Tomb Raider

So Tomb Raider was pretty good. Not an excellent movie but good enough to be entertaining- and Alicia Vikander was awesome in the role. She's just physical enough without being over the top. The cast all around is pretty good, I especially liked Daniel Hu as Lu Ren, the drunken sailor who helps her get to the secluded island where she believes her father died. The story is pretty typical, not anything to write home about, but it's serviceable, and the action scenes are pretty good. I think the standout scene of the movie is in the very beginning, where Lara leads a cadre of cyclists around London in a game of bicycle tag. It's fun and sets the stage for Lara to prove her athleticism and never-say-die attitude throughout the rest of the movie. 

I have a thing for lost temples and secluded islands so this was like catnip. I mean it's not anything mind blowing, and some of the action scenes (especially the shipwreck) were clearly CGI'ed in, but it's a good popcorn movie and I'm glad I saw it. Lara is capable and even though she has the obligatory revealing tank top throughout the movie, I didn't feel like they sexed her up too much. The focus was on her athleticism here for the most part, which I liked. And while some of the stunts were a bit much, it was believable (mostly) for what it is. 

I actually thought the backstory that was developed here, with a mysterious organization collecting lost (and dangerous) artifacts from around the world, set the stage nicely for any future sequels. Vikander gives a solid, likable performance as Lara, without any of the over the top Angelina stuff. I was impressed with Vikander's debut in Ex Machina, somewhat less impressed with her turn in Jason Bourne, but here she was back on her game. I even liked the villain- he seemed one note at first, but as the movie progressed he had a somewhat fun delivery that almost made him something more than a cardboard cut-out. And I liked it when circumstances forced Lara and him to work together for a common goal- heroes and villains working together can always be fun! 

So yeah this is worth a watch. It's not amazing or anything but it was a solid movie, with lush visuals and a story that was engaging but not overly silly. A nice reboot and Vikander does a great job in a physical role.