Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
You can do this, Lara. After all... you're a Croft.
“Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft” continues the story of the brave heroine, making some unforgivable mistakes along the way, but gradually revealing the final stages of her vibrant character development.
The new Netflix animated series picks up after the events of the reboot trilogy of the video game universe. It’s a direct, canonical continuation of the games, preparing fans of the fearless adventurer for the next phase of her life. The series includes everything gamers loved: thrilling action scenes, an intriguing mythological plot, and, of course, Lara herself, who seems a bit more mature. But has everything turned out as good as it could have?
At times, it feels like the creators played the games only once and based the continuation on scattered memories. The first episode shows Lara’s flashbacks of traveling through the jungle with Conrad Roth in search of an ancient artifact. In this version, she’s already portrayed as a warrior, capable of defeating enemies, dodging traps, and even taking on an alligator eager to feast on a tomb raider. However, the problem is that these events take place before the tragic happenings on Yamatai-koku (Tomb Raider 2013). Right from the start, there's a factual inaccuracy: Lara, like a seasoned mercenary, takes down the alligator, whereas in the first game, she couldn’t even hold a bow properly and tearfully killed a deer just to survive. The original game showed her journey of becoming a survivor, so this flashback feels both comical and out of place.
The narrative centers around Lara’s personal grief over the loss of her mentor, Conrad Roth... a character she hardly even mentioned in the comics or the next two games. While the third game, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, had its controversies, it ended with Lara letting go of the past and looking forward to a bright future. Therefore, this storyline feels odd — a broken Lara seeking comfort in endless travels to escape her past. The series also introduces a new (or rather, old) character from the games without explaining who he is or where he came from, leaving the audience to figure it out on their own. This is where the series falters most: despite claiming to be a canonical continuation, it makes unnecessary changes just to drive the plot forward.
The plot itself is rather simple: the main villain (who has a tragic backstory) is trying to find the mythical Danger Stones to gain power and destroy his enemies. Lara tries to stop him and save the world from impending doom, all while facing her own fears, problems, and the past she's been running from. While the antagonist starts off as an ambitious, calculated, and interesting foe, by the end of the season, he devolves into a clichéd villain making foolish mistakes. The music in the animated series is also underwhelming — it’s forgettable and merely serves as background noise, failing to enhance the atmosphere.
However, it’s not all bad. Lara’s personal story is still compelling. Although it’s paradoxical at times, viewers can witness her growth, making wrong choices and learning from her mistakes. She’s gradually becoming the Lara that many fans remember from the original games. The creators clearly drew inspiration from the older games: we have a villain who transforms into a mythological creature (Tomb Raider II 1997), a nod to Paris, “the most hated place on Earth” (Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness), and a mythological plot that harkens back to the early games. Lara’s story is no longer confined or isolated; instead, she travels the world, meets new people, and learns valuable lessons. It’s evident the developers are setting the stage for a return to the original adventures of the Tomb Raider, something they teased at the end of the third game in the rebooted series. The animation deserves special praise too, as it beautifully captures not only the details and action scenes but also the emotional depth of the characters.
In conclusion, the series is a decent option for a casual evening watch, allowing you to once again follow Lara Croft on her adventures. It may not be the best fit for those unfamiliar with the game universe, so it’s recommended to at least get acquainted with the events of the first game (Tomb Raider 2013). However, longtime fans may spot numerous inconsistencies, which could dampen their overall impression, not just of Lara but of the series as a whole. Lara’s character continues to evolve, and it will be interesting to see what lies ahead for her next adventure.
6/10