Tomb Raider (2018)

How does Lara Croft crack an ancient puzzle in Tomb Raider? Exactly like a player would: pull a lever, hope, and run. It plays like a video game you’re watching somebody else beat. Alicia Vikander is the best thing about it. Her Lara is scrappy and broke, gets hurt, and actually looks tired when she climbs, which makes the stunts feel earned. The early London bike chase is legit fun, and a rusty old plane hanging over a waterfall makes for one great sequence. The trouble is the island. Walton Goggins plays Mathias as a guy who’s been stranded too long and is very bored about it, and the plot about her missing dad turns into sad speeches in a cave. It made $275 million worldwide on a reported $90 to $106 million. A 4.9 because Vikander commits fully and the movie around her keeps hitting the reset button. $107 says you climb a playground rope this week to prove something and come down a lot slower than you went up.

What works: Alicia Vikander’s physical, grounded Lara and a couple of strong set pieces, especially the plane over the waterfall.

What doesn’t: The island half drags, Mathias is a flat villain, and the father-daughter story never earns its big emotional beats.

Who it’s for: Fans of the rebooted games who want to see the climbing and the bow and arrow on a big screen.