Review: Tomb Raider - Moments of style but not a whole lot of substance

Historically, the area of video game adaptation to big screen blockbuster has been one of scant success with the transition from console to cinema one that has not always run smoothly. One of the few notable exceptions, was in 2001 when Angelina Jolie took the part of Lara Croft in a big budget production of Tomb Raider that in truth, was not terrible and still stands out as a minor victory in a litany of defeats in the gaming movie collection.
Therefore, it's quite understandable that the Hollywood moguls felt that the world was ready for Lara Croft 2.0 and with Oscar winner Alicia Vikander in the title roll and a strong supporting cast including Domininc West and Walton Goggins what could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot as it happens, as despite the gallant efforts of Vikander and Goggins and the odd impressive set piece, this blockbuster is more likely to find it's way into the added list of failures in this genre and leaves the video game adaptation the toughest Hollywood nut to crack!
Tom Raider stars Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished years earlier. Hoping to solve the mystery of her father's disappearance, Croft embarks on a dangerous journey to his last-known destination - a mysterious tomb on a mythical island somewhere off the coast of Japan.Stakes couldn't be higher as Lara must rely on her sharp mind, blind faith and stubborn spirit to venture into the unknown.
In a film riddled with negatives, it may be best to start off with the positive features of this explosive production. Alicia Vikander, in a notable change of her usual acting roles, performs admirably as the latest in a long line of Lara Crofts and carries the expectation and weight of such an iconic character quite well. Walton Goggins too, pulls off the evil nemesis in honourable fashion, avoiding the pitfalls of panto or over egging his portrayal as the evil Mathias Vogel. The same can't be said sadly for Dominic West whose role as Lara's father Lord Richard Croft is, luckily for him, long after the Razzies were handed out as he would have easily taken the prize here for a performance loaded with extra cheese!
Aside of a few impressive action sequences the over reliance on CGI is also evident here with the reliance and need to follow the source material almost too strong at times.
It may not be the worst action blockbuster of this type (or indeed the worst you'll see this year - take a bow The Commuter!) and will pass two hours easily enough but Tomb Raider is not a film that will love long in the memory and regrettably fails to break the long running video game hoodoo!
✸✸1/2