New Goddess of Adventure – Lara Croft in Tomb Raider (2018)

Who doesn’t want to travel with Daniel Wu on an island in Japan?

At least I want, as well as the female audience sitting behind me. As soon as he appeared on the big screen, I heard them “Wow”.

After 17 years since Lara Croft: Tomb Raider featuring Angelina Jolie, a more realistic Lara played by Alicia Vikander goes aboard on Daniel Wu’s ship and starts a new adventure in the Devil Sea.

In this movie, Lara Croft, played by Alicia Vikander, is the independent daughter of an adventurer who disappeared when she was a teenager. When exploring among her father’s secret legacy, she accidentally gets the mysterious files and decides to go a mythical island near Japan where her father disappeared 7 years ago. In order to solve the mystery of Himiko’s tomb, Lara fights fiercely against the evil organization Trinity.

(Alicia Vikander’s Lara VS Angelina Jolie’s Lara)

Different from the sexy Lara featuring Angelina Jolie, Alicia’s Lara is more realistic. Her muscles put on in the fighting club, her strength and balance ability gained by delivering take-out and joining bicycle contest, all lay a solid foundation for the fights on the island afterward.

Despite her impressive groundwork, Alicia Vikander’s Lara is not an invincible superwoman. She takes a blow to the face from her opponent and is defeated on the kickboxing stage. When facing the natural advantage of men on strength, she gets hurt inevitably.

This scene must be impressive to you: When Lara arrives at the docks in Hong Kong, her bag is robbed by some local street punks. Even when she catches up to them and gets her bag back, she runs away without hesitation once she finds they are taking out knives. If it is Angelina’s Lara, we probably can enjoy some stylized blows.

However, this Lara who doesn’t fight when the odds are against her is more sensible. What’s more, differ from Angelina’s Lara who always has tempting smile on her face, Alicia’s Lara shows more facial expressions: When she hears her father’s last words, she sheds tears. When she encounters robbers, she panics. When she has to kill one of Vogel’s mercs, she is mortified. After escaping from danger, she sighs with relief.

This down-to-earth Lara is based on Alicia Vikander’s intense exercise as well as her skillful performance. Who says such woman is not charming? The dust all over her practical outfits, her sparkling eyes. Aren’t these proving that she is right the new Goddess of Adventure?