The full-length Tomb Raider trailer dropped and there are more than a few moments that have us excited for the reboot starring Alicia Vikander.
I grew up watching my cousin play the original Tomb Raider video games and fell in love with Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in the movie adaptation that hit theaters in 2001. So, when they announced a reboot franchise, I was both excited and apprehensive.
Lara Croft is an icon of badassery for women everywhere — and her games have been pretty well-received, to boot. Not everyone loved the film, but it’s definitely not one of the worst video game-to-movie adaptations out there.
Still, I was worried. Would Alicia Vikander look tough enough to be Lara Croft? Would the film capture what many fans love about the franchise to begin with — the action, the danger, the puzzles? Once the first trailer dropped, it became obvious the studio was looking closely at the 2013 video game while developing this.
Here are five moments that definitely have us excited for the Tomb Raider reboot film.
Go big or go home
The trailer doesn’t pull its punches — just like Lara Croft. The stunts are huge and the action is intense, just as we’d expect from a Tomb Raider movie. I like seeing Vikander in action because you can tell she put some work in for this role. She’s a different kind of Lara from Jolie — and that’s okay. She’s supposed to be younger and more naive. I’m cautiously optimistic.
Puzzles galore
Aside from Lara’s ability to take care of herself, she’s also known for being incredibly smart. From the trailer alone, this movie seems to be brimming with puzzles for her to solve — and the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. With any luck, the script for Tomb Raider will be as intelligent as it is action-packed.
Supporting roles
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m pumped to see that Daniel Wu has a significant role in this film. I fell in love with him on Into the Badlands because he’s not only a great actor, but an incredible action star. Nick Frost also shows up at the end there, looking like he might be once again supplying the comedic relief. Interestingly, Wu and Frost also just recently starred in Into the Badlands season 2 together.
Reference after reference
If you’ve played the 2013 video game of the same name, you’ll likely recognize many of the references to the source material. Lara with her bow and arrow, and later with her pickaxe. The boat. The airplane. Just watch the trailer for the game and you’ll be able to see the countless way the film has tried to honor its origins. Hopefully the movie will do this franchise’s fans proud.
That parting shot…
No other moment in the trailer got me as excited for Vikander as Lara Croft or what’s to come in this franchise as that final parting shot and her words, “I’ll take two.” She’s got the customary braid and appears to have a lot more confidence, not to mention she’s sporting a couple of guns now. This is the Lara I remember; this is the Lara from my childhood. I’ll admit I love the look and tone of Jolie’s Croft, and so far this is the closest we’ve seen Vikander get to that. I’m intrigued.