Lara Croft is a household name in the video game industry, debuting in 1996 on the PlayStation 1 in ‘Tomb Raider.' Overwhelming success led to a live action adaptation, initially played by the legendary Angelina Jolie (Maria) in 2001 and then Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) in the 2018 reboot. The adventurer paved the way for further female representation in video games, becoming an empowering heroine to those who indulged in her globetrotting exploits. In fact, a recent BAFTA Games poll voted Lara Croft as the ‘most iconic video game character of all time.'
This new animated series is a continuation of Square Enix's beloved Tomb Raider video game Survivor series. Audiences follow Lara Croft, voiced by Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter), as she once again charts around the world in search of ancient relics, hoping to solve the mystery that shrouds them. The new animated series begins with Lara pursuing more solo adventures and leaving behind friends following the events of the last game. However, she soon returns to Croft Manor to find one of her many dangerous and powerful artefacts stolen, leading to a high stakes adventure to stop those attempting to abuse their power.
It's no secret video game adaptations can struggle to find solid footing, but the new Tomb Raider anime series soars to a magnificent success on every front. The story is rich with a hearty lore that Lara Croft fans yearn for. Her personal struggles are balanced eloquently with the on-screen action, used as a tool throughout to showcase Lara's challenges with maintaining friendships and believing herself to be worthy of such love. This largely comes down to Atwell delivering an outstanding performance as Lara Croft, one that will become forever associated with the danger-seeking archaeologist.
In the era of streaming many shows possess sluggish and snooze-worthy filler episodes, but not this one. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft begins with some minor exposition, but rapidly blossoms into a thrilling and unbeatable non-stop action adventure. Each episode supersedes the quality of the last, every time one may think it can't get better, it does. Episode pacing is another factor to such success, starting and ending seamlessly, never leaving audiences feeling that something is missing. Additionally, side characters earn their screen time within the series, opposed to only being there to uphold Lara's personal journey. They have their own stakes and minor storylines interwoven into the main plot, and audiences will find themselves genuinely caring about these people as much as Lara.
The decision to develop this series as an anime drives the Croft name back into the world of the enchanting and supernatural relics that first made the series famous. Such animation delivers a visually explosive experience in an instant through a multitude of colour and entertaining violence, something that the live action movies can lack. The style is a visual delight, never feeling simple nor childish. At times, the animators (Powerhouse Animation Studios) adopt an ingenious dynamic approach to decisive fight sequences that delivers an innovative feast for the eyes. These sequences are admittedly used sparingly, but their scarcity allows viewers to indulge in their inclusion, while avoiding the style becoming tiresome.
In relation to performances, there are no lacklustre efforts. Atwell provides this iteration of Lara with a powerful and driven personality, not shying from the occasional witty remark. Having previously expressed a keen interest in the role through her now deleted Twitter/X account, Atwell soaks up the opportunity and oozes a genuine love for the character. As fantastic as her performance is, the supporting cast deserve an equal level of recognition too.
Every character is a piece of puzzle that makes this show click. Richard Armitage (The Hobbit) voices antagonist Devereaux, whose similarities with Lara Croft create an interesting, but not always conflicting, dynamic. Some actors struggle to truly embrace their villain, yet Armitage evolves fully into his role — providing Devereaux with a deep and emotionally driven performance that allows audiences to understand his motivations, despite the atrocities they lead to. Devereaux is delivered from script to screen with a passionate and luxurious performance, balancing evil, greed and insanity with diligent care. This places Devereaux on the top of the podium as an untouchable villain within the Survivor series.
Netflix have an incredible winner on their hands with this series. If you've played the games, or even just heard of them in passing, this series will make you reach for the nearest controller to quench the thirst that tomb raiding brings. The series respects the roots of the franchise, yet provides more than enough to establish itself as its own story. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is a must-watch masterful success.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft releases on Netflix on October 10th.
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