Lara Croft Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003)

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Cradle of Life is certainly better than its 2001 predecessor, but its appeal is mostly aimed at fans of the video games that inspired both movies. That pretty much leaves you with some fun but familiar action sequences, and the ever-alluring sight of Angelina Jolie (reprising her title role) as she swims, swings, kicks, shoots, flies, jet-skis, motorcycles, and free-falls her way toward saving the world, this time by making sure that a grimacing villain (Ciarán Hinds) doesn't open Pandora's Box (yes, the actual mythological object) and unleash a deadly plague that will "weed out" the global population. Exotic locations add to Jolie's own coolly erotic appeal, but we're left wondering if this franchise has anywhere else to go. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

Great Movies Are Hard to Find

I'm a fan of most Angelina Jolie films, but her series of Lara Croft Tomb Raider films are great. There is so much action & adventure that these films don't leave you bored. The actors that work with her are a good group and transform into a great cast of characters. We have made these movies among our top picks to take on vacations/trips with our portable DVD player. July 25, 2008

Suspense and romance - just Gerry.

What can I say...where would Lara Croft be without Gerry Butler around the corner? He is believable in most any role and is such eye candy...it should have been easy for Lara to have lost interest in Pandora's Box with Gerry back in her life.... June 17, 2008

"Your're A Hard Act To Follow Croft" ~ Rocking The Cradle As Only Lara Can

The further adventures of the fabulously sexy and deadly Lara Croft continue in the '03 sequel `Lara Croft Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life'. This film is definitely a worthy addition to the Croft mythos sending Lara in search of not so mythical Pandora's Box. Not alone in her quest, she find herself in competition with a ruthless foe determined to possess the box and release a plague upon mankind for which he possesses the only antidote.

As with the film the production values are first rate, the action fast and furious and Angelina looks fantastic. The inclusion of Gerard Butler as fellow treasure hunter and Lara's love interest is also a welcome addition to the cast. On the slightly negative side, I found the dialogue not quite as crisp as in the first film and the exclusion of that tight fitting, bluish-purple shorts outfit of Lara's was an unfortunate choice.

As far as the plot, I liked the premise and the execution of the storyline for the most part but was marginally disappointed by the ending. It wasn't quite as spectacular as one might have expected. Be that as it may, `Lara Croft Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life' is a lot of fun, I enjoyed it! June 17, 2008

an action movie with a woman

I like movies that have some action in them. But what I really like in this movie is that it is a women that is strong willed and can get it done. Most movies have the man as the risk taker but the stunts and effects in this movie make it fun to watch. May 19, 2008

Average at best

The best thing about this film is Angelina Jolie, who as we know now can be a fine actress (see A Mighty Heart) as well as looking stunning. However in general this is just an overblown blockbuster with a plot thats similar to that used in the Indiana Jones films. After an admittedly promising beginning this rapidly descends into stunt after stunt followed by explosion after explosion then gun battle after gun battle and unarmed combat fight ad-nauseum. Credit where credit is due the stunts are well done, and I believe that Jolie did many herself.

So if you like films of this type then this for you - it'll be a great film you should buy regardless of how much Amazon are selling it for. For me it needed a better script and more characterisation. The combination of these two changes could easily have been done at the expense of a few stunts/explosions/fights. Theres no reason why this can't be done with films based on games. After all it has been done successfully with films based on comic strip characters (think X-men or Batman Begins).

So my advice is only buy if very cheap.
January 1, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...