Jul 10, 2001 08:16 PM
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Angelina Jolie who recently appeared in “Gone in 60 seconds” plays the title role of Lara Croft and from the interviews I have seen and read worked exceptionally hard to learn all the skills necessary for playing this role. To maintain her energy levels for all the stunts that she does in the film she gave up smoking and completely changed her diet. She also learnt the core principles of kickboxing.
However moving on to the plot; millenia ago a meteorite fell to earth at the exact moment in time that all nine planets in the Solar system are in conjunction with each other. From metal contained within this meteorite the triangle of the All-seeing Eye is cast. This particular icon allows its user to manipulate Time itself and as is human nature somebody used with evil intent. As a result the icon was sundered into two and the pieces were cast to the ends of the earth.
Five thousand years later and the heavenly bodies will once more be in conjunction. A secret society known only as the “Illuminati” are desperately searching for the two halves that comprise the triangle of the All-seeing Eye as they wish to use its powers for their own deeply Machiavellian power games. The film-makers, by choosing the Illuminati have chosen a group of people who have been mentioned throughout European history as powerful people who actively search out and embrace the arcane arts.
The characters on the whole work well together within the structure of the film. One of the more interesting characterisations is the role of Jon Voight to Angelina Jolie. Father and daughter in real life they reprise these roles within the film.
The good guys:
Lara Croft: The role is well played by Angelina Jolie and fully exudes everything that made the character famous in the first place. The majority of the action scenes are well carried out and very much in keeping with what you visualise your heroine experiencing. The combat scenes although good could have been thought out a little more carefully or perhaps the storyboarding altered but this did not take anything away from the actual film itself in the long run. There were also a couple of continuity errors in the breakin at the Croft residence.
The heroine is also cast as an English woman which Angelina Jolie carries off quite well especially the accent. Ably assisted by the butler played by Chris Barrie of Red Dwarf fame (Rimmer). This as Chris Barrie’s first film will I think get him more roles in films of this genre. His character is the archetypal English butler best personified by Gordon Jackson in Upstairs, Downstairs (showing my age now). She has another assistant in the shape of Brice, an electronics specialist who is an out and out coward but that just adds to his characters humanity.
The bad guys:
Going by the name of Powell he is the antithesis of Lara’s character. Working for the Illuminati in their search for the two halves of the triangle of the All-seeing Eye it is obvious from the beginning of the film that he is at a middle management level within the society. It is also obvious that he is a power hungry individual that possibly resents his current position in life. He has a sidekick whose name I cannot remember it made so little impression on me as a character who I believe be best described as a research assistant from within the Illuminati.
Additionally there is a small cameo role for Leslie Phillips as an antique clock specialist of all people but to talk about this character would reveal an interesting point of the miniscule plot within the film.
Summing up
I would have to say that this is a film that will be enjoyed by those people who go to the cinema expecting plenty of action and little or no plot. It is a film that many women like my fiancee will go to watch under sufferance and not enjoy however there is a surprising quantity of women who will enjoy it as the character embodies everything that they would like to be.
Overall a good fun film that deserves a viewing. It has a 12 certificate which I think is just about right for the content of the film. This certification will also increase the film’s revenue as it will gain exposure to a far wider audience.
