Tomb Raider (2018)

Director: Roar Uthaug

Cast:

Alicia Vikander – Lara Croft

Walton Goggins – Mathias Vogel

Dominic West – Lord Richard Croft

Daniel Wu – Lu Ren

Kristin Scott Thomas – Ana Miller

Summary:

“Tomb Raider” is the latest video game adaptation to hit theaters and serves as a reboot to the franchise. This franchise had two films previously, starring Angelina Jolie as the heroine Lara Croft. Alicia Vikander has now stepped into the coveted role of Lara. Directed by Roar Uthaug, “Tomb Raider” is a film that starts off promising by introducing us to Vikander’s Lara Croft, a beautiful and strong character that is out of touch from the world due to her father’s disappearance. She seeks the help of a fisherman and runs into Daniel Wu’s character ‘Lu Ren’ and they happen to share a similar interest. They venture off to find her father and come across an evil corporation known as ‘Trinity.’ Leading this group is Mathias Vogel played by Walton Goggins. His character just wants to find an artifact so he can get back to his family. A completely viable answer and it’s unfortunate that this is the only trait given to any supporting characters. They are dull and only serve the purpose of fan service. When the action ensues, it’s shotty and difficult to enjoy. “Tomb Raider” is filled with fan service and is executed well, especially the plane sequence from the game. The performances from the cast are good with Vikander and Goggins standing out. Dominic West’s more memorable scenes come in the form of flashbacks and there woven into the film at the right moments. Kristin Scott Thomas makes a brief appearance as a character from Lara’s past and her arc made for interest in a sequel. “Tomb Raider” however, is not a good movie due to its shotty action, lack of character depth and lack of actual tomb raiding. The film should have been called “Lara Croft,” since it spends more time delving into her past then actual tomb raiding. Fans of the game will enjoy the video game set pieces, but the film as a whole doesn’t fully come together.

Score: 2.9/5

Assassin’s Creed(2016)

Director: Justin Kurzel

Cast:

Michael Fassbender – Cal Lynch/Aguilar

Marion Cotillard – Sofia Rikkin

Jeremy Irons – Alan Rikkin

Brendan Gleeson – Joseph Lynch

Michael K. Williams – Moussa

Ariane Labed – Maria

Verdict:

“Assassin’s Creed” is directed by Justin Kurzel and tells the story of Cal Lynch

(Fassbender), a man who has been sentenced to death for committing violent crimes and

has now been revived by an organization known as Abstergo, as they use the memories of

his ancestor Aguilar in an attempt to find an artifact known as the Apple of Eden. This film

had a lot going into it as its based off a popular videogame franchise and the movie as a

whole fails on many levels. The cast is filled with great actors but the majority of them

phone it in. Michael Fassbender is clearly trying and having a blast playing these dual

roles. Cotillard and Irons however are phoning it in. The movie has a tough time telling

two different stories in a cohesive way. The majority of this movie is spent in present time

and that was a bummer because the characters and story were uninteresting and half-

assed. Everything in the past was great as there was a lot of fan service moments and the

parkour was very good. The downside to it was that the action scenes were quickly cut and

it made the movie feel shaky. Also, there were many intercutting scenes of the Animus in

present day and the past memories that made the film jarring and poor. The ending of the

film was one of the most cliché, cheesiest endings I have ever witnessed. So, besides the

fact that Fassbender gave a committed performance and the past events were

entertaining. “Assassin’s Creed” fails to adapt a great game series into the live-action

realm whilst servicing fans of the game.

Grade: C-

Warcraft(2016)

Director: Duncan Jones

Cast:

Travis Fimmel – Anduin Lothar

Paula Patton – Garona

Ben Foster – Medivh

Dominic Cooper – Llane Wrynn

Toby Kebbell – Durotan

Ben Schnetzer – Khadgar

Robert Kazinsky – Orgrim

Clancy Brown – Blackhand

Daniel Wu – Gul’dan

Verdict:

Warcraft is directed by Duncan Jones and is the live-action adaptation of the PC game. In

this film, Orcs have been pushed through a portal by the Orc sorcerer Gul’dan and this pits

humans against orcs as they fight for Azeroth. The performances from the human

characters were a mixed bag, as Fimmel’s Lothar is a strong central character but Foster’s

Medivh was set up well and then fell flat for me. The motion captured Orcs were the best

part as Kebbell’s Durotan is the most interesting character but isn’t in the film all that

much. Blackhand and Gul’dan were also good on screen. The visuals and the score were

great. The Orc CGI was kinda clumsy in the beginning, but overall, the Orcs looked

incredible. The fight scenes in the film were awesome, particularly the 1 v. 1 fisted fights.

Also, I did some research and found that events that took place in the film was faithful to

the game. However, the execution of such events seemed rush. The editing of the film was

the worst part for me, as I was getting into a scene and then it cuts to a different one. The

movie also sets up events for future films. Warcraft is a faithful video game adaptation

that can’t peek to average filmgoers.

Grade: C