“SKumm’s Thoughts”
TOMB RAIDER (PG-13, 2018,
118 minutes, GK FILMS/WARNER BROS.)
Reboots—ahh, how Hollywood loves their reboots!
Sometimes, those reboots work amazingly well—monetarily speaking, of
course. Take an idea or a previous film
that you think would function much better with some newer technology and a hip
cast (yeah, I used the word “hip”—watch yourself, or I’ll use “groovy” and
“bitchin’”, too). Reboots can mean easy
money for a studio, and usually are easy tent-pole films, many of which are
released during the summer.
Now, keep in mind, a “reboot” is not necessarily a “remake”, and it isn’t
necessarily a “sequel”. Take the
multiple iterations of the STAR TREK films; recently, what J.J. Abrams did was
reboot the series—new actors, new effects, almost new stories, and it all
equaled box office $$. So much so that
the upcoming fourth installment will be directed by Quentin Tarantino. The PLANET OF THE APES films were all
remakes—incredibly rendered and beautifully told remakes.
The reboot is a curious endeavor, as it doesn’t necessarily ignore what
came before it, but it may not address it, either. Take TOMB RAIDER, for instance. Fanboys around the world got instant chubbies
when it was first announced that Angelina Jolie would be suiting up as video
game heroine “Lara Croft” in the 2001 film, and for good reason: she had the
curves and the presence to match the character.
But the film (and its 2003 sequel) were poorly executed, run-of-the-mill
actioners that, while they made money, didn’t live up to the hype.
So why wouldn’t the studio want to try a reboot a decade and a half
later? Only this time, the script is
better, the effects are better (mostly), and the lead actress is… GROOVY
(#sorry/notsorry) This time around,
Alicia Vikander (EX MACHINA, THE DANISH GIRL) fills the title role, and what
you get is an action/adventure film that actually feels more human. Sorry, Angelina, you’ll always be my girl (as
soon as you lift the restraining order), but Ms. Vikander does such a
convincing job as a young woman forced into a tough situation that you don’t
expect her to come out unscathed. She
brings a certain humanity to the role that felt lost in the prior films. Yes, you know she will come out on top in the
end, but you care about her as you watch, you feel for the emotional and
physical trauma she experiences along the way.
Yep—still talking about a movie based on a video game! The story starts with Lara basically getting
her butt kicked. Her situation is this:
she works as a bicycle courier and is having a hard time paying for her bills. Although desperate for cash, she is also having
a hard time declaring her father (played by Dominic West) legally dead; the
philanthropist has been missing for seven years, and if stubborn Lara would
just sign the appropriate paperwork, she’d inherit his vast fortune and
estate. After coming across clues as to
his last whereabouts, Lara embarks on a quest to find out what happened to him,
and discovers…oh, yeah, that’s right—I don’t do spoilers!
Instead, allow me to wax poetic concerning those action scenes and set
pieces. There are two minor stumbles
when it comes to the effects—nothing that distracts from the film too badly,
but they are kind of the obvious “ran under budget on THAT scene, didn’t they”
thing. But cinematographer George
Richmond (KINGSMAN) manages to switch between capturing a sweeping landscape to
close-up hand-to-hand combat effortlessly.
None of the shots seem tiresome or forced, and there is a fluidity to
the film which belies its humble beginnings.
Most notable are the bicycle chase (totally rad) and the dilapidated
airplane scene (totally bitchin’), two of many white-knuckle moments that are
easy studies for inventive filmmaking.
And the attention to detail when it comes to the sets makes you wish the
camera would linger just a bit longer, so you can see everything. It takes true appreciation of the lore behind
this film and a careful eye to get that much right, especially when it is in
the background.
Besides those couple of missteps with the effects, the only other thing
that really bothered me with the film is Walton Goggins (THE HATEFUL EIGHT,
AMERICAN ULTRA) as baddie Mathias Vogel.
As versatile and introspective of an actor he is, he never really
defines the level of evil and/or crazy his villain is. He comes across more as a nasty foreman or a
slightly homicidal bully than he does your typical straight-up bad guy. On another day, he could have just been a
regular guy, doing a job.
It is still a bit early for Warner Bros. to announce a sequel, but I think
it is safe to say that this reboot should line their pockets enough to warrant
a follow up. There is more to this
character we should see, which is the lovely thing about this film: she is a
fully realized person, thanks to Ms. Vikander’s performance, and not just a
pretty prop piece hired to sell tickets (sorry, Angie—still love ya, babe!).
Film Grade: B
-- T.S. Kummelman
