Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)

After the OK first Tomb Raider movie, I was hopeful that the sequel, with its long-winded title, would be as good, if not better. I was pleased to find The Cradle of Life was a more interesting and enjoyable movie than its predecessor. 

Less Indiana Jones than the first movie, the Tomb Raider 2 had a better plot that didn't just feel like excuses for action sequences, of which there seemed fewer than before, but not to the film's detriment. Despite Angelina Jolie's strong presence, I still found Lara to be pretty uninteresting and unknowable, so it was a good job the plot drew me in. Gerard Butler played the is-he-isn't-he good/bad guy this time round, and he was good enough, though he's no Daniel Craig in the looks or acting department. 

There was a greater sense of fun in Cradle of Life, and Ciarán Hinds made a wonderful villain, a real scenery-chewer. I'm writing this review a week or two after watching the film, and although I remember enjoying it, I don't remember a great deal about the experience! I suppose that says a lot about the movie, and the type of movie it is, nothing profound and with nothing new to say, but a pleasant way to pass 2 hours all the same.