Lara Croft - Tomb Raider/Tomb Raider 2 - The Cradle Of Life [DVD] [2003]

An earthquake off the coast of Greece leads Lara to the long-lost Lunar Temple of Alexander the Great and an artifact that points the way to Pandora's Box - which is suddenly something quite more than the stuff of mythology. Ancient armies had been decimated by the mysteriously evil powers lurking within Pandora's Box, and it must be found before it falls into the wrong hands of the impeccably nasty Jonathan Reiss (Ciaran Hinds), who plans to sell its secrets to as many terrorists as he can. Unfortunately, the all-important clue falls into the hands of a notorious Chinese gang, and Lara - for once - needs help finding the club's secret hideout. She asks for and gets Terry Sheridan (Gerard Butler), a man who betrayed his country as well as Lara herself. The dynamic duo make a most memorable entry into China, where more elaborate action scenes quickly ensue. Lara's quest, however, will then take her to Hong Kong and, eventually, the heart of Africa where Pandora's Box reportedly lies. As you might expect, some romantic tension arises between Lara and Sheridan along the way. Even though we see more of the female side of Lara in this film, she knows what she has to do when the time comes.

This film boasts some amazing special effects and an almost endless supply of stunts (many of which Angelina did herself). CGI is used in a couple of places, especially the final setting with its Guardian Shadows protecting the location of the box; these scenes lack realism, but the CGI effects themselves are quite good. The DVD features a number of featurettes all about the making of the film, along with deleted/alternate scenes (including an alternate ending), a director's commentary, a superfluous screen test with Gerard Butler, and two music videos (and I would encourage Angelina fans to watch the Korn video).

I really don't know what else you could ask for in a summer box office action film. Cradle of Life takes all of the components of the first film and improves upon them by leaps and bounds, goes out of its way to present stunts the viewer hasn't seen countless times before, adds depth to its main character, and features Angelina Jolie in all her glory.

The main thing, of course, is the action, which is why the James Bond comparisons are so obvious. An earthquake shakes the Greek island of Santorini and the next thing we know Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) is on the trail of Pandora's Box. Apparently it was what brought life to Earth and inside it there is one more thing. Not hope, as most versions of the Greek myth tell us, but a plague that will wipe out all life on earth. Lara is interested in the box because her reason d'etre is that: "Everything lost is meant to be found." But evil scientist Dr. Jonathan Reiss (Ciaran Hinds), a Nobel prize winner who is apparently searching for the perfect poison, wants what is in the box. Along for the ride is Terry Sheridan (Gerard Butler), a charming rogue from Lara's past who might be the yin to her yang.

Alexander the Great is involved in all of this as well, but that is just exposition. As was the case with the first Tomb Raider film, Lara Croft goes globe trotting, visiting as many continents as possible before the final credits. More importantly, each and every opportunity for putting in some stunts (not to be confused with CG effects) is taken advantage of, including Lara out for a horseback ride. Director Jan de Bont ("Speed") and first time screenwriter Dean Georgaris have put together a superior sequel, and Jolie is much more comfortable in the role. Lara Croft's biggest similarity to James Bond is not all the stunts but the overwhelming sense of being cool. No matter where on the planet she finds herself, Lara always knows more than here enemies and has friends close at hand.

But beneath the glamorous adventures and close brushes with death, Lara Craft has a series of reality checks to go through in "The Cradle of Life." Part of it is professional, since there is growing reason to believe that finding Pandora's box is not a good idea. But the other part is personal, since Sheridan keeps insisting there is something between them worth pursuing. The common denominator is that both of these issues speak to Croft's feminine side. Clearly she is all woman, but much more, and being put in the position of being either a modern Pandora or an ordinary woman does not make Lady Croft happy. The endings of these two plot lines might be predictable, but at least they give the character and the movie some depth.

Speaking of being unhappy: This film was banned in China because "it damaged China's reputation, giving the impression of a country in chaos, with no government and over-run by secret societies." A movie has to deserve at least four stars for doing something like that.

After Lara's narrow escape she researches "Pandora's box" and the mechanism of the "jewel". She theorizes how it functions. She is obsessed with regaining the jewel and discovering its "secret". This goal leads her to rescue a long-time romantic interest, a Scotsman, from a jail located somewhere in Afghanistan or a nearby region. He has the necessary skills to infiltrate China. The viewer is sitting on the edge of his/her seat as Lara and the Scotsman perform aerial fetes, acrobatic and combative skills against enemies in Hong Kong, to where they trace the jewel. Some of the most beautiful and breath-taking scenery is filmed in China: a motorcycle ride on the Great Wall of China, valleys and mountains, and the side of a cliff where a Buddhist temple is located ...

The third section of this movie ends in Africa ... Lara and her entourage are provided, by a local tribe, passage through a wooded area said to be haunted by spirits. Lara is unexpectedly challenged when she discovers the "secret" to Pandora's box ... This movie is highly recommended. It contains a great story-line, great plot, great characters, and super scenery. It builds suspense, creates twists and turns in the plot and ends like no other film I have viewed in the past ... Erika Borsos (bakonyvilla)