Tomb Raider: high on action, low on structure

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life

Director: Jan De Bont

Cast: Angelina Jolie, Gerard Butler, Ciaran Hinds, Djimon Hounsou, Noah Taylor

Cert:12.

Our well-endowed archaeologist-cum-adventuress - for it is Lara Croft, she of the tank-tops, short shorts and boots - returns for the second of the films based on the video game: this time she's after Pandora's Box, before the sneeringly evil scientist (another memorable contribution from Belfast actor, Hinds) can use it to destroy the world.

Why, in passing, do sneeringly evil baddies always want to destroy the world? There'd be nothing left for them to enjoy!

It's the sort of mindlessly all-action pap we expect. There is a lot of action, chases, shoot-outs, stunts (most of them done by Jolie herself), running. All of which is to hide the fact that there is no audible dialogue or decent plot.

Just a lot of action.

Which fans of the films and the game will enjoy. The rest of us would do well to avoid The Cradle of Life since it offers little by way of decent entertainment. The film has no structure, merely offering a series of set-pieces and a star who is, in spite of her holding an Oscar, surprisingly one-dimensional.

It's a film which fancies itself a major blockbuster. Not in a month of Sundays!

Star Rating: 2/5