Lara Croft Two Pack (Tomb Raider/The Cradle of Life)

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Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Like the video game series it's based on, Tomb Raider is best enjoyed for its physical strategies, since even casual scrutiny of story details will induce a headache. It's more concerned with puzzles than plot, populated with characters that don't have personalities so much as attitudes. It's silly and somber at the same time, but as a franchise vehicle for Angelina Jolie in the title role of relic hunter Lara Croft, this is packaged entertainment at its most agreeable, ambitious in scope and scale, and filled with the kind of globetrotting adventure that could make Jolie the best thing that's happened to action movies since Indiana Jones. Could being the operative word here, because Tomb Raider can't match any of Steven Spielberg's celebrated joyrides, but the ingredients are there for an exquisitely cinematic meal. Perhaps to distance himself from Lara Croft's video game origins, director Simon West takes things a bit too seriously; Tomb Raider handles its plot (involving a planetary alignment, the nefarious Illuminati, and coveted relics that hold the key to controlling the flow of time) with all the gravity of a championship chess match... minus the tension. If the movie had lightened up and been truly suspenseful (instead of being suffused with been-there, done-that familiarity), it would have been an instant popcorn classic. As it is, however, this is an elegantly mounted adventure featuring exotic locations (in Cambodia and Iceland) and an exotic star born for her role. Even without her padded bra, Jolie would be the living embodiment of Lara Croft, and that's enough to bode well for inevitable sequels.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
This sequel is certainly better than its 2001 predecessor, but its appeal is mostly aimed at fans of the video games that inspired both movies. That pretty much leaves you with some fun but familiar action sequences, and the ever-alluring sight of Angelina Jolie (reprising her title role) as she swims, swings, kicks, shoots, flies, jet-skis, motorcycles, and free-falls her way toward saving the world, this time by making sure that a grimacing villain (Ciaran Hinds) doesn't open Pandora's Box (yes, the actual mythological object) and unleash a deadly plague that will "weed out" the global population. Exotic locations add to Jolie's own coolly erotic appeal, but we're left wondering if this franchise has anywhere else to go. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Exploring lost empires, finding priceless treasures, punishing villains in mortal combat...it's all in a day's work for adventurer Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie). But a secret from her father's (Jon Voight) past is about to lead Lara to her greatest challenge: The Triangle of Light, a legendary artifact with the power to alter space and time. Lara must find the Triangle before it falls into the clutches of the Illuminati, a secret society bent on world domination. To stop the Illuminati, Lara will have to survive a cross-continental chase filled with unimaginable danger. But for the Tomb Raider, danger is the name of the game. In LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER -THE CRADLE OF LIFE, Pandora's Box is said to house the most unspeakable evil ever known, and it is hidden in Africa in an area known as "The Cradle Of Life." Now, it is up to Lara Croft to find the infamous box before it falls into the hands of a maniacal Nobel Prize-winning scientist (Hinds), who's intent on harnessing the evil power. Facing her greatest challenges yet, the intrepid tomb raider travels the world on a spectacular adventure that takes her to such exotic places as Hong Kong, Kenya, Tanzania, Greece and the Great Wall of China.

Customer Reviews:

Laura Croft.......2007-06-12

I am really hoping that this becomes, at least a Trilogy or more!

Crost Better without Jolie! .......2006-02-06

I know nothing about the video games related to this movie, so I am viewing it strictly as a movie fan - and a fan of Gerry Butler. What a dissappointment Angelina Jolie was! Where were the director and the screenwriter on this one? They sure missed the mark with the potential chemistry between these two people! It is hard to believe they ever could have been in love at one time, let alone that someone who comes across as passionate on the screen as Gerry Butler did, could EVER have loved a character as wooden and stiff as Jolie's potrayal of Croft. What a shame. I think they were so interested in making this a vehilce for the marginally talented Jolie, that they forget all about the entertainment factor! Special effect and stunts aren't all people want to see in a movie. To sacrifice such natual, potential chemistry in favor of making a video game movie, completely stuns me. Jolie's acting is in a word - terrible. If you want to see a good performance, buy the two-disc set and view Gerry Butler's screen test in the special features section. I think some of the dialogue was his ad lib (which was better than the dialogue in the movie!) and that scene is steamy and gets to the heart of the subplot that was the obvious motive for Terry Sheridan tagging along in the first place - and that's all they let him do - tag along! Croft states she needs Terry Sheridan and then proceeds to treat him like a bad child. What a shame! It would have been a much better flick if they would have let the two actors and characters play off of each other more and let Gerry Butler do what he does better than just about any male actor his age out there - act. The three stars are for his performance, by the way. Angelina Jolie was great in Gia years ago. What has happened to her?

Fun Popcorn Flick.......2005-02-21

This is a fun popcorn flick with lots of action and exotic locations, that moves at a nice clip, but nothing to be taken too seriously.

A Joy.......2003-12-28

I have a large DVD collection and these two movies are the ones that are the most watched. I love these movies because they are pure fun adventure that takes place all over the world and in these wonderful environments that have never been seen before on film. Angelina Jolie is the best female action hero when she is Lara Croft. The character suits her perfectly. Tomb Raider 1 and 2 are nothing but FUN! I love them!

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