Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10075 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-11-26
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 96 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Angelina Jolie is the first and best reason to watch Lara Croft Tomb Raider. She gives an extraordinarily committed, physically demanding performance, taking on the mantle of the video game heroine with real conviction and energy, and becoming the embodiment of every teenage boy's wish-fulfilment fantasy female. She's tough, sexy and tomboyish all at the same time, and even has a plummy English accent to give her a touch of class. It's a shame that the movie doesn't live up to Jolie's high standards. A soulless juggernaut of computer-generated effects and one-dimensional characters, the film falls into the same trap that has ensnared every other video game adaptation before it. The convoluted plot--which is concerned with a mysterious planetary alignment, a quasi-Masonic secret society known as the Illuminati and a mcguffin called the Triangle of Light--takes itself far too seriously. Oddly for a film with such a pedigree, the only humour is to be found in the endless repetition by Jolie of the word "bugger", which presumably is hilariously funny to American audiences. Director Simon West, an alumnus of the Brookheimer-Simpson school of filmmaking, choreographs the action sequences spectacularly enough, and their impact is boosted hugely by Jolie's ability to perform almost all the stunt work herself. But the end result is an empty experience that leaves the viewer with the feeling that this much-loved character and this dedicated actress could have been better served.

On the DVD: Eschewing the need for a second disc, this DVD still has plenty of additional material to keep fans happy. There's no single making-of documentary, but rather a series of shorter pieces on specific aspects of the production--the original game, the transition to the big screen, the special effects, the stunt work and the rigorous training endured by Jolie (apparently she got so good she could do the stunts better than any of the stunt doubles). There's also U2's "Elevation" video, some deleted scenes, DVD-ROM features and a chatty commentary from director Simon West. The widescreen picture and thumping surround soundtrack are impressive. --Mark Walker

Video Description
DVD Special Features:
Digging into Tomb Raider
Crafting Lara Croft
The Stunts of Tomb Raider
Visual Effects of Tomb Raider
Are You Game?
Commentary by director Simon West
Four Deleted Scenes
Alternate Main Title Sequence
U2 Music Video "Elevation" Tomb Raider Mix

DVD-ROM Features - Timeline
Chronicles Game Demo
Web Site Archive
Access to the Online Expericence

Widescreen Version Enhanced for 16:9 TVs
Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround
Dolby Surround English Commentary with subtitles
Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired
Interactive Menus
Scene Selection

Synopsis
Angelina Jolie stars as Lara Croft, a tough, sexy, heavily armed adventurer, in this action film based on the wildly popular video game series of the same name. When mercenaries invade her cavernous, hi-tech mansion and steal an ancient relic, Lara journeys to various international locations, including Cambodia, Italy, and the Arctic Circle, to retrieve the strange object and discover its mysterious properties. As Lara's quest becomes increasingly dangerous, it begins to shed light on the life of her deceased father, Lord Croft (Jon Voight, Jolie's real-life father), and a secretive group known as the Illuminati.
Director Simon West's film boasts an energetic techno soundtrack and a charming performance by Jolie, who blasts her way past various monsters, villains, and pitfalls, smirking all the while. (In one of the film's most memorable sequences, she battles dozens of deadly assassins while suspended from a bungee cord in her pajamas.) Perfectly cast as the voluptuous heroine (and sporting a fine British accent), Jolie's commanding presence carries this fast-paced blockbuster, which will appeal to hardcore video game junkies and action movie fans alike.

Customer Reviews

Tomb Raider is a very good film
This film has had a lot of bad press said about it since its release, i personally think this is unfair. Ok so the plot is a little thin, but surely a person sitting down to watch this film wants action???

Let me tell you there are some amazing action sequences in this film, brilliantly acted by angelina jolie, who looked like she was born to play this character. Angelina Jolie is an amazing actress who plays the character of Lara Croft with an air of elegance, she really does excel in this role.

This film deserves more credit than it is given, the action is far superior than most films out even today, you must buy this dvd if only to see the Lara try to defend her house, a standout part of the film. You simply have to ignore the reviews and find out for yourself just how good this film is.

Could this be Lara Croft at her best on the big screen???
I, like other tomb raider fans absolutely enjoyed this film. It gave some insight into lara's personal life by allowing viewers to understand her relationship with her father.
However, i did feel that the film was too much focused on her family ties rather than the adventure. The adventure was also a bit too lame for someone like Lara Croft, and i believe they could have squeezed in lots more action scenes if they wanted to make this a truely brilliant film.
I also believe that the critics have made this film turn out to be worse whereas it really isn't. That may be because this movie is really intended for those who actually know Lara croft through the games.
I would definately recommend this film to all Lara croft fans, and those who like an action packed movies. I mean, how often do we see a female adventurer as smart and intelligent as LARA CROFT????

Tomb Raider of the Lost Ark.......
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I am an avid Tomb Raider game fan. I love the Indiana Jones films. I should have been wetting myself at the prospect of seeing this film, but it didn't quite work.
Angelina Jolie would not have been my first choice for the part, but having said that she does it very well. Sad and as un-PC as it may seem, Lara requires a larger chest otherwise she ain't Lara. Angelina Jolie is in terrific physical shape and she can clearly deliver the moves that Lara does; she jumps, leaps, flips, fights like a champion kick-boxer shoots like a cross between Dirty Harry and the Terminator and yet......

The plot is a little bizarre and not what a Tomb Raider fan would have expected, but I guess Indiana Jones has already been practically everywhere, robbed everything not leaving much plausible material left.

The Illuminati are not quite sinister enough, the main baddie not quite bad enough, Laras father is not quite dead enough and the side kicks are not quite kicked enough.

Some of the sets are magnificent and some look like a Changing Rooms themed lounge by Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen.
The action scenes are well done, plenty of pace and carnage. It is worth noting that although Lara is handy with the military ordenance in the game, she tends not to be quite so destructive of the ancient sites she finds herself in, like she does in the film.

On the whole, not a bad film but could have been better.