Movie Reviews by Evelyn Gough.
Tomb Raider (M)

It was always going to be challenging, finding an actress to play Lara Croft. Those are big boobs (sorry... boots!) to fill and many were vying for the coveted role and the chance to play the most popular interactive video character in history. She's tough, beautiful, has a figure to die for, and thighs that were made to have gun holsters strapped to them! Angelina Jolie that is. Don't you dare tell her she's not Lara Croft!

Casting Jolie as Lady Lara, tomb raider extraordinaire, was an inspired decision that will keep Lara's legion of male admirers happily fantasising away.

She's like a female Indiana Jones, except that she's English, lives in a huge mansion with a butler (Chris Barrie) and a huge computer geek sidekick called Bryce (Australian Noah Taylor) and she looks a lot sexier in lycra than Harrison Ford ever could.

And like Indy, her father (played by Jolie's real-life dad, John Voight) was also a treasure hunter and archaeologist. But he has been missing for 15 years after getting caught up in a secret society know as the Illuminati, an organisation obsessed with - you guessed it - ruling the world. They plan to do this by controlling time and to achieve this they need the two halves of a magical triangle. These just happen to be on opposite sides of the world and must be joined at the precise moment the nine planets align, an event which occurs only once every 5000 years... blah, blah, blah... you get the idea.

It's rather convoluted and not overly important - I can't believe that I'm saying that about a plot! - but let's face it, the story lacks depth and the script is pretty weak.

I miss Indiana Jones, at least his films had a certain wit. But I suppose it doesn't really matter when the heroine looks this good kicking the bad guy's butt (remember the recent remake of Charlie's Angels). And in such cute outfits!

The number one evil dude in Tomb Raider is Illuminati member Manfred Powell (Iain Glen), a worthy opponent for Lara and her main rival for the triangle gizmo.

So. The Big question. Does Tomb Raider make the transition from video game to film successfully?

Compared to all previous attempts - think Wing Commander, Mortal Kombat, and horror of horrors Super Mario Bros - yes it does! But that isn't really much of a compliment.

I'm not a Lara Croft disciple but I have it under good authority that the film captures the spirit of the game perfectly, especially the fabulous action and combat scenes, and as a flesh and blood Lara, Angelina Jolie fits the bill (and the bra) more than adequately.

I thought she was excellent and enjoyed the movie for what it was. It's refreshing to see such a role model icon for girls up on the big screen.

Boob-e-licious...