Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft Review

Lara Croft has been depicted in 2D, in 3D, on the big screen, in video games, in comics, and even in theme park attractions. It's a wonder it's taken this long for her to conquer the small screen as well. Netflix's new animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft does just that, providing a new window into the icon that is Lara Croft, with a story and style that feels like a natural and essential piece of the franchise.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft comes from creator Tasha Huo, who has some experience expanding the mythology of an established world after working on The Witcher: Blood Origin. The Netflix series aims to bridge the gap between Crystal Dynamics' Survivor trilogy of games (which included, Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider) and the original 1990s games that established Lara Croft as an icon. While Lara has always been a strong and capable character, she didn't become a dual-pistol-wielding badass overnight, and this series helps to showcase a more vulnerable side of the Tomb Raider that audiences haven't seen before.

Netflix's Tomb Raider Series Shows A New Side of Lara

Things pick up with Lara after the events of Shadow of the Tomb Raider. She is running from the losses she's experienced in her previous missions and is attempting to push it all away by clearing out Croft Manor. When a sacred artifact is stolen from her home, Lara embarks on an adventure to retrieve it, adhering to her vow to continue protecting the world's mysteries. Joining her are some familiar faces, namely Jonah (Earl Baylon reprising his role from the video game), but there are also references to characters such as Sam, Roth, and Lara's father, Richard Croft. While a knowledge of the Tomb Raider games is helpful, it's not required to enjoy Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. That being said fans familiar with Lara's adventures will no doubt enjoy the many Easter eggs and references packed into the series.

What may be disappointing to some fans is the absence of Camilla Luddington, who voiced Lara in the Survivor trilogy. Rest assured, however, that Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The First Avenger) steps into the role of Lara Croft as if she was born to do it. Any time the facial animations fail to fully convey the emotions of a scene, Atwell comes to the rescue, providing a strong vocal performance that captures Lara's humor, fragility, and resilience. Richard Armitage also provides dimension to his villain, Charles Devereaux, who could very easily fall into a flat stereotype, but ends up being an excellent foil to Lara's character.

Lara's character arc alone in Tomb Rader: The Legend of Lara Croft justifies the existence of the series. The Lara Croft depicted in the Survivor trilogy is young and eager to prove herself, while the one in the 90s games is strong and self-assured. This series helps paint a more realistic picture of Lara, focusing on how grief and anger can shape a person. While Lara is known for solving ancient puzzles and mysteries, in the Netflix series, she is faced with the greatest puzzle of all - herself.

Adventure Through Animation

Video games have seen a slew of animated adaptations of late, but it's proven to be a format that works for these types of stories, and Tomb Raider is no different. Animation for Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is done by Powerhouse Animation Studios which is known for working on the Castlevania: Nocturne adaptation and Masters of the Universe. It's no surprise then, that the animation style is vibrant and somewhat reminiscent of classic cartoons. However, while there are some visually distinct moments throughout the episodes, the animation style rarely achieves outstanding. It particularly struggles to convey emotional moments between characters, which is a shame because Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is one of the few opportunities fans have had to dig into the more personal side of the hero.

Where the series truly excels is in capturing the feeling of a Lara Croft game in an animated format. The Legend of Lara Croft has everything one would expect from a Tomb Raider game; high-stakes action setpieces, ancient supernatural mysteries to solve, and a globetrotting story. It's able to smoothly translate platforming and puzzle elements into its animated style, and the use of familiar tools like the pickaxe, bow, and grappling hook feel right at home in the Netflix series. The Tomb Raider series isn't exactly known for being grounded in reality and the story often leans into the grand or fantastical, but this is actually to the benefit of the animated series as it finds equally grand and creative ways to depict this mythology on screen.

Structurally, the series is solid with each episode containing an exciting new location or action setpiece to enjoy. Things initially get off to a slow start, particularly as Lara is shown musing on the past, but once she is given a new mystery to solve, things move quickly. Variety is the series' main strength, and it's perhaps something that wasn't possible in the games as it would have resulted in a much larger workload for the dev team. Here, nothing is holding Tomb Raider back from traveling to all corners of the world, roping in larger-than-life enemies, or pushing the limits of action in animation. As a whole, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft truly earns its place in the Tomb Raider franchise and provides a window into Lara Croft that fans have not gotten anywhere else.

All eight episodes of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft are available to stream on Netflix.

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