Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (sometimes known as Tomb Raider) is a 2001 action-adventure thriller film based on the popular Tomb Raider video game series featuring the character Lara Croft portrayed by Angelina Jolie. The film was directed by Simon West and was released during the summer of 2001. The film revolves around Lara Croft trying to obtain ancient artifacts from the enemy itself, the Illuminati.

The film was turned down by critics for its stylized action and bland plot, though Jolie's performance was praised by critics and fans, as well as its financial success, ranking at number one in its opening weekend at the box office. Previously, the film itself held the titular record of it being the highest-grossing video game adaptation until it was surpassed by Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which grossed $336 million.

A sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, was released in 2003. The film itself, critically, was "a vast improvement" over its predecessor, but however was not as financially successful, only grossing $156 million compared to its predecessor's $274 million gross.

Synopsis

The film opens with Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) in an Egyptian tomb, seeking a diamond at one end of a chamber. As she approaches she is attacked by a large robot. After an intense chase and battle, she disables it by ripping out its motivational circuits. She takes the diamond, which is revealed to be a memory card labeled "Lara's Party Mix", and inserts it into a laptop computer inside the robot, whereupon it plays music. Now it is revealed that the scene took place in a practice arena in her home, and that her assistant Bryce (Noah Taylor) programmed the robot, SIMON, to challenge her in combat.

Actors