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Lara Croft Tomb Raider -- Special Collector's Edition [2001]


RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £1.48 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Angelina Jolie is the first and best reason to watch Lara Croft Tomb Raider. She gives an extraordinarily committed, physically demanding performance, taking on the mantle of the video game heroine with real conviction and energy, and becoming the embodiment of every teenage boy's wish-fulfilment fantasy female. She's tough, sexy and tomboyish all at the same time, and even has a plummy English accent to give her a touch of class. It's a shame that the movie doesn't live up to Jolie's high standards. A soulless juggernaut of computer-generated effects and one-dimensional characters, the film falls into the same trap that has ensnared every other video game adaptation before it. The convoluted plot--which is concerned with a mysterious planetary alignment, a quasi-Masonic secret society known as the Illuminati and a mcguffin called the Triangle of Light--takes itself far too seriously. Oddly for a film with such a pedigree, the only humour is to be found in the endless repetition by Jolie of the word "bugger", which presumably is hilariously funny to American audiences. Director Simon West, an alumnus of the Brookheimer-Simpson school of filmmaking, choreographs the action sequences spectacularly enough, and their impact is boosted hugely by Jolie's ability to perform almost all the stunt work herself. But the end result is an empty experience that leaves the viewer with the feeling that this much-loved character and this dedicated actress could have been better served.

On the DVD: Eschewing the need for a second disc, this DVD still has plenty of additional material to keep fans happy. There's no single making-of documentary, but rather a series of shorter pieces on specific aspects of the production--the original game, the transition to the big screen, the special effects, the stunt work and the rigorous training endured by Jolie (apparently she got so good she could do the stunts better than any of the stunt doubles). There's also U2's "Elevation" video, some deleted scenes, DVD-ROM features and a chatty commentary from director Simon West. The widescreen picture and thumping surround soundtrack are impressive. --Mark Walker


I Regret Buying This Blu-ray
Review date: 2008-07-29 Rating: 2 out of 10

The movie might be a nice movie, but the quality of the blu-ray is really bad, its like they didnt even work on it...

If you watched this movie, liked it and want to buy it for your movie collection, then buy the DVD don't waste your money on the blu-ray...

I have to give it a 1/5 stars, and if you like Angelina Jolie then make it a 2/5 stars, she deserves a full star...

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Reviews


zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Review date: 2008-06-08 Rating: 2 out of 10

boring,dull and sleep inducing this has to be the most boring videogame flick ever made.the action is poorly staged the plot nonexistant and the acting hammy

Not bad actually.
Review date: 2007-09-28 Rating: 8 out of 10

Yes, it's not the best film ever. I'll start off by saying this.

It is however, one of my favourite kinds of film. A brainless one.
With the simple plot of "bad stuffs goin' on", shortly followed by "Lara must stop bad stuffs". Really, that's about as advanced as the plot ever gets. But that's not a bad thing, it keeps the film shallow, and easy to enjoy in a simplistic way.

I think most people have assessed Angelina's acting, so I'll say this: Chris Barry plays an amazing butler in the film, and the film really has it's funny moments. There aren't loads of them, but they are appreciated. Additionally, the film really captured the feel of the games in terms of terrain (aka tombs).

For a brainless, yet ultimately enjoyable film, I'd say this one definitely fills the quota. I'd also say it's a lot better than most people give it credit for.

For the price, I'd say it's a bargain.

BOND WITH A LADY
Review date: 2007-09-24 Rating: 6 out of 10

Angelina Jolie in a skin tight catsuit was my main motivation when i bought this film. The action is frequent and well made but the story was a little bit weak. The acting is good (i have to say that for Angelina's sake) and the budget was obviously high.

Worth a watch but there are better film out there in this genre.

I LIKED IT
Review date: 2007-08-08 Rating: 8 out of 10

"Tomb Raider" is a harmless diversion that should please its core audience. I loved the performance of Angelina Jolie, who brings the computer game heroine Lara Croft to life. I watched an interview with Jolie in which she said that she really "became Lara Croft".

With her mock British accent, Jolie is a lot of fun as the adventurer-archaeologist who is equal parts Bruce Wayne and Indiana Jones, but with a much better body.

Taking its cue from the video game, the film's screenplay is more of a puzzle than a plot. The script is a patchwork of ideas that plays like a Greatest Hits collection of other films. It deals with end of the world stuff, but it never feels apocalyptic. It's controlled chaos, utterly lacking in surprise. The script jumps from one expected moment to the next, never apologizing for its lack of originality.

At least Jolie understands the limitations of the script. There's enough conviction in her performance to make you want to believe in Lara Croft, the spunky heiress is who is equally at home in her spacious mansion or within the catacombs of a lost tomb. She's guided by the spirit (both literally and figuratively) of her late adventurer father, Lord Croft (Jon Voight), and assisted by an archaeologist Alex West (Daniel Craig) and cyber-geek creator Bryce (Noah Taylor).

The film opens like "Raiders of the Lost Ark," with Lara Croft deep inside one of those musty, dusty tombs. Instead of outrunning a giant boulder, Croft squares off against a mechanical monster, a robotic menace that seems to come out of nowhere. It doesn't. We learn that it's a creation of Bryce, used to keep Croft on her toes.

Angelina Jolie made the perfect Lara Croft; her facial expressions and sly smirks added a personality to the flick that I can only imagine the video game is missing. She seemed smart, brave, and composed as well as full of emotion. Okay, maybe the parts with her father (real-life papa Jon Voight) were a little over the top, but since the whole movie is just eye-candy anyway they seemed to fit.

The fight scenes among ruins got me. How can you not love Lara Croft jumping onto a swinging obelisk to smash a glass eye that holds the key to time, or sledding through an ice cave being pulled by dogs? Or the scene where the villains jump through her castle windows as she rappels around the walls, smashing chandeliers and pistol-whipping bad guys? What's a girl to do but hop on her motorbike, take a guy out sideways, and race off at 100 miles an hour? Excellent.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Jon Voight
Iain Glen
Daniel Craig
Angelina Jolie
Noah Taylor

Creators:
Angelina Jolie (Primary Contributor)
Jon Voight (Primary Contributor)
Simon West (Writer)
Bobby Klein (Producer)
John Zinman (Writer)
Michael Colleary (Writer)
Mike Werb (Writer)
Patrick Massett (Writer)
Sara B. Cooper (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Paramount Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Paramount Home Entertainment
EAN: 5014437812636
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, Collector's Edition, PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2001-11-26
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 96 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2001-06-15
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired)
Language: English (Subtitled)

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