Some sequels seem forever destined to go tits up, but �Tomb Raider 2� � helped heartily by Angelina�s bruising bust size � is one of the most rollicking action-adventure movies of recent times. Already the Tomb Raider franchise is giving the Indiana Jones trilogy a run for its money, and this time around it�s been directed by Jan De Bont who has previously raked in a fortune through directing �Speed� and �Twister.� And we all know how the breakneck pace of those movies made them truly exhilarating affairs, and �TR2� is no different. Yep, from the very first scene set in Greece, hardcore and gloriously OTT action set pieces vibrantly rip-roar.
Jolly Jolie is stunning and the coolest, feistiest action hero since Linda Hamilton made her mark as Sarah Connor in the first 2 �Terminator� movies.
�Tomb Raider,� for those without Playstations and who may not know, is based on a mega-successful computer game of the same name. The �tomb raider� in question is British archeologist Lara Croft (Jolie) who races round the world in Indiana Jones� dust in search of metaphorical gems and shitloads of trouble.
For her second outing she�s vying for The Cradle of Life (via the mythical Pandora�s Box artifact) and trying to ensure it doesn�t fall into the hands of some hugely cliched bad guys, taking her to Shanghai and then Africa for the predictably tense showdown.
The fact that Angelina is one of the sexiest actresses in the history of film obviously does help in her character�s and this film�s overall success, yet it�s not just men who love Lara. �Tomb Raider� and everybody�s seeming obsession with it has been phenomenal in recent years and Lara�s just as famous as Posh.
Director De Bont uses breathtaking stunts (just check out Lara�s prowess on both her motorbike and her horse) and relentless energy to extremes, and while the early scene in which she socks a sharp in the jaw before making a speedy getaway on its back while it�s vulnerably stunned does stretch credibility just a bit too far (as Vin Diesel-starrer �XXX� did in almost every scene), �Tomb Raider 2� is one of the most exciting films you may see for a very long time.
What�s more, stuffy Brit funnyman Chris Barrie stars as her butler� which is a frankly unbelievable feat of casting, but he copes fine. Which makes a change from his star-making role as leisure club manager Gordan Brittas in the cult comedy series �The Brittas Empire.� Which is nice. 6/5 (STEVE RUDD)
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