‘Tomb Raider’ will pull you to the edge

Evan Marmol

The sultry, luscious-lipped Angelina Jolie reprises her role as the

voluptuous, agile warrior from the video game series “Tomb Raider” in

the second installment “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.”

Once again, she does little actual tomb raiding and more world

saving. In the sequel, she engages in the pursuit of an ancient

underwater temple called the Cradle of Life, which contains Pandora’s

Box, an artifact that has the apocalyptic power to unleash the sins

of humankind and raise hell on Earth.

Lara embarks on this dire mission accompanied by Terry Sheridan

(Gerard Butler). Together, they race frantically against Dr. Jonathan

Reiss (Ciaran Hinds) for possession of the box. Reiss wants to invoke

the powers of this device for world domination, and Lara is

humanity’s last hope to spoil this wicked scheme.

Befitting the character, she dons the hallmark provocative

outfits, leaving little to the imagination and much to the pleasure

of Jolie fans. Her beauty notwithstanding, Lara Croft displays feats

of unrivaled strength, dexterity and guile. Completing this deft

character is her wry style, stoic countenance, and rapier wit.

More than entertaining, this film has pulse-racing stomach

churning suspense as Lara is faced with calamity, peril and harrowing

situations that are reminiscent of the finer aspects of the Indiana

Jones films.

Recent action films have been dominated by trite special effects

and action sequences, and seldom does a film prove to be as inventive

and imaginative as this flick. “The Cradle of Life” employs

techniques that are unique and leave you spent and narrowly slipping

off of the edge of your seat.

This film is a definite must-see.

One to movie avoid: ‘Legally Blonde 2’

Reese Witherspoon dares to produce and star in the sequel to the

truly unremarkable “Legally Blonde,” reprising her role as Elle Woods

in “Legally Blonde 2: Red White and Blonde.”

Jilted from her law firm, she dons her grotesquely florid attire

and trademark clattering heels and invades Washington, to find the

biological birth parent of Bruiser, her pet Chihuahua. The dog looked

as irked and bored as I did throughout the entire movie. Woods’ legal

background lands her work as an aide for Congresswoman Victoria Rudd

(Sally Field). A clueless Woods finds help from the doorman (Bob

Newhart) on the ins and outs of D.C.

In a film that is already too episodic and convoluted, Woods also

attempts to champion animals rights by passing a bill to prevent

testing while pacifying her waiting fiance, Emmett (Luke Wilson).

Elle Woods struggles to pass her bill with glib arguments and scented

letterhead. You’ll have to go to see if she prevails.

As humorous as a eulogy and filling as a slice of bread, “Legally

Blonde” transcends imbecility into a realm in which clothing speaks

louder than words and vacuous bimbos can be Harvard graduates.

Altogether, it seamlessly vacillates from inane to vapid without

losing that hollow feeling to which it obviously aspired. Rather than

utilizing Witherspoon’s tremendous acting skills and the character’s

supposed intelligence to address topical and weighty issues and bring

levity to our political system, this film trivializes politics and

carefully avoids making waves.

She might as well have been arguing for a minimum wage for lab

mice, or proposing for a national retirement plan for household pets.

The point is that we are supposed to consider it uproariously

hilarious predicated on Elle Woods’ hair color, namely that blonds

are ostensibly ditzy. I’m not falling for that one.

Witherspoon sold her audience, and herself, short in this

lackluster movie. Avoid this one, even on video.

* EVAN MARMOL is Laguna Beach resident. He graduated from UC

Irvine with a degree in psychology and social behavior.