MOVIE REVIEW: TOMB RAIDER

Lara Croft is 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 perilous journey to his last-known destination -- a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. The stakes couldn't be higher as Lara must rely on her sharp mind, blind faith and stubborn spirit to venture into the unknown.

Director: Roar Uthaug

Cast: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu,  Kristin Scott Thomas

Release Date: March 16, 2018

Genres: Action, Adventure 

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and for some language

Runtime: 1h 58min

Review:

The rebooted Tomb Raider is a solid if paint by the numbers origin story which also makes it one of the better video game adaptations.  Of course that’s hardly high praise since video game adaptations have a fairly terrible track record.  Luckily Norwegian director Roar Uthaug, who directed the impressive 2015 Norwegian disaster film The Wave, gives his film a palpable plus even if the script is fairly basic.  Uthaug delivers some solid action set pieces throughout along with a shipwreck sequence which could serve as a solid test for epilepsy.  Uthaug film feels strangely like a 90’s Michael Bay film if you removed all of Bay’s bombast.  It’s an interesting bit of alchemy that works more often than not.   

Tomb Raider wouldn’t work at all if Alicia Vikander couldn’t pull off the role of Laura Croft which she did incredibly well. For the uninitiated, the video game character was rebooted in 2013 as a younger, more grounded take which serves as the basis for this film. So all the cartoonish proportions of the video game and caricature of Angelina Jolie’s 2001 portrayal are thrown by the wayside for a more realistic and grounded approach which works in the film’s favor.   

Vikander is fully committed to the character and she’s clearly enjoying herself as the heroine.  She pulls off a steady balance of strength while still being green and learning her way.  Outside of her childlike grunts, Vikander is always the best thing on the screen and gives the film its heart.  

The supporting cast though is sadly underused and developed.  Walton Goggins is given one of the most basic villain characters to play which is a shame since Goggins is such an interesting actor.  It’s a fairly large misstep mainly due to the script which doesn’t provide any depth.  Daniel Wu’s character is the very definition of a one dimensional character, sure he does some things during the film but he’s more a function than a full-fledged character.  Dominic West also isn’t given much to do outside of a wear a terrible wig and look slightly confused and nuts.  

Tomb Raider is a perfectly watchable film and fans of the video game series will enjoy seeing certain sequences from the 2013 game lifted and woven into this film’s narrative but it all feels incredibly safe.  The door is left wide open for a sequel should this film prove to be successful, which with Alicia Vikander in the lead isn’t a bad thing.

B-

Cindy Prascik' s Review of Money Monster

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for the entertaining-as-it-is-depressing Money Monster. 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or if you've personally been hosed in the Market, I guess. 

When one of his stock tips proves to be a bust, a brash TV presenter and his crew are taken hostage by an unhappy investor. Money Monster is a bit hokey at times, but that's about its only shortcoming. 

Blessed with two of Hollywood's most capable and engaging leads, George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and edge-of-your-seat storytelling, the movie grabs your attention and does not let go. 

Jack O'Connell is also terrific, and it's a credit to his performance how easily you'll begin to side with the guy waving the gun around. 

Money Monster expertly maintains tension throughout, spelled with perfectly-timed humor, and is smart enough not to wear out its welcome. 

The movie's very obvious message is about greed and corruption, but also paints an uncomfortable picture of today's society, as as the hostage situation plays out on live television as "entertainment." 

Money Monster clocks in at a smart 98 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout, some sexuality, and brief violence." It may not bring much new to the table, but Money Monster is an exciting and well-acted picture that's well worth your movie dollar. 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Money Monster gets seven (and fangirl points for Giancarlo Esposito). 

Until next time... 

MOVIE REVIEWS: CENTURION

ON DVD

CENTURION



A Roman soldier (Michael Fassbender) leads a small band of troops on a mission to rescue a key Roman general after becoming trapped in the territory of their sworn enemies in this period action-adventure film from director Neil Marshall (The Descent, Doomsday). The year is A.D. 117: despite the growing strength of the Roman Empire, a fierce tribe known as the Picts has prevented Hadrian's armies from conquering northern Britain. The Picts offer a devastating display of their guerilla power when they raid a Roman frontier fort, and Quintus just barely manages to escape with his life. Thirsting for revenge, Quintus joins General Virilus' Ninth Legion as the squadron begins traveling north on a mission to find and kill Gorlacon, the leader of the Picts. That mission is complicated when the Ninth Legion is ambushed and General Virilus is captured, leaving his men stranded behind enemy lines. Now, as the Quintus and the surviving members of the Ninth Legion are hunted from the shadows, they prepare to make one last, desperate bid to save General Virilus and reach the Roman frontier before being captured or killed by the Picts. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Neil Marshall

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko, Noel Clarke, David Morrissey.

Release Date: Aug 27, 2010

Rated R for grisly images, strong bloody violence and language

Runtime: 1 hr. 37 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

Neil Marshall’s Gladiator meets The Warriors bloody exercise is a surprising film in many ways. Throughout the run time there are blood spurts aplenty, body parts are cleaved at a amazing rate, Marshall’s ability to keep this interesting and shoot it beautifully elevate this film over the usual genre garbage. Marshall has an exceptional talent to create films that keep genre fans happy (see The Decent, Dog Soldiers & Doomsday) but what’s generally overlooked is his growth as a filmmaker. Marshall gives this film an epic feel with huge expansive landscape shots that gives the audience a real scene of the location. It sounds like a small thing but visually it’s a huge plus for this film that occasionally falters with hackneyed scripting. The cast is all game with only a few hiccups. Michael Fassbender is impressively comfortable in a leading man role. He brings a nice sense of gravitas even when delivering some of the more wooden dialogue. Olga Kurylenko is hit or miss throughout; occasionally she finds the right sense of danger and menace while other times it looks like she’s just playing dress up. Marshall’s wife Axelle Carolyn actually comes off far more menacing in a small role. Dominic West delivers solid work but he’s given a terribly small role. Those looking for a strong history lesson should probably look elsewhere but those looking for a solid piece of genre filmmaking that’s fairly entertaining throughout should find plenty to like here.

B