Hoping to be the first film to break the video game movie curse, ‘Tomb Raider’ has a lot going for it, from fairly good casting to action beats that look original and well-executed while staying true to the spirit of the game. This might be a video game film that actually makes critics, audiences, and the studio happy. Of course, I say MIGHT, because I am honestly not sure how much faith the studio has in the movie, releasing it mid-March in an odd-slot between the release of ‘ A Wrinkle in Time‘ and ‘Pacific Rim 2,’ right before ‘Ready Player One‘ comes out. And I’ll admit, it might just be a matter of it being a jam-packed year and the summer season being too full to reasonably fit in ‘Tomb Raider,’ as the video game film most likely will not be able to compete against blockbusters like ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘ and ‘Solo.’
Still, to help ramp up excitement for the March 16th premiere, the filmmakers have released 10 new clips from the movie, showing off everything from Lara Croft’s motivations and backstory in the film, the humble beginnings of her quests, to the start of some of her action sequences, which look pretty cool. I also enjoy all the puzzle aspects, which seem to borrow inspiration from the gaming aspects of the franchise, and I think plays nicely into showing off the smarts of Lara and what makes her so adept at this kind of quest.
Check them out for yourself below, and feel free to share your thoughts on ‘Tomb Raider’ in the comments below!
Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent, and takes college courses, rarely making it to class. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father’s global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he’s truly gone.
Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can’t understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death. Going explicitly against his final wishes, she leaves everything she knows behind in search of her dad’s last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lara, who—against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit—must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name tomb raider.
‘Tomb Raider’ will storm into theaters on March 16th.
