In the vast world of horrible video game movies, Tomb Raider was one of the few that didn’t turn out too horrible. No it wasn’t great. No it wasn’t memorable. Yes it made some terrible mistakes… but it didn’t completely suck, and for a video game movie that has to be considered a small victory.
Now, they are returning to the world of Laura Croft, this time without Angelina Jolie. They’re starting over with Tomb Raider, this time with a younger Laura Croft in something of an origin story. The good folks at SlashFilm give us this:
Lin (the film’s producer) reveals that the film will be a “very character orientated” origin story, which hopes to take a “more realistic” tone than past Tomb raider movies.I guess this means we won’t be seeing Lara punching any sharks this time around. He also says it will be a younger Lara Croft, which has some sites assuming that he means teenage. Megan Fox had been the subject of Internet rumors surrounding the project earlier this year.
I honestly don’t know what I think about this. Personally, even though I thought the new Punisher was pretty decent, and even though the new Hulk was good… I still don’t like the idea of “reboots” being made so early. I have no good reason for feeling that way… but I do.
So what do you think? Are you up for a Tomb Raider reboot?
Lara not Laura, btw
“In the vast world of horrible video game movies, Tomb Raider was one of the few that didn’t turn out too horrible.”
I don’t think i’ve ever disagreed with you more John. That first Tomb Raider film was one of the most vapid, lifeless and incompetant action films i’ve ever seen and i’ve seen some shit.
The problem with getting another film off the ground is that the game series has been run into the ground thanks to the last title ‘Underworld’ which was pretty bad, in my opinion and it’s sales fell well below projections. I guess a lot of people have moved on from Tomb Raider.
Having said that, Rebecca Hall in the perfect choice to play Lara but she wouldn’t be caught dead doing it.
I read that Eidos was underwhelmed by the sales, but as of January 1.5 million copies have sold. That’s hardly what I would call poor sales. And the only other Tomb Raider to outsell it is Tomb Raider Legends according to http://www.oxm.co.uk/article.php?id=9778 . I personally enjoyed the game, just wish it would of been longer. On who should play the new Lara, I mentioned that in an above post already.
Hear,Hear!! The only film I ever walked out on. Hated it! (but loved Angelina)
Why does this have to be labeled a “reboot”? Jolie is only 33 (turns 34 next week); she can certainly play “younger” in a prequel and cast someone for much younger in flashbacks or summat.
‘I still don’t like the idea of “reboots” being made so early. I have no good reason for feeling that way… but I do.’
Let me put a finger on it for you. The reason reboots this early are ridiculous is that no one wants to see five different Hollywood interpretations of the same damn video game story. How different can they be? Furthermore, who is really that interested? It just doesn’t make any sense. Whatever happened to making ONE good movie? Then, if people like it, make a SEQUEL instead of reshooting the same story with different actors, directors, and slightly different writing.
‘I would say, more realistic than the past Lara Croft movies,” Lin says.’
Could it be that this story just lacks the fundamental potential for success on the big screen? They already tried going the spectacular, action-packed route, which coincidentally seems to be true to the game, and now they want to go realistic with a film about a gunslinging, pseudo-archaeologist TOMB RAIDER? Come on.
‘When asked if it’ll be “full-on action” like previously, Lin said otherwise. “It’s not full-on action, I would say it’s like Terminator, it’s character-driven action.’
Great stuff; compare it to Terminator.
Next, put this through your four rules of the remake. 0/4
Wanna know WHY these movies SUCK? Because they spend more time planning how big Lara’s tits are gonna be than they spend on the fucking PLOT. Fuck this franchise.
I didn’t really care about the first two films, but the reason why they were the best video game to films is simple. They revolved around a character and they made new stories/adventures for that character. I didn’t like Angelina Jolie one bit in either film, her oddball fake euro accent always gave me a headache.
As for “rebooting” – why bother? I’d rather the folks bring a sequel or prequel instead. Not that I care…but I am getting a bit bored with redoing everything after every other picture.
Is there some problem with a stand alone story, a re-cast role or two and moving ahead? Apparently.
@Kristina:
Play fair! Tomb Raider may have had a pair of , um, guns for us dudes, the films also had beefcake for you, my dear, in the likeness of pre-Bond Daniel Craig and pre-300 Gerald Butler-!
Darren, come on. Yes, they tossed in occasional man-candy, but be honest. Tomb Raider was nothing but “gee, what tight tiny outfit can we put her in next? How many shower scenes? How many bikinis and short shorts?” An action movie with a male lead focuses on plot. An action movie with a female lead focuses on making her wardrobe as tight and tiny as possible to give teen boys boners. I love drooling over hot guys just as much as you love drooling over hot girls, but action flicks with male leads are consistently better simply because the director is thinking of things other than how to sexually exploit the male lead. FACT.
Action movie, for the most part, are directed toward a heterosexual male audience. They don’t want to see a sexually exploited male. They want to see a manly man doing manly things or a sexy female lead.
If an action movie is made for a female audience or homosexual male audience, then there is a good chance your going to get those sexually exploited male leads and/or strong female roles.
It’s a matter of making a movie that will draw the attention of the targeted audience. Granted I am sure they attempted to make Lara Croft in the movie a strong female lead to try to bring a few females into the the audience, granted it was poorly done the majority of focus centered on a targeted audience of mainly young heterosexual males.
I’m neither this way nor that about this franchise…
…but I do agree with what Kristina says…and it’s applicable to just about EVERY movie that’s released, whether it was made for fifty million…or fifty thousand. The fact is that bad decisions are made all the time by people in the biz, overlooking the fact that at the heart of it all, is STORY.
Witness, ‘Terminator Salvation’.
Or ‘Angels and Demons’, for that matter. Or ‘Gran Torino’. Or ‘Sunshine Cleaning’ or…or…
All the special effects and beefcake/cheesecake, the car chases, the witty repartée and finely-crafted monologues simply don’t make for memorable movies. Great stories do.
If they did a full length feature similar to the intro to The Last Crusade where River Phoenix played the young Indiana, I think it could be entertaining. Have Croft go an adventure in her teen years, show some rebellious nature toward her father, and keep it somewhat serious with a tinge of humor. I agree there is no need to call it a reboot, just make a prequel. If the could make Voigt look younger, bring him back as the father. Grab the chick from Lemony Snickets to play Croft, she already has Jolie’s lips. I’d go see it in the theater.
Emily Browning, is her name. She was more recently in The Uninvited. She is 21 now, but could easily pull off a teenager croft.
I agree, make it a prequel
I liked the first two, and really don’t want a reboot.
I agree with you it seems too soon for a reboot….Sounds more like a prequel than a reboot… I didn’t think that the first two were great and don’t see the point for a reboot… at the moment. Hollywood needs to stop remaking, and start to come up with original ideas….
The first one was okay, and the second one was just plain horrible. There is no need for a reboot, they should just let it go and move on to something that hasn’t been done and screw that up too. Then they can reboot it instead. But, if they do get Megan Fox to do it, then I’m in.
I think the other way. Not a huge fan of the first, but loved the second.