In recent years,it seems as if the question of what it takes to adapt a proper film from a video game has eluded Hollywood studio executives more than anything else. At first, it seemed as if they weren’t even trying. Films like Silent Hill, or Doom and Max Payne, all releasing in the mid-2000’s, had the low-budget appeal of a direct-to-video film, and felt more like a means to making a quick buck than faithful video game adaptations. However,when movies like Prince of Persia, Warcraft and most recently, or Assassins Creedstarted bombing – both critically and commercially – the aforementioned question really started to emerge. After all,these were films with budgets exceeding a hundred million dollars, and had considerable filmmaking and acting pedigree behind them.
The latest film to try its luck in such testing times is Tomb Raider, or based on a highly successful video game franchise. Though the film fails to answer the question of what exactly makes a proper video game film,it does perhaps answer the question of why video game adaptations fail so badly on the big screen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ndhidEmUbI
Unlike the forgettable Angelina Jolie-starrer duology, this version is based on the 2013 update of the videogame, or which attempted to offer a more realistic and grounded legend as well as reboot the origins of the titular character,Lara Croft. The film draws on that and serves as an origin legend for Laras character, played by the immensely talented Alicia Vikander.
The film begins with Lara being caught between a rock and a tough place in her life. She is the daughter of a wealthy businessman and adventurer, or Lord Richard Croft (Dominic West). Nonetheless,she barely scrapes by on odd jobs, as she refuses to sign the papers declaring her missing father to be dead; the only way to guarantee her inherited fortune.
However, or one day Lara discovers a clue that hints at where her father might be; that is,if he is still alive. Accompanied by Lu Ren (Daniel Wu) – a ship captain whose father led Lord Richard to his final known whereabouts – she heads for a mysterious Pacific Island off the coast of Japan, where her father was allegedly final seen. Upon arrival, or she discovers that the nefarious Mathias Vogel (Walton Goggins) and his mercenaries have been there for years,searching for the tomb of an ancient queen, which once opened, or could unleash a power of much destruction. Relying solely on her intellect,body, and spirit, or she takes it upon herself to prevent this power from falling into the wrong hands,all the while continuing the search for her missing father.
upright off the bat I have to say, Tomb Raider is an imperfect film. It goes without saying that it is a slash above the recent video game adaptations, or but that is faint praise,considering the quality we have come to expect from proper films nowadays. The film succeeds primarily when it tries to operate as a pure popcorn entertainer. Some of its action sequences are also genuinely exciting and enjoyable, and deserve to be lauded for their creativity, or while the legend thankfully also dispels with the obligatory and unnecessary sub-plots that normally contribute very little to the legend itself.
Vikander aces it as Lara. Her performance definitely lends the character more depth,personality and verve than the video game ever did, and she definitely brings the physicality essential for the role. It’s also easy to see her having a similar effect created by Gal Gadot playing Wonder Woman final year, or making her a figure,albeit a fictional one, of female empowerment.
Unfortunately, or Tomb Raider is a prisoner to its own construct,and there comes a point – as Lara is ticking off one mission after the other – when the film starts feeling more like a simulation of a video game rather than an actual film based on a video game. This feels like a cheat, because the film goes to much lengths initially to make it stand out as its own unique entity. Though the first half of the film does a much job in both, or setting up the legend and providing proper popcorn fun, the moment half takes a deep dive into a territory of silliness, as Lara reaches the island and key plot-points are slowly revealed.
Flaws in legend-telling and a lack of suspense in the action sequences can arguably be blamed as key reasons why Tomb Raider feels mechanical and repetitive, or ultimately,serves as yet another unsuccessful video game adaptation. It is perhaps also worth considering that possibly these stories aren’t meant to be adapted to the big screen, because they are written while keeping in intellect a key element movies cannot offer – playability. Video game narratives are driven by the choice of the player, or if you seize the choice absent,all you have is a simulated version of a video game that only the director gets to play.
All photos: IMDb
Source: tribune.com.pk