No Oscars for guessing who wins. Roar Uthaug ably helms a script written by Geneva Robertson-Dworet which showcases the lithe and lovely Vikander’s brain and brawn. We like, really like Vikander as she leaps from ships and wing planes and booby traps, hanging on for dear life. The father-daughter relationship is also delineated nicely in flashbacks. All in all, Tomb Raider is an Indiana-Jones style adventure that’s worth a watch.