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Angelina Jolie as Tomb Raider's Lara Croft
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The comparisons have been bandied about for months, but here is the real difference: When I was growing up, boys my age wanted to be Indiana Jones. Boys today are going to want to do Lara Croft.
Otherwise, brand new Tomb Raider and 1981 blockbuster Raiders of the Lost Ark are close cousins. That may be the highest compliment one can pay co-writer/ director Simon West's adventure film.
Raiders had rollicking fun, can't-believe-your-eyes stunts, a hero everyone rooted for and lots and lots of heart. Tomb Raider, starring bad girl Angelina Jolie, goes toe-to-toe with Raiders on all counts, except one. Whereas Tomb Raider is a blast to watch, full of envelope-pushing action and the strongest adventurer since Indy, it lacks heart. Mind you, it's still entertaining, but it seems like hollow entertainment.
Did you expect more from a film based on a video game? The joystick format itself lacks emotional grounding. It only makes sense that, for the film to be true to its virtual source, it should emphasize the "oohs" and "ahhs."
Not that West doesn't diddle in bad drama. Croft's yearning for her believed-to-be-dead father is what drives her to help an obviously bad guy unlock the powers of God. Tomb Raider would like us to believe that Croft misses her dad that much. But a dreamlike scene when Croft indeed meets her father is interesting only because it's real-life father Jon Voight and daughter Jolie playing the parts. Otherwise, you just want to get Croft back into the action of kicking ass.
Jolie helps make you forget any quibbles you might have with the film. It's her star vehicle, and she rides it like a champ. On her chutzpah alone, Tomb Raider shines.
There were several other actresses up for the part, but only Jolie could have pulled it off. Sandra Bullock is too Wonder bread (thus getting cast recently as Wonder Woman) to handle the Croft's naughty nature. Ex-Party of Five star Jennifer Love Hewitt is too wimpy to do action. Ashley Judd comes close to matching Jolie's spunk, but concealing her cute Kentucky twang essentially removes half her charm.
Jolie is absolutely perfect, right down to her faux-Brit accent and her voluptuous form. In a scene early in the film, Croft tosses and turns in bed, confronted with bad dreams. As she is startled awake, she brandishes a knife in the blink of an eye. With any other actress, that scene looks contrived. With Jolie, you wonder if it was acting.
As rapidly as Jolie hit the celebrity scene, she became a media target for all her eccentricities. That odd-girl persona serves her well as Croft, who shares Jolie's penchant for the abnormal. Plus, Jolie has the uncanny ability to be tough and sexy simultaneously. It might be the toughest role a woman can attempt. Go too far one way, and you're butch. Go too far the other, and you're Charlie's Angels.
Tomb Raider nails Jolie's unique blend of erotic toughness. And while his script lacks depth, West manages to make a fine movie independent of its video game origins.
Still, there are times when Tomb Raider pays homage to Lara Croft's joystick past. Her stances and poses are pulled right from the software. When she enters a room and surveys the scene, the film plays just like the game. Some scenes are obvious nods, like when she meets a Cambodian wise man and is magically healed for answering his questions correctly.
West (Con Air, The General's Daughter) also manages to take the video game action one step further. The raid on the mansion while Croft practices her bungee ballet is breath-taking. The scene rivals or surpasses the action sequence from the Mission: Impossible movies. And there is nothing cooler than watching someone kick butt in pajamas, especially if that someone is Jolie.
The film suffers several moments of slow exposition. The plot should have been simplified or revamped entirely. One wonders if the committee of writers blatantly borrowed the idea of unlocking the power of God from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Worse still was their decision to give Croft a love interest who slows down the action and gets in the way of fun.
Croft's sidekicks fare better. Hilary the Butler (Chris Barrie) and gadget-man Bryce (Noah Taylor) give hard-ass Croft some nice comic foils, particularly Hilary's desire to turn her into a lady.
"A lady should be modest," he cautions her as she struts across her bedroom naked. Jolie's defiant smirk at the suggestion says it all. She is most certainly not a lady nor modest. There are Merchant Ivory costume dramas for characters like that. This is Lara Croft.
Feminist scholars and Oprah can debate all they want whether Tomb Raider advances the female role model. How can any young girl ever be happy with her own body after seeing nearly every inch of Jolie's? The flip side is, Croft is the strongest female character in film today. She is her own woman, relies on no one and is successful at it. Getting wrapped up in the debate is missing the point. The fact is, the movie is a rush. Anyone who is interested in a thrill, regardless of gender, will appreciate it for that.CityBeat grade: B.
