Right on the heels of the 2001 movie, it only took two years before Angelina Jolie would don the skin tight outfits and double gun holster of Lara yet again in 2003’s Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life. Somehow the film managed to pack in even more action and adventure than the first and looks great doing so thanks to the added 4K and HDR in this release. Fans of the classic games and first film are sure to love this one, while newcomers can brush up on classic Lara before the new film adaptation hits theaters.
Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) is back and still finding adventures to go on, which brings her to explore some cracks made along the ocean floor after an earthquake near the Greek island of Santorini reveals a lost temple of Alexander the great. While taking it all its wonders, she comes across an orb that when deciphered will point the way to “The Cradle of Life” which happens to be the birthplace of all life. Turns out it’s a place of death as well, as Pandora’s box is located there which can release a deadly plague that kills all it comes in contact with. Once again Lara and her team (including a young Gerard Butler who used to be close to her) are tasked with finding this mystical place and saving the world from a bio-terrorist (Ciaran Hinds) who wants Pandora’s Box for himself and his mysterious colleagues.
This sequel is just as fun and exciting as I remember, as everything from the budget, to the stars, to the action and adventure are bigger this time around. As with the previous film, it was great seeing Angelina play Lara again and go around the world performing most of her own stunts. To make things better, we’re given a wonderful 4K HDR treatment here that looks and sounds great thanks to the all of the extra details in the visuals and audio that places you in the middle of the excitement. Then there’s the special features to look at once the world is saved, starting with audio commentary by director Jan de Bont who discusses the filming process, how things compare to the games, and more.
There’s also some deleted/alternate scenes with optional commentary, “Training” that shows Angelina and some of the other cast and crew training for their roles and scenes, “Vehicles and Weapons” that go into the cool props and vehicles used in the movie, “Stunts” that goes into (you guessed it) the stunt work of the film, “Visual Effects” that highlight some of the sweet special effects, Gerard Butler’s Screen Test, two music videos (“Korn “Did My Time” and The Davey Brothers “Heart Go Faster”), and more.
Those who enjoyed the first movie, the classic games, or just fun action films will want to grab their gear and go on a quest to pick up Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life. It makes for a great popcorn movie that’s light on plot and heavy on action that comes alive thanks to a well done 4K HDR transfer which makes everything look and sound great. If this sounds good to you, then go ahead and delve into this cradle of excitement for all.