Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Lara Croft is an orphaned English heiress who runs a multinational foundation by day and follows her instincts for archaeology and adventure by choice. When shards of an ancient time-altering relic surface, she moves quickly to gather both pieces before violent collectors do. Rival explorers, mercenaries, and old enemies complicate her path, so she forms uneasy alliances and relies on gadgets, combat skills, and quick thinking to keep the artifacts out of the wrong hands. With a rare planetary alignment looming, the urgency intensifies and secrets about the relic shape the competition, while old scores resurface again.

Released in 2001 and directed by Simon West, the film adapts the Tomb Raider video game character for the big screen, with a script credited to Patrick Massett, John Zinman, and Mike Werb, and Angelina Jolie headlining as Lara Croft.

Tomb Raider performed strongly enough at the box office to justify a sequel in 2003, demonstrating that high profile video game adaptations could draw mainstream audiences despite mixed critical reaction and helping cement Lara Croft as a bankable cinematic property.

Angelina Jolie's portrayal quickly became the most visible incarnation of Lara Croft, influencing merchandising, conventions, and cosplay. The film raised expectations for big budget game adaptations, sparked debate over faithful translation of interactive stories, and fixed Croft's image in popular culture beyond the original video game audience, worldwide fan communities.

Critical response was mixed, reflected by a 5.907/10 average from 6,371 votes, with many reviewers praising Jolie's physicality and screen presence while faulting the thin plot and uneven tone. The movie foregrounds themes of legacy, power, archaeology, and the moral weight of altering history in a high octane blockbuster setting.