Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft review – "A weak story doesn't hold Hayley Atwell's hero back from stealing our hearts"

Video game icon Lara Croft hasn’t had the best luck when it comes to screen adaptations. The Angelina Jolie movies were critically panned, while the 2018 reboot starring Alicia Vikander failed to ignite at the box office. Although a sequel for that movie was still put into development, it ultimately failed to see the light of day after the studio’s rights to the franchise expired. The question fans of the kick-ass archaeologist were therefore left with was ‘what next?’

Enter Netflix’s new animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, which welcomes back our heroine somewhat successfully. Set in the same continuity as the most recent Tomb Raider game trilogy, the story picks up following the events of 2018's Shadow of the Tomb Raider, aiming to fill in the timeline between that and the original series of games. However, if you are not a gamer, do not fear: you can still enjoy this new Lara Croft adventure even with zero prior knowledge of her legend.

A beating heart

For this escapade, we join Lara as a mysterious yet powerful artifact is stolen from her home, Croft Manor, without any initial clear reason as to why. Pursuing the thief with the intention to find out, Lara is drawn into something much more dangerous, leaving it down to her to save the entire world from an almighty threat that could totally destroy it.

It’s a pretty basic and generic plot that will be easily forgotten once the final credits have rolled. Our hero has to do battle with a villain who is collecting mysterious relics that will give him ultimate power, which in turn will bring about the end of the world – it’s something we have seen countless times before, told here with little flair. However, despite being the weakest part of The Legend of Lara Croft it also serves its purpose, setting the scene for the highlights.

As Lara travels the world in pursuit of our antagonist Charles Devereaux, who is played with a mix of mystery and menace by The Hobbit star Richard Armitage, she is aided by various friends who are scattered across the globe, including Allen Maldonado’s witty Zip and Earl Baylon’s Jonah (whose presence always feels like a warm embrace). 

These companions are the beating heart of The Legend of Lara Croft, as our hero learns that she doesn’t have to struggle alone, whether that is dealing with her grief or fighting a power hungry madman. Despite initially pushing away anyone who wants to come close to her, Lara eventually learns to open up, to share, to love. 

It’s an affecting arc and one that crucially isn’t told with sugary sentimentality, instead always remaining grounded. In fact, these quieter and more intimate moments of reunion such as Lara rediscovering her bond with former pal Camilla are some of the best scenes in the entire series. It turns out, teamwork really does make the dream work, as Lara realizes she is nothing without the support of loved ones.

Only human

Although these friends all shine, there’s no taking the spotlight away from our hero. Showrunner Tasha Huo clearly has great affection for Lara Croft, with this love coming through in how she writes the character. We already know that Huo is a huge fan of the character already, telling SFX magazine she got this gig after “relentlessly” tweeting about Shadow of the Tomb Raider – but this show is further proof of that.

Lara still has some bullish tendencies, she also shows great compassion and empathy, even towards our villain when she’s in grave danger. Underneath her strength are vulnerabilities, which voice actor Hayley Atwell beautifully uncovers. The Mission: Impossible star also expertly brings to life Lara’s cockier side too, injecting in some humor with numerous witty remarks. 

Atwell’s charming performance will be sure to make her take on Lara an instant fan-favorite but what is truly special about this iteration is just how relatable Croft is here. We might not be super athletic archaeologists facing mythological monsters, but we can connect with Lara’s humanity as at the end of the day that’s exactly what she is – only human.

Dynamic animation

This latest adventure is brought to our screen with impressive animation, which comes courtesy of Powerhouse Animation Studios, who have previously dazzled audiences with Castlevania and Kevin Smith’s Masters of the Universe series. They do so once again drawing stunning landscapes, which are widely varied as Lara treks across the globe. Every desert, every ocean, ever temple is a vivid treat for the eyes, being full of color.

And right from the off the action is incredibly dynamic too, with a scene where Lara fights Charles while wearing a ballgown being particularly spectacular as the camera sweeps across the manor in line with the smooth movement of her dress. Although of course this is Lara Croft we are talking about  – she’s wearing sneakers under that gown, not heels. Never heels.

You’ll be left wanting more, with the eight 20-or-so minute episodes simply not being enough. Despite a predictable story there’s still a lot to love here, mainly thanks to the characterisation of Lara and her companions. This is a group you will want to reunite with again soon, especially as we get an intriguing cliffhanger setting up a second season.

The good news is that Netflix reportedly commissioned two seasons right at the start, meaning we already know that another adventure is already being planned. Strap in, then. This legend is only just beginning.

All episodes of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft are available to stream now on Netflix. For more television coming your way, check out our guide to the upcoming TV shows you need to watch out for.