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Story by: Jack Foley
THE first Tomb Raider wasn't a critical hit, so it is little
wonder to find that its sequel has mostly been slated by critics
in America.
IndieLondon has yet to discover what delights the latest Lara
Croft adventure will bring - aside from the sight of Angelina
Jolie in a bikini - but here, for the moment, is the US overview.
Entertainment Weekly leads the way, as usual, by stating
that 'for every scene of National Geographic -grand photography
and showy action stuntwork put together by chick-action veteran
director Jan De Bont, a little bit of Jolie's old dangerousness
goes missing'.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, meanwhile, stated that 'both
Tomb Raiders suffer from rampant action-adventure cliches and
the sort of lumbering dialogue that harks back to the Saturday
morning serials of yore'.
And USA Today wrote that 'for a movie based on a video
game, the story is as far-fetched and the characters as one-dimensional
as one might expect'.
The Boston Globe, meanwhile, stated that 'as a collection
of action sequences, The Cradle of Life couldn't be less rousing
were it performed by the cast of Cocoon'.
And The Washington Post wrote that 'if ever there was
a movie fit for permanent entombment, it's this sequel'.
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On a more positive note, however, the San Francisco Chronicle
opined that 'without sacrificing velocity, de Bont gives us
a clean, watchable film, with some exciting sequences."
And the National Post wrote that 'it's refreshing to see
a female action hero who can hold her own, quip for quip and punch
for punch, against Indiana Jones and every other cinematic raider
of lost things'.
The Hollywood Reporter wasn't too scathing, either, noting
that 'probably enough goodwill has been built up in the early
sections that most viewers will not take offense when the movie
abandons its plot and characters'.
The Hollywood Report Card even felt that it 'starts strong,
ends weak'.
But the New York Times wrote that 'Lara Croft lopes from
one action set-piece to the next without developing any real rhythm
or drive', while EFilmCritic.com stated that this is 'another
lifeless big-budget sequel that's only going to remind audiences
how much they really didn't like the original in the first place'.
The Seattle Times continued the negative vibe, writing
that it's 'more like a Cradle of Tedium, and despite the high-decibel
sound and fury, you may wish you had brought a pillow'.
And James Berardinelli's Reelviews noted that 'as impressive
as Angelina Jolie's many physical feats may be, it takes even
more stamina and fortitude to stay awake during the movie's seemingly
endless two-hour running length'.
However, we're going to end on a couple of positive notes....
The Chicago Sun-Times wrote that it 'uses imagination
and exciting locations to give the movie the same kind of pulp
adventure feeling we get from the Indiana Jones movies', while
the Denver Post concludes this round-up by stating that
'Jolie may be defining herself in a franchise whose memory will
be hard to erase later in her career, but she does it with the
style of a legend'.
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