Film and Felt

First of all, let me put to rest a silly little rumor going around. Somehow, it’s circulating that Tomb Raider 2 is only worth seeing if you’re a freshly ripened teenage boy. In actuality, anyone who appreciates aesthetic pleasures will enjoy Tomb Raider 2 on a certain non-visceral level. As evidence, I submit the following:

Granted, I might be a bit biased since I think Angelina Jolie, the voluptuous beauty who plays the title role, is easily the sexiest woman in Hollywood (if not the stratosphere). Still, she seems to be one of those rare women who defies the typical “type,” as I’ve yet to meet an individual of either sex who doesn’t consider her extremely attractive. Jolie’s also a good actress and pretty much carries this franchise on her back. Without her, Tomb Raider 2 would be nothing more then another yawn-inducing special-effects fest in a summer filled with them. With her, however, Tomb Raider 2 becomes almost compulsively watchable, as Jolie’s bee-stung lips and hypnotic aura slowly take the atmosphere over. In honesty, she saves the film from being a complete disaster, as it comes equipped with all the prerequisites for an atomic bomb of a movie. Dialogue soaked in clichés, prototypical love story drenched in treacle, mediocre computer graphics, zero non-Lara character development. Every time these splendid traits threaten to ruin the film, however, Lara Croft swoops in with an uzi and makes it all better.

Lest I imply that Jolie is the only reason to see the film, director Jan de Bont (of Speed fame) actually shows a gift for cinematography, choosing beautiful locations in Hong Kong and Greece among others to shoot the film. There are some lovely shots that indicate an understanding of framing and composition. Unfortunately, de Bont shows no such gifts for dialogue or many other elements of cinema. A certain suspension of belief is of course needed in a picture of this genre, but Croft punching an attacking shark in the nose, sending it fleeing like a wounded baby, is a bit much. De Bont takes over for Simon West, who helmed the original Tomb Raider, but no difference is noticable - the styles of the two films are essentially identical, though.fans of the video game will likely connect to the sequel a bit more. There’s more of an arcade feel here, with quick cuts to different locations and constant movement. Despite Tomb Raider 2’s countless flaws, I’d rather watch Jolie masquerade around Africa with two guns blazing then hear Keanu Reeves spout pretentious psychobabble any day.

© Gabe Leibowitz 2003