“Tomb Raider” 2018 review

Took this straight out of a Facebook thread

A while ago friend made a comment about the new Tomb Raider movie, and I finally saw it last night.

I actually enjoyed it quite a bit, and it was better than most video game adaptations. It had a surprising micron of depth that I didn’t expect, which doesn’t mean that it was a deep movie but that it wasn’t expectedly shallow either. For sure better than any of the Transformers films, ha ha!

Better than expected

I was initially skeptical about the actress and film in general, but I was pleasantly surprised. I’m confident in the implied sequel. I was a big fan of the game growing up but haven’t played either of the reboot games, but this makes me want to even more. I’m sure the experience is much more fun to play than watch.

A step forward

So—without having played the newer games—I can say I’m MAD satisfied that the new Lara distinctly omits her traditional and overt sex appeal (regardless of how often I jerked off to it as a teen). Now, honestly the sexy thing about her is that she kicks ass but still shows that she’s human. I don’t think that’s intentional at all. Honestly, and as weird as it is to say, it truly was a turn-on to see her just be more human, instead of the character’s old robotic bad-assness. Angelina Jolie did a good job at personifying the old game’s Lara, which was arrogant (not charmingly so), great with firearms, ballsy, and good with puzzles for added measure. She honestly was a stereotyped man adventurer with a female shell, and until now I couldn’t articulate why I only thought the character was hot but not attractive. (That simultaneously makes me feel worrisomely gay because of the aforementioned confession but also assuredly straight since I was able to reason it out haha!) It actually clarifies that the original game creators intended the character to be a male, but changed it at the last minute because it felt like an Indiana-Jones rip-off.

And I don’t think the Indiana Jones is that androgynous. The difference between Lara Croft’s old character and Indiana Jones is that, unfairly, arrogance can be charming for males, but for females it just stereotypes them seem like a bitch. Not my own opinion, I think that’s just general American media and, sadly, culture. Also, reckless bravado and being able to handle yourself in a fight are very male stereotypes. I don’t think those need explanation.

Anyway, her sex-appeal is not the point of the film, and because it’s such a departure it almost becomes the point: Lara is not a sex symbol anymore, and you should watch the movie and play the game because she is admirable for her tenacity and resourcefulness, and because the journey is over-the-top fantasy.

But how was it?

Alicia Vikander did a believable and empathetic job at portraying the character, and I feel okay saying that with the little knowledge I have of how the “Tomb Raider” reboot displays it.

Damn, sometimes writing things out makes you understand it more haha. When I left the theater I was just, “Hmm, but meh.” Now that I try to explain it I get it more.

Decent film, nothing to force your friends to see or that would help shed light on the human experience, but for what it was aiming for be (not for what I want in a perfect film) 6.5/10.

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