‘Tomb Raider The Legend of Lara Croft’ Review

Standing among the ranks of Mario, Master Chief, Sonic, and Link, Lara Croft is one of the most iconic video game characters ever to grace our screens. The globe-trotting archaeologist has starred in numerous video games since 1996 and has been brought to life by two Oscar-winning actresses, Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander, in three live-action films. The Tomb Raider franchise has been a staple of pop culture for close to three decades, but the 2013 reboot, simply titled Tomb Raider, brought a whole new brand of prestige, chronicling Lara’s origins. This was followed by two sequels, Rise of the Tomb Raider in 2015 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider in 2018, in a trio of games now known as the “Survivor Trilogy.”

Since then, the franchise has stayed relatively quiet in the realm of video games, with a new game currently in development and a live-action series in the works from Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Amazon. First announced in 2021, the animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, aims to bridge the gap between the Survivor Trilogy and the future of the franchise, with Hayley Atwell voicing the English adventurer.

What Is ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’ About?

The Legend of Lara Croft picks up shortly after the events of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, with the titular character still being haunted by nightmares about the deaths of her loved ones, including Conrad Roth (Nolan North). Lara has never been one to sit around and wait, meaning it’s been a struggle in the weeks leading up to her friend Jonah’s (Earl Baylon) wedding. Lara’s itch for adventure is finally scratched when a mysterious artifact is stolen from her home, with the thief, Charles Devereaux (Richard Armitage), holding a surprising connection to Roth and Lara’s father.

Hoping to finally set things right, Lara drags Jonah along as they venture to China, as they learn more about the mysterious artifact that has been taken, a Peril Stone, which has strong ties to Chinese legend and holds a dangerous supernatural power that could bring the end of the world. Over the course of the series, we see Lara evolve from the character that she was in the previous three games to the more experienced and skilled adventurer that made her a legend, both in her world and in our world.

‘The Legend of Lara Croft’ Finds Its Way After a Rough Start

Outside of an opening dream sequence, the first episode mainly follows Lara’s life in England. While the series obviously has to set the stage for Lara’s next mission, it does take a bit to get going. It’s not bad necessarily, but Lara Croft’s arc has always been much more exciting when we see her get thrust into another adventure, not sulking around her mansion. As mentioned before, the series serves as a direct sequel to the “Survivor Trilogy,” which all began with Lara already in the early days of her next quest.

A video game and a television series are obviously two very different mediums, but one of the benefits of this series being animated is that the creative team doesn’t have to worry too much about how expensive it might be to have the character travel across the world to dangerous locations. Lara’s mansion just doesn’t hold the same amount of intrigue as an unexplored tomb or an unpredictable rainforest.

Thankfully, the series picks up in the following seven episodes and never slows down. While this series does serve as a prologue for the next installment in the video game franchise, it doesn’t feel the need to lower the stakes of Lara’s latest mission. The scope has never felt greater than it does in The Legend of Lara Croft. The series finds a way to deliver a sprawling adventure story while also diving into more of Lara’s backstory in fascinating ways.

The Legend of Lara Croft may have initially been announced as a “Netflix Anime,” but the animation was actually done by a studio in Texas; while it is influenced by the Japanese art style, the name is extremely fitting. The animation feels smooth, and it beautifully captures the exotic locales that Lara and her team visit throughout the series. There’s no filler whatsoever, and new characters are introduced, including a reimagined version of Lara’s friend Zip (Allen Maldonado) and Lara’s estranged childhood best friend Camilla Roth (Zoe Boyle), who fit perfectly into the series’ narrative while also bringing an extra layer of emotional depth.

‘The Legend of Lara Croft’ Introduces a Compelling New Villain

Perhaps one of the greatest assets to The Legend of Lara Croft is the introduction of a new adversary to Lara Croft: Charles Devereaux, a rival archeologist who is much more complex than meets the eye. When Lara first meets Devereaux, he attempts to manipulate her, claiming that he wants to get a hold of the Peril Stones to stop a dangerous cult threatening to end humanity. While Lara is quickly able to see through the facade, the character is portrayed in a way that, while we might not agree with his decisions, it’s easy to understand his motives. Armitage does a stellar job of providing the villain with a menacing but also strangely charismatic voice, making him all the more memorable.

Atwell’s casting as the voice of Lara Croft is another strong addition to the cast. While it was initially disappointing to learn that voice actress Camilla Luddington would not be reprising the role from the Survivor Trilogy, Atwell still manages to capture the spirit of the character, and the recasting is never once distracting. Boyle’s Camilla Roth is a strong addition as well, and her relationship with Lara is one of the biggest highlights. The series does a great job of establishing their friendship, what caused the rift between the two, and the sisterhood (and possibly a potential romance) between them. She’s the kind of character that we can only hope will stick around and pop up in future installments, be it in a second season or the next video game.

Some fans of the franchise might be quick to make the complaint that they would rather have another video game installment, rather than a television series, but The Legend of Lara Croft seamlessly captures the tone and the world that made the Survivor Trilogy so effective in the first place. It provides us with an engaging new adventure, exciting new characters, plenty of action, and, of course, as much tomb raiding as you could ever hope for.

Watch on Netflix