I love the Tomb Raider remake. I adored the Angelina Jolie ones back in the day and was quite attached to them, but I think the new version is probably my favourite. And Alicia Vikander is such perfect casting!

The film reboots the franchise and follows Lara who has spent years refusing to believe her missing father, played by Dominic West, to be dead. She works as a bike courier and has no interest in taking over his estate, but she’s finally convinced to return to her childhood home and, in her father’s would-be tomb, she finds his old files. Her father’s left her a message instructing her to destroy his research, but instead she delves deeper into the mystery of his disappearance. She follows his research to Hong Kong and seeks out the son of a man who helped her father, Lu Ren, played by Daniel Wu. Lu Ren’s father also went missing and he agrees to help her.

The pair take a boat to distant island called Yamatai. There they encounter Mathias Vogel, who’s following the same clues as Lara’s father, hoping to find the long lost tomb of Himiko. Vogel is funded by a secret organisation who are holding him hostage, and in turn he takes Lara and Lu Ren hostage. Managing to escape, Lara finds herself in one dangerous situation after another, and unearths the secrets she’s been seeking her whole life.

Lara and Lu Ren were definitely my favourites, but I loved Vogel’s casting. He’s a good villain, and Walton Goggins plays him perfectly. WALTON GOGGINS FOR ALL THE ROLES ALWAYS. (Seriously, he’s brilliant.) Dominic West is great, too. Kristin Scott Thomas also has a background role! The casting for this film is just perfect.

My favourite things other than the casting: the action scenes are so badass (!!!); the lack of a stupid romance that makes no sense; the scenery and camera work are brilliant; and the backstory and legends and clue-hunting. As a child raised on Indiana Jones, this is just fantastic! Watching it feels very immersive and honestly so much like a video game, but in a really good way. It’s edge-of-your-seat intensity from start to finish and I can’t wait for the sequel, which I think is coming out next year. Can’t wait!

Recommended for fans of Indiana Jones, for sure, but also just general action lovers. Alicia Vikander is wonderful from start to finish!

**gifs found online, not mine