Lara Croft - Tomb Raider

Rating:
Summary: An perfect Tomb Raider
Review: This film has everything, drama, love, action, betrayal and more. It's the best film. Angelina jolie was born to be Lara Croft. If you want more info on the film or if you are interested in the Angelina Jolie Newsletter or tomb raider Newsletter e-mail me at [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: I have found this to be quite relieving.
Review: This film seemed to be a relief from all the other films I have watched. Not only was the idea well planned, but the characters seem to fit well to carry it out.

In the theaters, I didn't think much of it. But when I saw it on TV again, I felt a deep sense of truth to it.

When Lara is battling, trying to save her own life, there are many big creatures she comes up against. Same with life. You have dreams and visions of what your life should be. There will always be obstacles and they will be big.

The only thing to note is, once you come across it, you can't do anything in the past that will help you to fight them. If you did, you would already own what you desired.

So to that note, I say press on, fight on, your dreams are waiting.

-Calvin

Rating:
Summary: It's a video game - where are the controls?
Review: Starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. Co-starring a padded bra as Lara's breasts.

It's all I could ask in a summer movie - originality, action, a novel stunt or two, complete lack of plot, and breasts. First: the breasts, both of them. Since the Tomb Raider game was aimed at adolescent boys, physics and anatomical plausibility never limited the original Lara. Since the computer game was aimed at adolescent boys with mothers, the breasts stay covered, or at least off screen. I can barely imagine the building permit needed to construct a Lara-like padded bra, but the construction was successful. The bra's shape and movement reminded me in many ways of a human figure's. It disappointed me in one scene, though, where tee-shirted Lara climbs out of a moat into the chill of an ice-bound castle. The bra just couldn't rise to the occasion, and missed what could have been the high points of its role.

As to the plot, imagine a movie cut into twenty or thirty sections, scrambled, and spliced back together at random. Would you notice the difference? In Raider's case, probably not. That seems true to the original game, where a clueless player guides Lara randomly and repetitively through hazards meant to challenge a pre-teen on a sugar buzz. Movies from games rank just below movies from comic books for attention span and continuity - if you were looking for either, you probably picked up the wrong disc by mistake.

There's plenty of action, as in the game, without depending too much on chases, explosions, and fire. This may be the best feature of the movie: thoughtful, varied mayhem. The swashbuckling was only improved by being buckled onto Lara. Violence was mostly bloodless, although Lara briefly suffered a boo-boo on her arm. Gadgeteering, computer graphics, and stunts were pretty good. One of my favorite scenes was Lara's aerial ballet. You could easily see the bungee cords in that sequence - you were supposed to. I left wondering, though. Could she really have done all that on the ropes we saw, or was she also suspended by invisible ropes during the scene with the visible ropes? Make the most of that speculation. It's about as deep as Tomb Raider ever gets.

The movie really stands out for its use of originality. The wardrobe closet, dozens of identical outfits, was quite original when it first appeared in 'Last Action Hero'. I think the combination jungle gym and planetary model was original to 'Dark Crystal'. The uber-geek sidekick with advanced Personality Deficit Disorder and grooming malfunctions was probably original at some point, long before his appearance in 'Short Circuit'. The bring-it-down-around-their-ears ending to every 007 movie may not have been James Bond's at first, but he made it his own. There was lots of originality in Raider, but I'm sad to say it was all someone else's.

Tomb Raider is a fine bit of fluff, and you might enjoy it unless you liked Cider House Rules or Snow Falling on Cedars. You might enjoy it more if you're a testosterone-driven teenaged boy, or were one, or know one. This movie won't sink any of the actors' careers, but it probably won't launch any, either. Except maybe the padded bra's - the bra may get an Oscar for best supporting role.

Rating:
Summary: A video game
Review: A lot of people have said this is a video game made into a movie, but actually it's not, it's just a video game that you watch. In a game, you solve puzzles and shoot things. When you make that into a movie, there's a gigantic, gaping hole in it where the main character should be. Lara Croft has no personality. She's emotionally distant, humorless, cold and unknowable. As someone else said, she's "uber-cool", to the point of not really being human anymore. She seems to be able to relate more to gadgets and machines than people. When she's fighting a robot, riding a motorcycle, or trying to figure out the secrets of an ancient clock, she has a sparkle in her eye. Her character really comes to life. Yet as soon as she has nothing to do but relate to her fellow humans, all hope is lost. She totally shuts down and just sits there, or stands there, bored out of her mind. This is the reason parents don't like their children to sit and play video games all day long, and insist they go out and play with their friends. You might wind up being able to relate only to gadgets and having no use for people as well.

But don't get me wrong, I liked the movie. I thought the special effects were really cool (...). But just imagine how good a film it would have been if the (...) had a personality as well? I mean, wow, you could have had something on the level of the Indiana Jones movies then.

It's really the fault of the writer, for not giving her any personality, and of Jolie for not trying to add anything to the empty material, and of course of the director, for seeming to think this was all just fine.



Rating:
Summary: Angelina is aweosme
Review: I recommend this dvd to anyone who is a fan of Angelina, you are not supposed to take this movie seriously, its just a fun chill out movie. The picture quality is amazing and its packed full of extras. If you love Angie buy this!