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Tomb Raider

6/10

Stars: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Derek Jacobi, Nick Frost, Hannah John-Kamen, Antonio Aakeel, Alexandre Willaume, Tamer Burjaq, Adrian Collins, Kennan Arrison

Director: Roar Uthaug

Here's a rousing reboot that knows its kick-arse from its elbow.

Dedicated seekers of subtext would be best advised to accept the fact that that particular critical trope takes second place here to reviving the eponymous intelligent English archaeologist who initially found fame as the heroine of a popular video game and then rendered as cinematic flesh and blood by Angelina Jolie in the first two Lara Croft movies in 2001 and 2003.

Director Uthaug wastes little time in establishing Vikander's Lara Croft's ability to hold her own (without any comic book supernatural powers) when she leaves London and heads east to see if she can track down her long-vanished archaeologist father who is still alive on a fabled island off the coast of Japan.

Cue a female empowerment take on Indiana Jones (with a more convincing actor than Indie in the role) when Vikander shows her determination and fighting skills in Hong Kong and then reaches the fabled island where, finding her dad alive and well, goes into action against Goggins (perfect name for a villain?) and his gang to save the world when she and the Bad Guys penetrate an underground tomb where a dead empress holds the secret of deadly world power.

Screenwriters Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Alastair Siddons' take on the hit 2013 'Tomb Raider' videogame sensibly centres on action rather than logic, giving Vikander plenty of well-chosen chances to round out her character, which she does in a lively B-movie-style action tale decorated with attractive tropical locations, effective movie magic and a lively pace.

It's Vikander's show all the way and she doesn't disappoint.

Result?

Reboot - high on action, low in logic - accomplished.

Alan Frank

UK/USA 2018. UK Distributor: Warner Brothers. Technicolor.
117 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 1, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 18 Mar 2018