Review: Tomb Raider

(Dir: Roar Uthaug, 2018)

The Tomb Raider game has always seemed like one desperate for a decent big screen treatment. Whether or not you think much of the previous two films they certainly feel fitting of the era in which they were released. Not that that was too long ago of course, but this new incarnation of the Lara Croft character and how she became the titular tomb raider feels a little less overblown, a little rawer. That's not to say there's no crazy unbelievable stunts, of course there are and should be, but it's approach is a little more character first. This is a positive step as any film like this should get us to buy into and believe the character we're rooting for, no matter much of this is fairly rote – fiercely independent and pissed off with daddy, etc. But lest we forget this a video game character and we're not watching for subtle depths. Lara Croft's story is nothing new, and one could happily argue we don't need to see her origins again, but it's handled well enough here that it galvanises the story.

The key is the casting of Alicia Vikander as Croft. She is one of the most interesting young actresses working in Hollywood at the moment – an Oscar winner no less – and makes the character intriguing to watch and easy to root for. Crucially she is more athletic than the overly idealised, cartoonish original incarnation of the character and is convincing in a fight. She seems more real which works better in the context of this film and the aforementioned rawness. The rest of the cast all prove enjoyable to watch – Dominic West makes a good exploring Lord as her father, Daniel Wu is an enjoyable sidekick, whilst Walton Goggins is reliable as ever as villain Vogel, toning down the crazy just a little, which works for him.

As an action and adventure film Tomb Raider certainly does the job, proving to be very entertaining. There's inevitable ridiculousness as Croft keeps incredibly surviving, but what else would you expect? And it's all shot with a bit of intensity that works in it's favour. Sure, it's hardly anything special, but it's a fun film with a decent female lead character, and a sequel would be very much welcomed.

Review: Black Panther

(Dir: Ryan Coogler, 2018)

For decades we've seen directors favour working with certain actors, casting them again and again in their films. One of the most exciting director/actor combo's of recent years has been Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan. Jordan is a great actor who has been a pleasure to watch on-screen since The Wire and the Friday Night Lights TV series. Coogler cast Jordan as the lead in his feature debut, the really rather good Fruitvale Station, and he was perfectly cast as the lead in Coogler's second film, the far better than anyone expected Creed. And so here we are with Coogler's third film, Black Panther, and since Coogler couldn't cast Jordan as the lead we instead get to see him play villain Erik Killmonger. But it's a little more complicated since he's a villain with whom you can partially sympathise – you understand why he's turned out that way and he has something of a point in what he wants to achieve, yet he is still nefarious enough for us to want to see him get his comeuppance. That's all down to a combination of Jordan's skills and his appeal and likeability.

Having both on board is a huge benefit to Black Panther, but there's a lot more to like about it beyond them. Mirroring Thor's shifts between the wonders of Asgard and Earth, the film offers us the amazing, hidden African country of Wakanda. The most technologically advanced place on Earth masquerading as the poorest offers an interesting layer to the story. Should they be protecting what they have so carefully constructed, or be actively trying to improve the rest of the world? Is this finally the time for the all-conquering colonialism of the past to be flipped on its head? This is the ultimate conflict of the film, and although it reaches its resolution in the expected manner, the viewer still feels empowered make up their own mind on the these ideas. Upon leaving the warmly realised land of Wakanda we crash back into a world we recognise, with Coogler bringing a Bond-like feel to a host of these scenes which adds a satisfying counterpoint.

A key aspect of the Wakandan appeal is it's rich and colourful characters. It's a land guarded by Okoye (Danai Gurira) and her cavalcade of women warriors – certainly someone you'd want protecting you. Whilst the chief scientist in charge of pushing the country's advanced technologies forward is the king's younger sister Shuri (Letitia Wright). Both are clearly having fun here which helps enhance already interesting characters. Similarly tribe leaders M'Baku and W'Kabi (Winston Duke and Daniel Kaluuya) create a little dramatic tension whilst not feeling overly serious. Due to the nature of the story Black Panther himself, King T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), is less fun to be around, but he is grappling with not feeling ready for the throne, his sense of duty and the right thing to do, and the sudden existence of a contender/pretender to the throne. Nonetheless he's easy to root for and when the Panther is unleashed he's great fun to watch, with a greater sense of menace than you get from the other Marvel characters.

The few weaknesses of Black Panther stem from it's need to tie itself back into the arc of the wider Marvel universe, something that jars because it works so well as an independent story. Most notably, Martin Freeman's CIA agent Ross who seems utterly out of place in this film. That's not to say Freeman is bad, but if you take the story on it's own terms and ignore the forced context of the bigger picture, he serves no purpose whatsoever. But fortunately the film has enough time to breathe and develop, proving yet again (every time!) that the best Marvel films are the origins stories with minimal connective tissue to the series. It's also tempting to call out Andy Serkis' extremely clichéd South African mercenary Klaue as another weakness, but he injects a certain amount of fun into proceedings which feels necessary at times.

Outside the context of the Marvel universe Black Panther is already a cultural phenomenon, made with an eye on a target market that would care more about this story than how it might slot into something bigger. And Coogler tells this story so well, creating an enticing world in Wakanda with decent action scenes and drama, and most notably bringing high quality characters to life. This may be a well-worn story, and it certainly feels like a variation on a theme, but it's an important variation and a thoroughly entertaining film regardless. It may not be the best Marvel film, but Black Panther certainly sits in the upper echelons of their releases to date.