She’s the guns-a-blazin’, cliff-jumping, bad-guy-fighting queen of action from the 90s, and she’s back on the big screen, but this time in an origin story. Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander) is an independent young woman who has developed a flair for the hardened and more rebellious ways of life after the disappearance of her father, Lord Richard Croft (Dominic West) seven years ago. When Lara receives an unexpected artifact, willed to her by her father before his untimely death, curiosity gets the better of the young Croft. She leaves behind her life in London and embarks on an adventure to uncover the mystery behind her father’s disappearance.

It’s a story of myths, legends, and high-flying action. For lovers of the video games, it’s clear that director Roar Uthaug did his homework. In nearly every action scene, there is some sort of nod to moments of gameplay that fans have loved over the decades as Lara Croft has evolved. Alicia Vikander throws everything she’s got into this role, proving at every turn that the strength of a young woman is nothing to be messed with, especially when those she loves are on the line. If you see this film, you’re in for an adventure that takes you deep into the treacherous waters of the Devil’s Sea, even deeper into the tombs of an ancient and forbidden Japanese island, and deeper still into the global fight for the super natural power hidden among the dead. It’s a story which harkens back to the spirit of the video games, and it’s sure to make for a fun go at the movies.

Dove:

While this movie lands a spot in the “fun action movie” category, there is significant reason to pause and comb through the content if you’re wondering if it’s appropriate for your family. Some movies are really important, and their message is worth a few gritty moments. Other movies are made for pure entertainment purposes, and there’s really no reason to sit through the grit. This movie might be the latter. It’s fun, but it’s ultimately forgettable if you’re wondering whether or not the content is right for you. Here’s what you can expect.

Lara Croft is first and foremost an action hero of a video game. That means that a movie about her involves, fundamentally, a lot of violence. Bullets are fired, people are shot, arrows are fired, people are shot, and a couple other nasty, gory moments happen where people aren’t shot, but they are certainly affected by their surroundings. Compared to a lot of action films out there, this movie is nothing to bat an eye at. It’s rated PG-13, and rightfully so. It’s far from R, but most parents wouldn’t consider it appropriate until age 13.

Because of all this, Dove is unable to grant Tomb Raider a Seal of Approval. It’s important to Dove that when we do mark something as “approved” we do so because we are paying close attention to the values of our viewers. As I said before, some movies have grit, but they’re worth seeing, so Dove risks the approval in hopes that families will engage in tough conversations with their kids, even as they sift through that tough material. But movies like Tomb Raider contain just enough questionable content that we feel it’s safer to simply say, no, it’s not approved, because frankly, it’s just entertaining at best.

If you let your kids play the games, then the movie will be a walk in the park for them. If you don’t let your kids play the games, then the movie is inappropriate. There are other adventures a bit more suitable.