Director: Jan De Bont
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Gerard Butler, Chris Barrie
Released: August 22nd 2003
Certificate: 12A

What's it about?
The latest in a long-line of action-adventures with over-long titles, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life sees Angelina Jolie return as the film incarnation of the celebrated computer game character Lara Croft. For those who managed to avoid the hype that once surrounded her, Croft is an upper-class English archaeologist who risks her life rescuing precious treasures whilst wearing a range of revealing outfits.

The plot is a gratifyingly ridiculous one involving a Nobel Prize-winning mad scientist intent on wiping out most of mankind for no obvious reason other than that they get on his nerves. To do this he must find Pandora's Box, which, as well all know, was hidden on a mountaintop in Africa by Alexander The Great. Naturally, stopping this scheme involves a great deal of running, fighting and shooting across several continents, plus more costume changes than a Danny La Rue cabaret performance.

Is it any good?
Well, it's better than the first film, but curiously for a movie directed by Jan De Bont - the man behind Speed - Tomb Raider II struggles to maintain any sense of excitement. This isn't for a lack of effort; the opening ten minutes alone feature an earthquake, a gun battle, collapsing buildings and Jolie punching a shark on the nose before hitching a ride on its dorsal fin. But there's never a feeling that our heroine is in any kind of danger, whilst the constant use of slow-motion quickly grates, as does the appearance of some rather ropey computer generated monsters towards the end of the film.

Jolie can't really be faulted for the film's problems, she kicks and pouts her way through the role as well as could be expected. However, the characterisation of Lara Croft amounts to saying 'Hey look, it's a chick who can fight!' - you can't help feeling that a male character would at least have been given a few decent one-liners, something that is needed far more than a romantic storyline. For all the talk of Lara Croft as the most successful female action hero ever, the film makes little effort to turn her into anything other than Indiana Jones with breasts but without the personality.

Best bit
There are some standout sections, the moment when Lara flies off an enormous skyscraper with the aid of what appear to be a pair of oversized pyjamas is genuinely impressive. The scene when Butler says "You can break my wrist but I'm still going to kiss you" without either him or Jolie dissolving into hysterics or running into the scriptwriter's office waving a machete is probably deserving of some sort of award for professionalism.

Go see this if?
You're after some mindless thrills and don't mind being made to wait for them to turn up.

Marks out of 10: 4
Now that the idea of Lara Croft as feminist icon has joined combat trousers and the Vengaboys as the stuff of 90's nostalgia, the Tomb Raider franchise has to stand on its merits. Despite its best efforts this film doesn't really manage it.