One of the big problems with video game movies is, ironically, that they’re either too much like the video game or too little like it (almost exclusively in the case of 1993’s Super Mario Bros.). The main problem most people cite is that it feels like you’re watching someone else play a video game rather than watching a movie. The pair of Tomb Raider movies with Angelina Jolie suffered from this, on top of being overly cartoony and fantastical. In 2013, Square Enix rebooted the Tomb Raider game series and made it much more plot-focused and survival-based…perfect for a feature film. Judging by the poster, they’re hitting the game spot-on.
Oscar winner Alicia Vikander will play Lara Croft this time around, and she looks exactly like her in-game counterpart, complete with pickax, which is her primary tool, melee weapon, and zip-line rider in the game. She’s sporting several wounds and bandages, which is a big aspect of that game–Lara gets hurt a LOT, but keeps on trucking–and when you compare early images from that game, Vikander is about as close as you can get.
On top of that poster we also got everybody’s favorite piece of modern movie hype: the teaser for a trailer. It’s a sweet 15 seconds of what appears to be a pretty good representation of the game.
TOMORROW – watch the trailer for #TombRaider, in theaters March 2018. pic.twitter.com/Lt5R7KVCkG
— Tomb Raider (@TombRaiderMovie) September 18, 2017
As games get more involved and storylines become increasingly complex–rather than original Tomb Raider games, which were pretty much just “hey, look around this tomb and shoot stuff”–it will become easier to turn games into films. Granted, the Assassins Creed movie didn’t work out too well, I think the mix of survival, exploration, and action could make for a great movie as well as a great game. I imagine the producers of the Uncharted movie will be watching this one very intently.
We’ll get to see the full Tomb Raider trailer on Tuesday, but for now what do you think? Can Alicia Vikander live up to the name Croft? Let us know in the comments below!
Image: MGM/Eidos
Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!
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