I have not seen the first 'Tomb Raider' movie, but if what people are saying is true -- if the sequel, 'The Cradle of Life,' is indeed BETTER than the first movie -- than thank goodness I did not have to subject myself to the original "adventure" of Lara Croft. As it is, the second film is an incomprehensible mess of poor direction, editing and writing, overloaded with awkwardly filmed, joyless action scenes and pockets of deadening plot explanation. I especially blame director Jan de Bont for this mess -- for someone who started so promisingly ('Speed,' 'Twister'), de Bont has certainly collapsed into such a studio hack that one wonders what Paramount was thinking when they hired him. Seriously, there is an action sequence set in Shanghai that involves a pagoda, a helicopter, Lara Croft and some kind of orb, but I could not tell you for the life of me what exactly HAPPENS during that sequence.
The only saving grace here is Angelina Jolie, who must be the acting equivalent of teflon -- the movie's sheer badness just slides off her as she floats through the film with as much good humor and aplomb as one could possibly be expected to muster. But this is the last time she can allow herself to be the best part of a gawd-awful movie -- audiences can only be expected to endure so much.
3/10
The only saving grace here is Angelina Jolie, who must be the acting equivalent of teflon -- the movie's sheer badness just slides off her as she floats through the film with as much good humor and aplomb as one could possibly be expected to muster. But this is the last time she can allow herself to be the best part of a gawd-awful movie -- audiences can only be expected to endure so much.
3/10