Video games have had quite the long and illustrious history. Many of the greatest pop culture debates have roots found within this interactive entertainment goliath we see as its own industry. Since the 80’s and 90’s, we’ve been associating certain companies with flagship characters and IPs put out by them that continue to capture hearts and inspire minds far and wide. There’s Nintendo with the unforgettable Mario (Super Mario Brothers), Link (Legend of Zelda), and the countless amount of Pokémon; Microsoft/Xbox with Master Chief (Halo), and Marcus Fenix (Gears of War); and Playstation with Kratos (God of War), Sly Cooper (Sly Cooper series), and Nathan Drake (Uncharted). That being said, for years, Nintendo and Sega were duking it out in the industry with their own list of console-selling IPs, but shortly after the Nintendo 64 was released, a new challenger approached in the form of the Sony Playstation, bringing with it now-famous characters such as Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Parappa the Rapper. However, most of the must-play games from the system (such as the previously mentioned Crash Bandicoot and Spyro) later outgrew their exclusive home for one reason or another. Among the cast of IPs that would later become either multi-platform or exclusive to another console was one character in particular that not only sold countless units, but could arguably be seen as the precursor to Nathan Drake: Lara Croft, Tomb Raider.

Similar to Indiana Jones, the games were about Lara Croft, a young adventurer/treasure hunter seeking out some sort of relic or artifact. The original two games are fantastic examples of classic Playstation games that are not only fun, but pulled many over to Sony’s console the same way games such as Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII. Plot-wise, there are some differences across the original series and the two reboots in 2006 and 2013. The original games on the PS1 and the first of the two re-imaginings don’t really contain much of a backstory to the character, something mended by the clean slates for the series in 2006 (Tomb Raider: Legend) and 2013 (Tomb Raider). According to the 2013 restart (the game which the movie is based off of) for the series, Lara is the daughter of an aristocratic family with her father, Richard Croft, an adventurer and archaeologist. After the death of her parents, she sought a future not aided by her inheritance or prestige. From here on out, the story becomes even more warped and different with each game to date.

In 2001, the games were given a movie adaptation (with the plot of a non-game adventure) about her searching for the Triangle of Light, warranting a sequel in 2003, and apparently a theme park ride as well (I’m being serious, there’s a series on YouTube called Defunctland which did an episode on this oddity, linked here). Then, in 2018, there was another movie adaptation, this time loosely following the 2013 re-imagining. Both movies received a similar reception from critics (which wasn’t particularly stellar), but that’s why I’m here today: to give my thoughts on it and see what changed and what’s still in-tact.

Let’s start with the game. The game is about the island of Yamatai, an island located in an area called The Dragon’s Triangle. Long ago in Japan, the island was ruled by Himiko, a queen that had the capacity to control the weather and racked up quite the body count. However, when she was buried, the location was intentionally shrouded in secret, and for good reason. Any vessel that enters the Dragon’s Triangle will be lost with those aboard it as good as dead. Fast forward to when our protagonist, Lara, learns of the whereabouts of the island become valuable knowledge to the crew filming a documentary on the legend as well as the descendants of Himiko. Together, they set out and actually find Yamatai, but it isn’t long before the ship is taken down by the weather surrounding the island, as once controlled by Himiko. So now it’s up to Lara to find the crew, uncover her tomb, and make it off the island alive. The gameplay is very Uncharted-esqe; It’s that typical action-adventure simple control scheme that’s become common-place today. Disregarding the lack-luster multiplayer, Tomb Raider (2013) is another good modern-day action-adventure title that has everyone’s favorite treasure hunter in gaming (Prior to Nathan Drake).

As for the movie, it’s a weird mixture of a lot of the same, but significantly different. In the movie, her father is presumed dead after disappearing while out on an adventure with Lara rejecting every bit of what he left her, Croft Manor, the business he runs, all of it. Tight on cash and believing that she’s come across both a clue relating to the island of Yamatai and the riches it may house as well as where her father may have gone to, leading to his death, she packs up and goes in search of him. Though the movie changes some other aspects of the story such as how she got the jade pendant she wears as a necklace and Himiko’s new, rather brutal legacy, there’s one change that made me roll me eyes in how ridiculous it is, especially when looking at it from the standpoint of someone who has played a decent amount of the games. This change? Here’s a quick spoiler warning, but as it turns out, Lara’s father WAS in fact on the island when he disappeared, but she eventually finds out that he’s still alive. This was pretty ridiculous and a little frustrating since the fact that it kind of spits in the face of what the game establishes. That aside, the movie was fun enough and still kept mostly true to the game.

The verdict is that if you’re not a fan of the series, the movie will seem pretty good, and definitely a good amount of fun for both parties that are and are not familiar with the games. Though, if you want the definitive experience that’s more worth your time and money, the game is for sure the way to go. The movie wasn’t too bad, but it also wasn’t too good either. As for which of the movie adaptations was better, I’m not entirely sure myself. Plot-wise and how loyal it is to the games, I’d go with the original, but visually and with the cast in mind, the new movie won that medal. I suppose it’s up to you to make that decision. How ironic, though, that this now makes two IPs made famous by Playstation to put out a re-imagining of the series with a corresponding movie later on that’s meant to spawn sequels. Except, unlike Ratchet and Clank (2016), the game came far before the movie and the Ratchet and Clank movie isn’t nearly as confusing to compare to the game it’s coupled with; that, and it actually garnered positive reception.