Angelina Jolie transformed from a versatile actress into a global icon by personifying a digital legend. This film defined the early millennium aesthetic through high-octane stunts and slick cinematography. It successfully bridged the gap between gaming culture and mainstream Hollywood blockbusters.
Detailed Summary
The Discovery of the All-Seeing Eye
Lara Croft lives a life of luxury and danger within her massive family estate. She spends her mornings battling advanced combat robots to keep her reflexes sharp. One night, a celestial alignment begins that only occurs every five thousand years. Lara discovers a mysterious ticking clock hidden inside a secret room in the manor.
The Illuminati Strike back
She investigates the strange device and identifies it as the All-Seeing Eye. This artifact acts as a key to an ancient clock capable of controlling time itself. However, the villainous Manfred Powell sends a team of mercenaries to steal it from her home. They successfully retrieve the clock after a massive firefight throughout the mansion.
The First Half of the Triangle
Lara travels to Cambodia to stop Powell from assembling the Triangle of Light. She encounters her rival, Alex West, who works for the Illuminati for profit. Eventually, she retrieves the first half of the artifact from a hidden temple in the jungle. Powerful stone statues come to life and force Lara into a desperate battle for survival.
The Journey to Siberia
A final showdown looms as the planetary alignment nears its total completion. Powell realizes he needs Lara to solve the final puzzle in the frozen ruins of Siberia. They enter the tomb and find a massive planetary model that tracks the celestial movements. Lara realizes the power of the Triangle could actually bring her dead father back to life.
Movie Ending
Lara faces a profound moral choice within the planetary chamber in Siberia. Powell kills Alex West to motivate Lara into completing the ritual. She assembles the Triangle and enters a dreamlike state where she speaks with her father. Lord Richard Croft warns her that the power to control time is too dangerous for any human.
She chooses to destroy the artifact rather than use it for her own selfish desires. Consequently, time resumes its normal flow during a chaotic physical struggle against Powell. Lara manages to retrieve a knife that Powell previously used to murder her father. She stabs him and escapes the collapsing tomb just as the planetary alignment ends.
Lara returns home to find her butler and assistant waiting for her. She honors her father’s memory by wearing a classic outfit that mirrors her gaming roots. The film concludes with her heading out on another mission to preserve world history.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider does not feature any post-credits scenes. The story concludes fully before the credits roll. Viewers see the final credits accompanied by a high-energy electronic soundtrack.
Type of Movie
This film is a quintessential action-adventure blockbuster from the early 2000s. It features a stylized, campy tone that draws heavy inspiration from comic books and video games. Spectacle and physical stunts take center stage throughout the narrative.
Cast
- Angelina Jolie – Lara Croft
- Jon Voight – Lord Richard Croft
- Iain Glen – Manfred Powell
- Daniel Craig – Alex West
- Noah Taylor – Bryce
- Chris Barrie – Hillary the Butler
- Julian Rhind-Tutt – Mr. Pimms
Film Music and Composer
British composer Graeme Revell provided the original score for the film. He blended orchestral elements with industrial electronic beats to match the high-tech lifestyle of the protagonist. Furthermore, the soundtrack features popular contemporary artists like U2 and The Chemical Brothers. This musical direction helped ground the movie in the specific pop culture era of 2001.
Filming Locations
Production took place across several stunning international locales to capture the globe-trotting nature of the story. Pinewood Studios in England served as the primary hub for the massive interior sets. Notably, the production moved to the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia for the jungle sequences. This marked the first time a major Hollywood film shot in Cambodia since the 1960s. The final snowy scenes were filmed in Iceland to simulate the harsh Siberian wasteland.
Awards and Nominations
The film received a nomination for Best Female Performance at the MTV Movie Awards. Additionally, it earned a nomination for a Saturn Award in the Best Science Fiction Film category.
Behind the Scenes Insights
- Angelina Jolie performed many of her own stunts, including the bungee ballet in the manor.
- The actress underwent intense physical training for months before cameras started rolling.
- Jon Voight and Angelina Jolie are father and daughter in real life.
- Director Simon West wanted the film to feel like a live-action version of a comic book.
- The prop team created multiple versions of the All-Seeing Eye clock for different scenes.
Inspirations and References
This movie is a direct adaptation of the Tomb Raider video game series developed by Core Design. The plot draws inspiration from classic adventure archetypes seen in films like Raiders of the Lost Ark. Specifically, the concept of the Illuminati originates from historical conspiracy theories and secret society lore. The visual style of the planetary model reflects ancient Greek astronomical tools like the Antikythera mechanism.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
One deleted scene shows Lara interacting more deeply with the technology in her secret lab. Other cut footage includes extended dialogue between Lara and her father during the vision sequence. An alternate take of the final battle exists with slightly more graphic violence. However, the theatrical ending remained the primary vision for the director.
Book Adaptations and Differences
This project did not originate from a book. Instead, the screenwriters developed an original story based solely on characters from the Eidos Interactive games. A novelization of the movie was later released to tie in with the theatrical premiere. Interestingly, the film version of Lara is more of an established aristocrat compared to her early gaming iterations.
Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- The bungee jump training session featuring the home invasion.
- Lara riding her motorcycle through the lush Cambodian jungle.
- The battle against the six-armed stone guardian in the tomb.
- The final confrontation inside the spinning mechanical solar system.
Iconic Quotes
- “To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower.”
- “Stop! We have to find the clock.”
- “Everything lost is meant to be found.”
- “I woke up this morning and I just hated everything.”
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- Lara uses the same Heckler & Koch pistols that characterize her digital counterpart.
- A small statue from the original video game sits on a desk in the manor.
- The planetary alignment happens every 5,000 years, referencing the ancient Mayan calendar.
- Bryce wears a shirt that refers to the programming culture of the late nineties.
Trivia
- The film held the record for the highest-grossing video game adaptation for many years.
- Many fans initially criticized the casting choice before seeing the first trailer.
- The production team built the Cambodian temple set inside a massive water tank.
- The robot in the opening scene is named SIMON as a nod to the director.
Why Watch?
This movie remains the gold standard for high-concept video game adaptations. Angelina Jolie delivers a powerhouse performance that defines the character for an entire generation. Meanwhile, the practical stunts and lush locations provide a sense of scale rarely seen today.
Director’s Other Movies
- Con Air (1997)
- The General’s Daughter (1999)
- The Mechanic (2011)
- The Expendables 2 (2012)
