It is 2026, and we are still talking about those silver wetsuits and the "Triangle of Light." Honestly, it is kinda wild when you think about it. Most video game adaptations from the early 2000s have been buried in the bargain bins of history, yet the Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider movies refuse to stay dead. They have this weird, magnetic staying power that survives every reboot and every new TV series announcement.
You’ve probably heard the standard take: they were "cheesy" or "too Hollywood." Maybe. But that surface-level dismissal misses the point of why these films were a cultural earthquake. When Lara Croft: Tomb Raider hit theaters in 2001, it wasn't just a movie. It was a gamble that changed how we see female action stars and, more importantly, how Angelina Jolie became the "Angie" we know today.
The Casting That Almost Didn't Happen
Back in 2000, the idea of an American playing the ultimate British icon was basically heresy. Fans were livid. They looked at Jolie’s tattoos, her "wild child" reputation, and her recent Oscar for Girl, Interrupted and thought: No way. She wasn't the "safe" choice. She was the dangerous one.
The production was a mess of skepticism. To get the role, Jolie actually had to undergo drug testing and show a level of commitment that most actors would find exhausting. She didn't just show up; she transformed. We’re talking kickboxing, gymnastics, and Husky dog racing. Yeah, really. She spent months turning herself into a human weapon because she knew the world was waiting for her to fail.
The result? She didn't just play Lara Croft. She became the silhouette.
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Why the First Movie Was a Box Office Titan
Most people forget how much money the first film actually made. It opened to $48.2 million. In 2001 money, that was massive. It stayed the highest-grossing video game adaptation domestically for nearly a decade.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider worked because it leaned into the "goofiness" of the games. You had the giant clock, the robot training sequence in the manor, and a plot involving the Illuminati that barely made sense. It didn't care. It was a live-action cartoon with a massive budget and a lead actress who looked like she could actually survive a 50-foot fall.
The Real Legacy: It Wasn't Just About the Shorts
Critics at the time—and even now—focused heavily on the "video vixen" aesthetic. But if you talk to women who grew up in that era, the takeaway was different. For many, it was the first time they saw a woman leading a massive franchise without a male lead holding her hand.
Lara didn't need saving. She was the one doing the saving.
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- She owned the screen.
- She did her own stunts (mostly).
- She was smarter than everyone in the room.
- She had the "coolest" gadgets of 2001.
The Cradle of Life: A Better Movie That Made Less Money
In 2003, we got Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life. Directed by Jan de Bont (the guy behind Speed), it was objectively a better-made film. The action was tighter. The locations, from Hong Kong to Kenya, were stunning. Plus, it gave us a young Gerard Butler as a rogue-ish love interest who Lara eventually... well, let's just say she made the tough choice.
But the box office didn't follow. It made $160 million worldwide, a huge drop from the first one's $274 million.
Why? Some say the "novelty" had worn off. Others blame the video game industry itself; Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness had just released to terrible reviews, and the "brand" was cooling down. Jolie herself decided she was done after this one. She felt she’d done what she needed to do with the character.
Comparing the Eras: Jolie vs. Vikander
In 2018, Alicia Vikander took over the mantle in a reboot based on the "Survivor" era of the games. It was more "grounded." Less "superhero."
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People love to argue about which is better. Vikander’s Lara is more human; she bleeds, she struggles, she cries. Jolie’s Lara is an untouchable force of nature. She’s the power fantasy. In 2026, looking back, it feels like we needed both. But there is a specific "fun" factor in the Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider movies that the newer versions sometimes lack.
Jolie’s Lara had joy in the adventure. She smirked. She enjoyed being the best.
What This Means for You Today
If you’re a fan of the franchise or just an action movie buff, these films are essential viewing for understanding the history of the "female lead." They are time capsules of a pre-MCU era where movies could be weird, stylish, and a little bit dumb, as long as they had star power.
Practical takeaways if you're revisiting them:
- Watch the BTS: The behind-the-scenes footage of Jolie's training is genuinely more impressive than some of the CGI in the actual movie.
- Look for the Easter Eggs: The first film is packed with nods to the original Core Design games, from the butler (minus the freezer) to the way Lara moves.
- Appreciate the Practical Stunts: In Cradle of Life, that "wing-suit" jump off the skyscraper in Hong Kong? That was real stunt work, not just green screen.
The Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider movies didn't just launch a career; they proved that a female-led video game movie could be a global phenomenon. Even as we get new iterations on Netflix or Amazon, Jolie’s version remains the gold standard for that specific, high-octane "classic" Lara vibe.
To get the most out of your next rewatch, try to find the 4K remasters of both films. The HDR really makes the locations in Cradle of Life pop in a way the original DVDs never could.