Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: July 25, 2003 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
43
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 34 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
23
Negative:
7
Watch Now
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
In a summer where the special effects in movies have grown steadily more repetitive and dreary, "LCTR:TCOL" uses imagination and exciting locations to give the movie the same kind of pulp adventure feeling we get from the Indiana Jones movies. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
A surprise and a not-so-guilty pleasure.
63
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Angelina Jolie focuses her wild energy into outlandish heroics, and emerges with more attractiveness and credibility than all three of those silly Charlie's Angels combined. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Somewhat fleeter and more engaging than its predecessor. Read full review
60
VarietyDavid Rooney
Jolie is even hotter, faster and more commanding than last time around as the fearless heiress/adventuress, plus a little more human. The less welcome news is that most of the same shortcomings that cramped the first installment are still dogging the sequel, which delivers on action but dawdles through downtime. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesManohla Dargis
However caricatured a vision of female empowerment, Lara Croft exercises an irresistible tug not just on the adolescent male imagination but the 12-year-old female imagination as well. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
This Indiana Jones knockoff goes down smoothly enough, and Jolie isn't bad at all, though every time she opened her mouth I expected Mick Jagger to come dancing down her tongue. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
Enough goodwill has been built up in the early sections that most viewers will not take offense when the movie abandons its plot and characters. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Croft is one humorless butt-kicker. Excavations in exotic lands have rarely looked so much like items on a to-do list. Read full review
50
NewsweekDavid Ansen
It’s not half bad, with cool locations and a great stunt leap from the top of a Hong Kong high-rise. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMark Caro
Superior to 2001's "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" in almost every way. It's better directed, more consistently acted, and its writing, while at times ridiculous, at least has a modicum of logic at its core. I still had to slap myself to stay awake. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
A creditable genre entry, the rare action movie with a discernible story, an assured pace and a charismatic central character. It falls apart in the end. Read full review
50
USA TodayClaudia Puig
Even though the special effects and action sequences are good, the monsters conjured up are rather humdrum. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Bombastic it may be, but it’s rarely boring, as was the first Tomb Raider. Keep your expectations in line with the source material and you may be pleasantly surprised. Read full review
50
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
This is a highly enjoyable summer thrill ride with an action heroine who likes to be on top, literally and figuratively. Read full review
50
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Even sex can't save a film that produces instant narcolepsy. Read full review
50
PremiereLaine Ewen
If only the love story were a little more convincing, she might have saved the world and the movie. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Stephen Cole
Isn't nearly as much fun as the original. For one thing, Lara having a boyfriend wrecks everything. Read full review
50
The New York TimesDave Kehr
Emerges as just one more formulaic action film as the title character bounces around the globe in a deadly treasure hunt. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
Offers plenty of eye candy, if little else. Ultimately, the film is clearly superior to its predecessor, but that's mostly because the first Tomb Raider left so much room for improvement. Read full review
50
New York PostJonathan Foreman
Its faults -- banal dialogue, ludicrous and uninspired plotting, dull but vicious fight scenes -- make you realize just how much the summer action movie has declined in the last few years. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Simply a series of set pieces designed to insure Angelina Jolie's status as action-babe pin-up. Read full review
50
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
The movie is all action. But there's no pacing, no suspense and no vulnerability for the protagonist so it all soon gets numbingly tiresome. Read full review
50
Film ThreatKevin Carr
Even in the final battle over life and death, the only injury she suffers is a slight scratch on the face. It’s too much like a video game. Read full review
42
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
Quite simply, the "Tomb Raider" series has been flat-out boring, even with the talented and fun Jolie -- who needs to take off those harnesses and get back to real movies. She deserves better. Read full review
40
Dallas ObserverGregory Weinkauf
Beneath its satisfactory chops this movie -- like Ms. Croft herself -- is stuffy and soulless. Read full review
40
L.A. WeeklyScott Foundas
With her bulging blue eyes, elaborately braided hair and slinky spandex costumes, she's an indelible icon of action-heroine chic, and, quite frankly, the films don't deserve her. Read full review
38
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Competent in the extreme, the talented Jolie would make a great Jane Bond. But mired in this joyless orgy of preposterousness, her biggest challenge is simply keeping a straight face. Read full review
30
Washington PostDesson Thomson
If ever there was a movie fit for permanent entombment, it's this sequel. Read full review
30
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
In a summer of surprisingly self-serious comic book movies" Lara Croft "stands out as being particularly humorless. Read full review
25
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Cradle of lifelessness. Read full review
25
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
Another joyless, brain-numbing adventure through lackluster Indiana Jones territory. Read full review
25
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
The worst action movie of the summer. I liked Bad Boys II a little less, but making the comparison is like distinguishing between a cow turd and a horse turd. And that pretty much sums it up nicely. Read full review
0
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
It wouldn't be fair to gripe about the hundreds of plot holes; the whole thing is hole. Read full review
More From This Movie

43 Critic Reviews

7.5 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 72 The Sheep Detectives
5 63 Normal
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL