Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life is set to air on BBC3 tonight, Thursday October 5, at 8:15pm, reigniting debate among fans over whether the 2003 sequel matches its iconic predecessor. The action adventure, starring Angelina Jolie, has long divided audiences, with some praising its action sequences and others dismissing the plot as forgettable.
The Story and Cast
The film, based on the original Tomb Raider video game series by Core Design, follows Jolie as Lara Croft as she takes on a challenge on a Greek island. The plot centres on Croft's quest to save the mythical Pandora's box after a strong earthquake uncovered the Luna Temple.
Alongside Jolie, the cast includes Gerard Butler, Ciarán Hinds, Chris Barrie, Noah Taylor, Til Schweiger, Djimon Hounsou, and Simon Yam. Jolie's on-screen chemistry with Butler generated a lot of positive reviews for the sequel.
Mixed Reviews
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. Angelina Jolie fully owns the role of Lara Croft, bringing physicality, charisma, and authority that make the character feel authentic rather than gimmicky."
Others argue the sequel did a bad job of following up an iconic female-led action movie. 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 unimpressed 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 film did not fare well at the box office, grossing $160.1 million compared to the original Tomb Raider's $275 million. Although many critics argued it was better than the first in terms of action sequences and Jolie's leading performance, the sequel marked the end of Jolie's part in the series.
The story was later reprised in 2018 with the release of 'Tomb Raider', starring Geneva Robertson-Dworet as Lara Croft. That film went on to make just as much at the box office as the 2001 release but seems to bear less impact on popular culture.
