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

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  TheMovieDiorama

  7 / 10

  The Cradle Of Life showcases why being a tomb raider would be awesome. Why we only got two of these I will never know (well I do know but shhhh). The sequel to my biggest guilty pleasure is actually a better film in itself. Adding a thickening agent to the plot, realistic action set pieces and far more characterisation for our eponymous protagonist. Mmhmmm this is a tasty blockbuster that really needs more love. Lara Croft is requested to stop a megalomaniac from finding the mythical Pandora's Box and unleashing a deadly weapon that could potentially destroy the world. Greek mythology, ancient temples, rural and urban China, the wild plains of Africa and, to top it all, a boat with Spongebob Squarepants on...in Chinese. It's as if Jan De Bont knew what makes my mind tick and put them all into one glorious picture! What made its predecessor so damn enjoyable was how silly the whole thing was. This time, they decided to make it slightly more realistic in terms of story and action which does make a refreshing change. No more stone statues or time storms, just guns, motorcycles and squirrel suits. Which I must say the stunt work and action set pieces were magnificent and the usage of CGI is kept to a minimum. Hooray! A multitude of beautiful backdrops including Hong Kong, Greece and Kilamanjaro which illustrates how well travelled Lara is. Angelina Jolie gave yet another committed performance although her false British accent was more noticeable. Gerard Butler gave a functional supporting role and had decent on screen chemistry with Jolie. The cheesy dialogue did help with becoming attached to these characters. Ciaran Hinds was fine as the antagonist but don't involve him in combat scenes...it's like watching a kid break apart Lego. The third act dives into the silly and concludes in a depressing manner but fortunately it's a Lara Croft film so you should only take it with a pinch of salt. Do that, and you'll have a blast like I did...for the fifteenth time...

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