Angelina Jolie returns as Lara Croft in the 2003 sequel Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life, airing on BBC Three tonight, yet viewers remain divided on whether it lives up to the original. The action franchise, based on the Tomb Raider video game series by Core Design, was a major hit when it first hit cinemas, but the second instalment sparked mixed reactions.
The plot follows Croft as she embarks on a mission to recover the mythical Pandora's box, which is unearthed after a devastating earthquake exposes the Luna Temple. The adventure is set against the backdrop of a Greek island. Jolie is joined on screen by Gerard Butler, Ciarán Hinds, Chris Barrie, Noah Taylor, Til Schweiger, Djimon Hounsou, and Simon Yam. Much of the praise for the sequel centred on Jolie's on-screen chemistry with Butler.
Mixed Reviews from Fans
One review on Rotten Tomatoes reads: "A polished B-movie, perfect for exercising. The 4K presentation and high production values made it enjoyable, and the special effects still look impressive more than two decades later."
Another viewer added: "The Cradle of Life has long been labelled a failure, but that reputation feels harsher than the film deserves. While the screenplay has structural issues and uneven dialogue, the movie succeeds where it matters most: delivering a confident, globe-trotting action adventure led by an undeniable star performance."
However, some contend the sequel failed to match what had been a groundbreaking female-led action picture. One disappointed viewer said: "This movie sucked horribly; it had some good special effects and Angelina in her prime to look at( but that's it)." Another underwhelmed viewer shared: "The plot is forgettable despite Angelina Jolie and Gerald Butler having good chemistry." One person even said: "It does improve itself over the first one but it still fails short in every way possible."
Box Office and Legacy
The picture struggled at the box office, earning $160.1 million compared to the original Tomb Raider's $275 million, though many critics maintained it surpassed its predecessor in terms of action sequences and Jolie's leading performance. Following the sequel's release, Jolie's involvement in the franchise drew to a close, before the story was revived in 2018 with a film titled Tomb Raider, starring Geneva Robertson-Dworet as Lara Croft. That release matched the box office takings of the 2001 original but appears to have made less of a cultural impact.
For anyone yet to catch it, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life is due to air on BBC Three tonight, Thursday October 5, at 8:15pm.
