While the Angelina Jolie-starring originals picked up with Lara already in full possession of her tomb-raiding gifts, the update hedges closer to prequel. And it’s certainly refreshing to see her share the screen with a handsome, decades-older man (Dominic West) who’s her father, not her love interest. The film doesn’t even attempt to shoehorn in a romantic subplot, though Vikander’s chemistry with unlikely partner Lu Ren (Daniel Wu) is crackling and fun.
This Lara Croft is rarely sexualized by those around her - predominantly men, it should be noted - and even the film’s principal villain is inclined to compare her to his own daughters rather than go a skeezier route. Mostly based on a 2013 update to the game, this “Tomb Raider” offers a modernized heroine who wears a lot of sensible pants when embarking on her various missions.
It’s when the film falls back on the old tropes that things grind to a halt. That’s okay: When “Tomb Raider” digs into its more creative action, including a breathless bike race through London and a genuinely queasy shipwreck, it’s about as entertaining as popcorn entertainment gets these days. Roar Uthaug’s new feature is positively jittery with action sequences, hopscotching from one scene to the next with little connective tissue. By the time it gets gunning on its second act, shrewd audiences should be able to identify not only broad strokes of gameplay, but also whole missions required of Alicia Vikander in her quest to, well, raid tombs and such. Familiarity with the “ Tomb Raider” video game series isn’t required when it comes to enjoying the “Tomb Raider” reboot.
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