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Lara Croft Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (Full Screen Edition)

Lara Croft Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (Full Screen Edition)

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Another disease movie?
Review: One of the chief pleasures of watching Tomb Raider is the sight of Angelina Jolie's rockin' bod. It is truly mesmerizing - whether she's packed into a skin-tight wet suit or canting about on her horse. To add insult to injury, she's a great actress too. I really dig the sexy English accent she has going on.

This movie rises and falls by Angelina Jolie. It works because we enjoy watching her. She is pretty to look at and the movie is pretty to look at. The plot makes almost no sense. An earthquake kicks up some artifacts that reveal Alexander the Great's sunken temple, which has been under water for two-THOUSAND years, with a leaky ceiling, and is completely dry inside. There she finds a prehistoric disco ball, which is REALLY a map to Pandora's Box. In this movie, the box is a magical (or extra-terrestrial?) thing that began life on Earth. Riiiiiight. Of course, disease is the plot-du-jour these days, so it also contains a virus that will eliminate most of the worlds population.

I am unfamiliar with the video game, but the movie has the feel of a video game. Lady Croft doesn't even bother dodging bullets because she knows they won't hit her. She is capable of things Indiana Jones wouldn't even dream of and she accomplishes it all while still looking perdy. Jan de Bont, who I guess has fallen on hard times, directs the movie with a lot of great stunts and it is a diverting couple of hours. Overall though, the movie leaves a bad taste in the mouth. All these blockbusters imitate the films of Stephen Speilberg, but they haven't watched them closely enough. Never end your film on a downer and this film lands on an unnecessary downer. It's fun but don't go expecting great art - or even a great blockbuster.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: My movie standards are pretty low . . . but STILL!!!
Review: I'm suprised to be the first naysayer for this movie. I did like the first movie, and I do think Angie rose to the occasion to make it more than it would have been. But where that film succeeded I think was in the novelty of bringing a beloved video game girl to the big screen. It was silly and made little sense - but we indulged because it was kind of a one-time thing - "let's just see how it plays out on screen." Good enough . . . but they couldn't resist sequelitis.

And so we have this mess. No more novelty, just really lame movie-making. I tried SO hard to give this movie every chance - but from punching a shark in the face to get a ride in the opening scene - to the completely unsubstantiated twist with her boyfriend in the final scene, this movie laid disappointment after disappointment on me. With little explanation as to why they were going from one place to the next, the characters just seemed to find ways to constantly have guns drawn and villains to blow away. Nothing wrong with that - if the action is good - but one-hit wonder Jan de Bont (SPEED) hasn't a clue how to bring any interest to even a simple gun battle.

Completely uninspired, even Angelina seems bored half the time and, aside from a cute moment borrowing bubble-gum from a little girl, she seem to be having no fun with the character (the one aspect that truly made the original memorable).

Sorry, folks, this one's not even worth matinee!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Even better than the first , Jolie is amazing!
Review: Angelina Jolie comes back for a second time in her fitting role as Lara Croft to look for an orb hidden within a sunken temple where Alexander the great hid many of his prized posessions. Once she finds this orb, however, it is stolen by men who follow her and she must pursue them and their leader to prevent them from finding Pandora's box and unleashing a deadly, plague on the Earth.
The plot is well developed, the settings are extrodinary (Laras Home reminds me of something out of offensively better homes and gardens), and Angelina Jolie is, as she was in the first movie, an amazing Lara Croft. If you are a Tomb raider fan (like myself) or you like a good intelligent action movie, This is the one to see this summer.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Even BETTER than the first
Review: ANGELIE ROCKS!!!
With that said, this movie is definetly better than the first (and by my standards, the first was pretty much great). This time around, we don't have the whole I MISS DADDY subplot, but we just have Lara doing what the character was meant to do - going after the fortunes of the lost tombs, with a couple of missteps along the way :-). To me, anyone that digs the whole Indiana Jones type movies, to miss this one would be a wrong descision. Lara Croft without a doubt, is the new version of that kind of action/adventure hero, and does it without being anything other than Lara Croft (who just happens to be a woman). This movie continues to tear down the myth of leading action female roles, and we are all the better for it. Sure, there are impossibilites, non-realities, etc. But when we go to see these kinds of movies, we willingly leave all preconceived notions at the door and just go in to have fun. This movie is fun, thrilling, and most of all - GOOD!!!!!!!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Sit back and enjoy it
Review: Suspense: 3/5
If you are looking for a suspenseful action film, no this is not the movie for you. We all know that Lara is invincible. She is a linguistic archaelogist with a super hero ability and not to mention her high tech gadgets and excellent contacts all over the world to help her. We all know she can handle even the most impossible situations.

Storyline: 3/5
The drama between Lara and her love interest/ side kick gives more emotional effects to the film and their dialogues are less trite as compared to the drama between Lara and her father in the first Tomb Raider film. The themes of power and greed are as old as the Greek myth. Unfortunately, the lines between good and evil are so clear that they don't even produce any conflict at all.

Actions: 4/5
Visually, the action sequences are entertaining and more satisfying than the first one. They are not confusing and even the slow motion on certain stunts aren't overly exagerated.

Acting: 5/5
I think by now we all agree that no one can play a modern day kick [tail]heroine better than Angelina Jolie. She carries her bigger than life character so well without being too dramatic and overboard. As her sidekick, Gerard Butler successfully deliver a wonderful performance as a romantic hero and as her equal.

I don't play video games therefore I don't have any idea if the movie does any justice from a video game perspective. No comparison should be made between playing a video game and watching a movie unless watching a movie has turned into an interactive activity. Besides, this is a movie BASED on a video game character. So, sit bck and enjoy what the movie has to offer.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Give it a chance, you just might like it.
Review: First off, I one of the minority that enjoyed the first Tomb Raider, so I walked into this one with hopes for the best, despite what the critics were saying. Critics, huh? Who needs 'em?

