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“Tomb Raider,” which is based on the 2013 video game and stars Alicia Vikander as the latest incarnation of a character who has been around for 22 years, is a surprising throwback to the classic late-’80s/early-’90s era of action filmmaking, which was represented by films like “Cliffhanger,” “The Last of the Mohicans,” the first couple of Indiana Jones films, and Jackie Chan’s “Armour of God” series. The animated prologue, in which the title character’s archeologist father, Lord Richard Croft (Dominic West), tells of an ancient, cursed tomb supposedly containing the all-powerful, weaponizable remains of the Japanese shaman queen Himiko, through its gracefully executed chases and emotional moments, to its finale set on an island riddled with booby-trapped ruins, “Tomb Raider” is better and more original than anyone could have anticipated.
The movie, despite borrowing from the game (and, to a lesser extent, its sequel) for its structure and the majority of its key action sequences, never comes across as a pointless companion piece to a work that was originally intended for a different medium. Despite the fact that I’ve never played the game, I had a great time watching the film that was inspired by it, thanks to the direction; the stunt choreography, which relies on real performers and props whenever it makes sense; the emphasis on problem-solving one’s way out of tight spots; and, most importantly, the actors, who bring to life archetypal characters who might have seemed cliched or merely flat on the page and make them as real as they possibly can, considering the type
Alicia Vikander is the first among equals in this category. With her faintly regal bearing, she’s appropriately cast as a woman who was literally born into the manor, but the humility and sense of fair play she exudes makes you root for her rather than resent her. More importantly, she is a classic action heroine in every sense of the word. Vikander, who appears to be completely devoid of body fat, leaps into action. You can feel the physicality of this intensely visceral performance when she lets out a high-pitched grunt of rage or pain when Lara crashes into a wall or is slammed to the ground by a brawny foe, or when Lara delivers a coup de grace.
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The film devotes a significant amount of time and attention to the question of how a small woman could defeat opponents who are significantly larger and stronger. Constant speed, the strategic use of one’s entire body weight, and dirty fighting are the solutions. Not that “Tomb Raider” is “realistic,” because no video game movie ever is—at one point, Lara survives a puncture wound that would have rendered a 250-pound Green Beret incapacitated—but rather that the filmmakers and Alicia Vikander are doing everything they can to sell the physical and emotional reality of a particular moment in the film.
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Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Alastair Siddons’ novel, Lara Croft and the Secret Garden, is heavily influenced by domestic melodrama. Lara’s father has gone missing and is presumed dead, and the story revolves around this. A gradual unfolding of their relationship is depicted in the film, attempting to strike a balance between Lara’s admiration, and even worship, for her father and the pain she feels as a result of his frequent absences and eventual disappearance. ‘This is the story of a daughter who learns from, surpasses, and ultimately forgives her father—a journey that hits more exciting beats than the usual fare found in genre films featuring male heroes whose fathers have either died, vanished, or disappointed them (although the third Indiana Jones movie deals in these themes, too).
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Every character’s story revolves around their father’s abandonment and the consequences of that abandonment. Daniel Wu plays Lu Ren, the alcoholic sea captain who transports Lara to the island that contains Himiko’s tomb. Lu Ren’s father used to run the boat, and he, too, eventually vanished, which may explain why their relationship feels more brother-sister than romantic (they obviously respect each other, but there is no sexual chemistry because the movie isn’t interested in establishing any) Mathias Vogel (Walton Goggins), the villain, is an archaeologist turned corporate mercenary who is also a divorced father and a husband who is absent from his family. The mysterious Trinity organization has tasked him with locating Himiko’s tomb, and he’s resentful of the unseen master who is keeping him on the island until he completes the mission. He’s spent seven years trying to find Himiko’s tomb.
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Lara has a strong sense of empathy for others and is deeply affected by her experiences. Her voice would catch occasionally, and you could almost see tears welling up in her eyes as she dealt with situations that caused her distress. This was one of my favorite aspects of her performance. “Tomb Raider” isn’t going to graft standard-issue, strong-silent tough guy cliches onto a female lead and call it a day, as these specifics confirm. Although “Tomb Raider” doesn’t go as far as I would have liked in this direction, the unmistakable effort is appreciated. In particular, the scene immediately after Lara kills someone for the first time is visually arresting: she sits next to the corpse, appearing both psychologically disturbed and physically exhausted. When the act of killing is presented in such a casual manner in so many action and adventure films, it comes as a shock to see it treated as if it has significance.
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The film is ultimately about a woman who runs, runs, runs, then pauses just long enough to kill a man with a bow and arrow, defeat him in hand-to-hand combat, or solve a tumbler-styled puzzle that will open the stone door of an ancient temple containing ancient treasures. Alicia Vikander is treated as a moving piece of sculpture in “Tomb Raider,” and she is admired not in a sexually objectifying way, but rather as an athlete might be admired. “The Wave” director Roar Uthaug (“The Wave”) frequently shoots Vikander from a low angle as she races toward the camera or from an elevated perspective, looking at the back of her head and shoulders, in order to better appreciate Lara as she carves a path through her world.
The action sequences in this film are among the best I’ve seen in recent memory, and there are at least five of them. It begins with Lara leading a group of her colleagues on a “fox hunt” on bicycles through the streets of London. Lara, who works as a messenger before accepting her destiny, is leading a pack of her colleagues on a chase through winding streets packed with cars and trucks. Another scene finds Lara diving off a cliff into a raging river; she manages to stop herself before falling over a waterfall by clinging to the rusted hull of a World War II-era bomber that’s teetering on its edge, then gradually moves over and through the wreckage of the plane, trying to reach the riverbank before it all comes crashing down. (There’s a great Indiana Jones-style moment when she hears the buckling groan and sees the plane crashing to the ground and mutters, “Really?”)
There are some minor irritations, mostly related to the plotting and some of the supporting characters, who are lively and memorable but who frequently lack one or two scenes that would have made them appear as mythically vivid as the material demands. (Vogel’s plight is initially fascinating, but it eventually becomes tedious, and I was dissatisfied with the way the film treated Ren during the final act.) While not particularly groundbreaking, this is an admirably crafted and unpretentious piece of action cinema, featuring a number of sequences that are equally beautiful as they are thrilling, as well as a female hero who’s both elegant and deadly: an ass-kicking Audrey Hepburn.
For more personality quizzes check this: Blockers Quiz.
