Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases


Lara Croft Tomb Raider The Cradle of Life (2003)

Director: Jan De Bont

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

The tepidly anticipated return of the videogame vixen belly-flopped on its US release, and it did so with a splat that could drown out several summer blockbusters' worth of car-crunch and detonations. From the tinnitus-inducing opener - a mini-avalanche on Santorini - The Cradle of Life erects a crumbling wall of sound and wields its fallen rocks like truncheons: collapsing temples, screaming sharks, glass-shattering gunfire, teeth-rattling helicopters. After the end credits roll, patrons stagger out shellshocked, eardrums perforated and equilibrium shot. Impervious to the sonic booming all around her, lissome Lara (Jolie) enters accessorised by jet ski and hair extensions. She must outwit bioweapons demon Dr Jonathan Reiss (Hinds) for custody of plague dispensary Pandora's Box. Ostensibly, Reiss and Croft make worthy opponents, but De Bont spares little time for mind-to-mind combat between the adversaries, while the love-hate tug match of Lara and her roguish right-hand Terry Sheridan (Butler) accidentally yields the only laugh line of this deafening movie. JWin.

Author: JWin

Time Out Film Guide


What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields





Top Stories

Ridley Scott interview

Ridley Scott interview

Director Ridley Scott tells Cath Clarke why he's making a science fiction comeback

Cannes Film Festival 2012: half-time report

Cannes Film Festival 2012: half-time report

Dave Calhoun reports on the hits, misses and a shocking new masterpiece from Michael Haneke

Wes Anderson interview

Wes Anderson interview

Cath Clarke talks to the director of Cannes's opening film

Open-air movies in London

Open-air movies in London

Cath Clarke rounds up this summer's crop of outdoor film screenings

The 100 best French films

The 100 best French films

In honour of Cannes, we reveal the best French films of all time

Ken Loach interview

Ken Loach interview

Ken Loach talks to us about his Cannes Film Festival entry 'The Angels' Share'