5 Things We Want to See in the 'Tomb Raider' Movie Reboot
By Jesse Schedeen It's been 15 years this week since the first "Tomb Raider" movie hit theaters. And no matter how many bad video game-based movies Hollywood delivers, studios will always try to mine the gaming industry for new material. At least with the upcoming "Tomb Raider" reboot, Warner Bros. and MGM are drawing from a franchise with an established track record on the big screen. Can the movie avoid the "bad video game movie" curse? Can new star Alicia Vikander outshine the previous Lara Croft, Angelina Jolie? We don't know, but if the reboot follows these five lessons, it definitely stands a fighting chance.
1. Great Performances
Video game movies aren't necessarily known for their strong, nuanced performances. But we'd like to think the fact that Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander -- the second Best Supporting Actress winner to play Croft -- will be the exception. Vikander blew us away in 2015 thanks to both "The Danish Girl" and "Ex Machina," and we're hopeful she can do the same in what could be her first mainstream breakout role.
2. Exotic Locations
Half the fun of the games is following Lara Croft as she journeys the globe in search of treasure or archaeological secrets. The "Tomb Raider" reboot needs to take a page from the "James Bond" franchise, featuring one exotic location after another -- and never lingering in one spot for too long.
3. A More Vulnerable Lara Croft
The previous two "Tomb Raider" films featured a very confident, capable (and not very grounded) heroine. We'd prefer that this reboot follow the example of the most recent games and introduce a Lara who's still learning the ropes of being a globe-trotting adventurer. We definitely want Lara to kick ass, but we also want her to struggle with her fears and doubts, slowly evolving into the badass we know she can be.
4. Exciting Action
While we want this reboot to showcase a rookie Lara Croft, that certainly doesn't mean this film shouldn't be packed to the gills with memorable action scenes. The games are full of high-intensity shootouts (involving both guns and bows and arrows) as well as countless death-defying stunts. No movie adaptation would be complete without plenty of blood and adrenaline.
5. Keep Everything Tasteful
As groundbreaking as the "Tomb Raider" games were in the '90s, they also became a bit of a joke thanks to the incredibly sexualized depiction of Lara Croft. That's something the more recent games have addressed, and it's another area where the movie should follow suit. There's nothing wrong with a little sex appeal, but Lara needs to be treated like a real character, not eye candy.
