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Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
Paramount Pictures

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life reviews


8.4

based on 34 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 90 votes
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FILM:

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

GAMES:

Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for action violence and some sensuality

Starring Angelina Jolie, Gerard Butler, Ciarán Hinds, Chris Barrie, Noah Taylor, Djimon Hounsou, Til Schweiger, and Simon Yam

Demonstrating her physical prowess and revealing her courage as never before, Lara Croft proves that she will stop at nothing in her search for an infamous site know as "The Cradle of Life" -- especially when it means she could save the world from the most unspeakable evil ever known. (Paramount)

GENRE(S):	Suspense/Thriller
WRITTEN BY:	Dean Georgaris Steven E. de Souza (story) James V. Hart (story)
DIRECTED BY:	Jan de Bont
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: November 18, 2003 Video: November 18, 2003 Theatrical: July 25, 2003
RUNNING TIME:	116 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA / Germany / Japan / UK / Netherlands

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

In a summer where the special effects in movies have grown steadily more repetitive and dreary, "LCTR:TCOL" uses imagination and exciting locations to give the movie the same kind of pulp adventure feeling we get from the Indiana Jones movies.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

A surprise and a not-so-guilty pleasure.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Somewhat fleeter and more engaging than its predecessor.

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

Angelina Jolie focuses her wild energy into outlandish heroics, and emerges with more attractiveness and credibility than all three of those silly Charlie's Angels combined.

Los Angeles Times Manohla Dargis

However caricatured a vision of female empowerment, Lara Croft exercises an irresistible tug not just on the adolescent male imagination but the 12-year-old female imagination as well.

Variety David Rooney

Jolie is even hotter, faster and more commanding than last time around as the fearless heiress/adventuress, plus a little more human. The less welcome news is that most of the same shortcomings that cramped the first installment are still dogging the sequel, which delivers on action but dawdles through downtime.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

This Indiana Jones knockoff goes down smoothly enough, and Jolie isn't bad at all, though every time she opened her mouth I expected Mick Jagger to come dancing down her tongue.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

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.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Croft is one humorless butt-kicker. Excavations in exotic lands have rarely looked so much like items on a to-do list.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Stephen Cole

Isn't nearly as much fun as the original. For one thing, Lara having a boyfriend wrecks everything.

The New York Times Dave Kehr

Emerges as just one more formulaic action film as the title character bounces around the globe in a deadly treasure hunt.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

Offers plenty of eye candy, if little else. Ultimately, the film is clearly superior to its predecessor, but that's mostly because the first Tomb Raider left so much room for improvement.

New York Post Jonathan Foreman

Its faults -- banal dialogue, ludicrous and uninspired plotting, dull but vicious fight scenes -- make you realize just how much the summer action movie has declined in the last few years.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Simply a series of set pieces designed to insure Angelina Jolie's status as action-babe pin-up.

Newsweek David Ansen

It’s not half bad, with cool locations and a great stunt leap from the top of a Hong Kong high-rise.

Chicago Tribune Mark Caro

Superior to 2001's "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" in almost every way. It's better directed, more consistently acted, and its writing, while at times ridiculous, at least has a modicum of logic at its core. I still had to slap myself to stay awake.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

A creditable genre entry, the rare action movie with a discernible story, an assured pace and a charismatic central character. It falls apart in the end.

USA Today Claudia Puig

Even though the special effects and action sequences are good, the monsters conjured up are rather humdrum.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Bombastic it may be, but it’s rarely boring, as was the first Tomb Raider. Keep your expectations in line with the source material and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir

This is a highly enjoyable summer thrill ride with an action heroine who likes to be on top, literally and figuratively.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

The movie is all action. But there's no pacing, no suspense and no vulnerability for the protagonist so it all soon gets numbingly tiresome.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Even sex can't save a film that produces instant narcolepsy.

Premiere Laine Ewen

If only the love story were a little more convincing, she might have saved the world and the movie.

Film Threat Kevin Carr

Even in the final battle over life and death, the only injury she suffers is a slight scratch on the face. It’s too much like a video game.

Portland Oregonian Kim Morgan

Quite simply, the "Tomb Raider" series has been flat-out boring, even with the talented and fun Jolie -- who needs to take off those harnesses and get back to real movies. She deserves better.

LA Weekly Scott Foundas

With her bulging blue eyes, elaborately braided hair and slinky spandex costumes, she's an indelible icon of action-heroine chic, and, quite frankly, the films don't deserve her.

Dallas Observer Gregory Weinkauf

Beneath its satisfactory chops this movie -- like Ms. Croft herself -- is stuffy and soulless.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Competent in the extreme, the talented Jolie would make a great Jane Bond. But mired in this joyless orgy of preposterousness, her biggest challenge is simply keeping a straight face.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

In a summer of surprisingly self-serious comic book movies" Lara Croft "stands out as being particularly humorless.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

If ever there was a movie fit for permanent entombment, it's this sequel.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

The worst action movie of the summer. I liked Bad Boys II a little less, but making the comparison is like distinguishing between a cow turd and a horse turd. And that pretty much sums it up nicely.

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

Another joyless, brain-numbing adventure through lackluster Indiana Jones territory.

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

Cradle of lifelessness.

Village Voice Michael Atkinson

It wouldn't be fair to gripe about the hundreds of plot holes; the whole thing is hole.

The average user rating for this movie is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 90 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jared C. gave it a10:
Way more than the first, it actually has acting, action, fantasy, one of the years best.

Sam gave it a6:
I actually liked the first one better, but they're both fun films. I hate village voice, from this to spider-man 2 and tons of other movies, they usually give good movies bad reviews. Both 1 and 2 need improvement, but if there isn't a sequel i'll be happy with what i got.

Nick V. gave it a 1:
Sorry, but this was pretty bad. There are alot of better ones out there and you can afford to miss this one.

Ron J. gave it a 6:
I'm a Lara Croft fan, but finished this movie wondering when it was going to start. Technically it was good, Jolie was good, but it didn't capture my attention like the original.

Mikko A. gave it a 9:
Great action with awesome locations and actress.

Greg T. gave it a 7:
The critics may have panned this movie but what.....? It's an action movie with lots of action. You won't fall asleep in it. The storyline is not brain science, but what current movie is? And Ms. Jolie is awful purty fer a girl....

Niel S. gave it an 8:
The sequel upholds the Croft image nicely. I suggest many critics who gave the lower scores are merely low self-image, misguided, populous "butt-kissers". Dogging an entertaining movie provokes attention when origional reviewer thought is lacking. Additionally, you will notice many of the lower ratings try save face by exclude Angelina from their attacks by saying she is too good for the Croft series. Wake up, the Lara Croft character is huge for a reason. Her attribute combination is appealing. Angelina Jolie is a perfect match for the role. She IS the movie. So quit being jealous over not being her or not being able to have her and give the moving the entertaing credit it deserves.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life Paramount Pictures

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
Paramount Pictures