I think this movie is even better than the first one,which is not often the case. It sends a strong message while the first movie doesn't send any message at all. I think also that the plot is way better than in the 1st one. That is why I don't know why it has lower rating that the first Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie..

I liked the first Angela Jolie Tomb Raider movie, but this ... this was awful. The dialogue was ludicrous, much of the acting was awful, and the whole thing just overwhelmed me with tedium.I watched the first 25 minutes, which had one muddled action scene and a nonsense plot. Since some of the negative reviews here said there were some good stunts I did fast forward and found an action scene around the mid-point but it wasn't any good either, so I gave up on the thing. This isn't uncommon in Hollywood, where a sequel is often approached as a quick cash grab in which all the money goes to the bankable star leaving little left for the actual movie, which has the overall quality of action TV series from the '80s.Don't bother.

As you may be aware, this film is fictional, and therefore I will not be speaking to whether sharks growl, or if black acid pools exist.What I will be saying is that a film doesn't have to be a national treasure in order to be top-notch. All it has to do is play its cards correctly.Female heroine. Superb. She's not jaded, not a feminist, and she's a romantic. VERY unique in the world of film where women heroes are supposed to out-man the man. She's tough, clever, smart, worldly, well-connected, great-looking, and still has a soft spot for the skyline of Hong Kong.Male anti-hero. Nicely held together. Gerard Butler is absolutely smashing here, never better. His repartee with Lara is simple but high on the keen level, so kudos to the screenwriter. As Lara, skilled, connected, and just a bit flawed in the moral department makes Terry ripe for his own death.The action. The pace on this film is on par with almost any James Bond movie. The lulls are few and contain interesting scenery, mainly travelogue. We go to Africa, Greece, and China, on location. Jolie's prowess is truly on display, martial arts, weaponry, horseback, climbing, acrobatics. While some aspects feel rushed, most are just right. The stunts are tremendous and hardly anything looks fake, even if it is a movie.The plot. A bit thin after the initial setup. Mostly, this is a chase and be chased film. Some Bond, some Bourne, some Indiana Jones. The villain is centered correctly, only becoming unhinged at the very end. I think Reiss' toughness was overrated and the finale fight with Lara was about 30 seconds too long, since she is obviously superior in every way to his wild gunslinging. The orb was QUITE interesting, and the Greek mythology mixed with origins of life was, of course, a rip from The Lost Ark, among others. This was not distracting, actually, as there is little to go wrong when a plot centers around, essentially, the power of God.Special Effects. The guardians of the canyon were fun and slight, just right for this type of film, intense but not evil enough to spill this to demonic. Their movements were exciting, and the way they guard/kill quite interesting, by absorbing the humans into the terrain. The box itself was somewhat of an anticlimax, not being opened long enough to produce havoc.Dialogue. Not riveting, but not boring or annoying. A straight shot.Is Alien a better franchise? Terminator? Star Trek? Star Wars? Obviously yes. But you will be hard-pressed to find a more well-rounded film than this one, where fun and excitement meet sincere movie-making.

Adventuress Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) is diving the lost Luna Temple of Alexander the Great in Greece and discovers a glowing orb. They are attacked by Chen Lo and his men. Lara barely escapes. Meanwhile, mad scientist Jonathan Reiss (Ciarán Hinds) is searching for the mythical Pandora's Box which the glowing orb is the key to. MI6 needs Lara's help to go after Chen Lo who plans to sell the orb to Reiss. Lara gets Terry Sheridan (Gerard Butler) released to go on the hunt with her.Lara explains that in 2300BC, an Egytian Pharoah located the Cradle of Life and Pandora's Box which contains a plague or anti-life. The Box destroyed the Pharoah's army and he sent it away to India to be hidden. Alexander the Great rediscovered the Box, returned it back to Cradle of Life, and its location on the Orb.The story is way more complicated than it needs to be. There is so much exposition to get through at the start. It may work for a video game, but it doesn't work well for a story. This is basically a female James Bond but only more ridiculous. At least, the first one had the fun of something new and shinny. This one repeats the same formula but it feels old. The outrageous action feels tired. The exotic locations aren't quite so exotic since most of it takes place out in the wilderness or on an obvious sound stage. Even wing gliding over Hong Kong feels slow and boring. Lara is as cold as ever and Gerard Butler doesn't add enough heat. In a sophomore movie of a franchise, they need to go bigger or go home. They didn't go big enough.