"It will be an adventure."
Trailer Review 054 & Movie Preview 004
>TOMB RAIDER>
Warner Bros.
around 70% for a great introduction despite the unpolished CGI.
Chance of Success =
almost 80% with a recognized brand name and the most palatable action genre.
almost 80% with a recognized brand name and the most palatable action genre.
a case for the long-running franchise and a couple of watered down adaptations:
+ Highlights +
Being the leader in female-led games since the mid-90s, it has been an excellent franchise in third person action genre with her signature puzzles/ mazes in exotic locations and supernatural elements.
? Main contention ?
Having a fresh modern reboot in 2013 game will distance itself from the previous image that was trodden down with tired tropes and repetitive storyline and reintroduce herself to the newer generation as a more serious and grounded down series despite the occasional supernatural elements of course. There are still an ignorant few that do not know though ...
- Lowlights -
Being the earliest tentpole action game with a female protagonist, they unfortunately inclined to pander to the more dominant male demography in the early years with an unrealistic proportion, skimpy clothes and voyeuristic camera angles that they were what people would point to if the franchise was being brought up instead of the challenging platforming and puzzles, amazing locales and ruins.
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With the burgeoning comic book movie industry is bigger than ever, the game to movie subgenre hasn't been cracked yet (I believe last year's Warcraft was a good sign of what's to come) and both Angelina Jolie's take are the perfect examples: leaning heavily on the sexuality and turning a great adventure premise into a typical Hollywood action film instead of staying true to the original.
a case for the shaky transition from game to movie:
+ Highlights +
It is admirable to see the studios keep persisting despite many stumbles i.e. Assassin's Creed and Warcraft since if they do find that special one, it would encourage other studios to do the same since it is now a proven profitable endeavor (I sincerely hope so).
Finding the right balance between adapting a player-driven narrative in interactive stroytelling in video games into a linear three-act structure in films is still the main objective by the big studios, finding that lightning in the bottle just like Marvel did with Iron Man.
- Lowlights -
Whether or not to include people from the gaming industry especially those who worked for that certain franchises the studios are working on is still unknown to be the decisive element but looking back on how Iron Man and the preceding MCU films were made, the writing talents in the comic industry had played a pivotal part in each of them ... so there's that.
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a case for the pulsating debut trailer:
! Here's the reboot's trailer for comparison sake !
+ Highlights +
A perfect casting in Alicia Vikander for the titular character as the real life embodiment of the recently rebooted young and sprightly protagonist that's just on her way to become the Tomb Raider.
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Roar Uthaug's the Wave is letting me know how well he could handle a big project especially a disaster flick, and he appears to do just that. It's just like, my opinion. You can have your own.
? Main contention ?
The trailer is cut just like any other typical action movie which have more pros than cons as it uses the same style again and again ... nevertheless, I enjoy it throughout!
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Just like in 2013, it will revolves around Lara Croft and her dad's legacy, how she's being caught up with evil forces and an ancient artifact, seeing her transformation from an innocent girl to a confident adventurer.
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That last stinger shows her in her trademark look: a full braid and dual pistols. This might be at the end of her adventure on the island ... a tease of what's to come if this is successful. I hope it will.
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How will this feature ultimately performs? The positives are the recognized brand name and decent Warner Bros. marketing behind it, the variable is the actress herself. She is mostly known in the indie scene and hasn't break into mainstream yet. This will be her chance to do it and I believe she has every potential to do it.
- Lowlights -
I enjoy the trailer since it mirrors the game counterpart so close with the exact outfit and even certain scenes from the first game have been faithfully recreated but understandably there are still a few unrefined and unclean CG sequences and images that will be clean up during post-production.
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I can't believe that there are still a vocal few that complain on how she looks without knowing it is based on the recent game reboot, going so far to even body shame her for not resembles their sexist and now old-fashioned version of the protagonist. Please be educated first before trying to criticize without any proper knowledge. It is never okay to objectify woman's body and I commend Crystal Dynamics for creating a more believable image for the lead instead of keeping to the original's sexualized version.
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She is toned to the fullest, making every action she makes in the movie that much realistic (especially there are a lot of sequences revolving around her strength and agility) even though it already turn off the less insecure males out there ...
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- Synopsis -
Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent, and takes college courses, rarely making it to class. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father’s global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he’s truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can’t understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death.
Going explicitly against his final wishes, she leaves everything she knows behind in search of her dad’s last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lara, who—against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit—must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name tomb raider.
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