Angelina Jolie is radiant as ever; she's sexy, slick, and incredibly intelligent and resourceful. The part where she sucker-punches a shark is damn cool. Needless to say, Jolie is the best part of the franchise, even if her acrobatics are unrealistically perfect.

The story and acting is improved over the first. The "Cradle of Life" plot is preposterous, of course, but how it fits into the bad guy's evil plan is pretty sinister, and it makes sense with all the real world fear of chemical and biological weaponry. The villain is less of a man of action than Iain Glen in TR1, but this new guy is more sophisticated, smarter, and meaner. Gerard Butler, though half his dialogue in incomprehensible thanks to his accent, works well as Jolie's counterpart/love interest, and his character strikes me as just the kind of guy Lara Croft is likely to fall for.

The locations are beautiful to behold, especially in China and Africa. The "sky-diving over Hong Kong" sequence is just short of drool-worthy. However, some of the interior sets are just plain bland.

The action scenes are the one downer here; Jan de Bont downshifts from Simon West's starting point, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I wanted more from the gunfights, which seemed lethargic. My two favorite scenes in the movie are when Lara duels with Chen Lo (she defends herself with an unloaded bayonet rifle by twirling it like a trained Marine...super badass) and the CGI "Shadow Demons" sequence, which I was originally dreading, but the way the scene is edited makes it rather cool.

If you enjoyed the first Tomb Raider, check this one out. For all its flaws, Angelina is worth it. ALL HAIL ANGELINA... ANGELINA IS YOUR QUEEN...

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Been there, done that. Still, it's not bad.
Review: Saw LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: THE TITLE'S TOO LONG last night, and it was pretty good, I guess. It's hard to judge a movie's quality when your expectations are so low. I mean, it's a sequel to a pretty mediocre movie that's based upon a video game. Meanwhile, it's also borrowing elements, mood, whole plot points and its ending from the INDIANA JONES movies. So, though I felt like I'd seen everything in it (with the exception of that marvelous skyscraper/parachute-suit jump that was actually done in real life - no CGI), I suppose I had a pretty good time. And Anjelina Jolie is cool.

It's the sort of movie that you go into with a checklist of things you expect to see. Exotic, international locales. Ancient legends. A glowing box with roots that hearken back to the beginning of time that, if opened, will cause massive destruction. A missing temple. Gang members. Machine gun fire. A good-looking guy with a quick wisecrack every few minutes.

So, though it felt been-there, done-that, I guess I have to recommend it somewhat. It's well-done, and that one stunt is cool.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: IT WAS GOOD BUT A LITTLE UNREAL
Review: First of all Angelina Jolie is/has become a very beautiful woman.
However this movie was a little too unrealistic for me to believe. I never had the oppurtunity to see the first one but my movie partner reassured me that this one was better. So what I have to go on is just what was on the screen in front me. So this review is not a reflection of the series, just "The Cradle of Life".
I do believe in women's independence and have authority and power. But in this movie, Lara Croft was probably thinking "who the heck are all these co-stars and extras?". She acted like she did not need anybody's (especially the men) help and became a one woman army (look out Wonder Woman). I thought the acting was a little too "fake" or plastic. I don't recall once in the picture that Lara's facial expression changed. When she was happy or sad or angry or determined; she looked unphased. There are two scenes that seemed too odd to me. The first is when she goes underwater and found the orb. When she was climbing the statue is when it looked odd. It was either a CGI effect or the wire pulled her too early. Still with this scene, she tries to get to the surface because her escape vehicle was destroyed. She holds her breath (amazingly too long) and cuts her arm to attract a hungry shark. The shark (which was horribly computer generated) charges right at her. And in keeping with a cartoon type fashion, Lara proceedes to punch the shark to show who has dominace. The shark woobles it's head and tries to leave. When it does, Lara grabs hold of its' top fin and glides to the surface. The other scene that seems too odd was the "falling off the rock scene (by wire)" with her male partner Terry. They are falling backwards off the cliff with guns aimed at the top of the rock. With pin point accuracy they shot their enemies. What was odd was not just the shooting but the way they landed. With split second timing, they flipped right side up and landed on their feet (like a cat). Then acted as though they did not just fall off a cliff; but had a good lunch instead.
As for some good points, Jolie's body looks great and toned. The "rock forest" sequence was intense. Those rock creatures were unique and original. For as much fighting and violence, there was very little blood seen.
I guess I would have to see the first one to have a stronger opinion about the series. But this review only reflects how I feel about this movie. It was not a stinker but it did not smell like a rose.
Would I see it again? NO. Would I buy the DVD? Maybe.
It's a good movie if you like action (even if it is corny in some spots) and stiff acting (however Jolie pulled a very good and very sexy accent).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An adventure around the world
Review: Lara Croft will take you to places you can't even imagine and she'll keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time and leave a smile on your face. This is one of the greatest adventure movies I've ever seen. She can kick Indiana Jones's butt and out gun James Bond. She's got everything and more. The only people who wont enjoy this movie are the people who have forgotten what it is like to sit down to a movie and just have a good time. I give Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life an A+++

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Why? Why would they do this to us?
Review: I liked the first Tomb Raider, and was thoroughly disappointed watching this movie. Angelina Jolie's character, Lara Croft faces almost impossible tasks. Some of them stupid.

The worst part of this movie is when Lara Croft goes underwater for five minutes, and still has time to quickly punch a shark and ride it up out of the water. It is a ridiculous movie.

If you think that this movie will still be good, and you want to ignore this review, please do not make this movie a blockbuster and make them make a third installment in this bad series.


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