Tomb Raider

If you really had to pick somebody to save the world, you might not choose the candidate in the impracticably tight, skimpy outfit. But then cinema isn't reality, and has always demanded a high level of eye candy value from its heroes. Or heroines - and Lara Croft, in the form of Angeline Jolie, amply fulfils that requirement.

The plot of Tomb Raider, or the excuse to string together lots of complex action sequences, is negligible and rather daft. They don't dwell on it in the movie, so I won't here. Lara goes from place to place, raiding tombs and eventually saving the world. She does it with a great deal of style and kick-ass attitude, so the lack of plot can be forgiven. The aforementioned action sequences strive to outdo anything ever put on the screen - there are some very clear influences at work on the film, the Indiana Jones and James Bond films being the most obvious.

Some kind of support is needed for the overwhelming wealth of visual goings-on, and the actors deal very well with performing in cinema's biggest-ever stunt showcase. Jolie acquits herself very credibly, and Iain Glen's bad guy looks suitably menacing. But best of all is Chris Barrie in a supporting role as Hillary, Lara's long-suffering butler, who has the film's most priceless moment: upon hearing a commotion he proceeds to investigate, in carpet slippers and dressing gown - and with an enormous pump-action shotgun.

Some viewers who may find that the film occasionally skirts 'unintentional parody' territory - one reviewer renamed the film Indiana Juggs and the Temple of Bazooms, which seems rather accurate in the last scene as Lara, having saved the world, makes her escape in Baywatch-style slow motion. But it seems stupid to complain when the film has so much going for it - it's only director Simon West's third film, and it stands comparison with the best of Simpson-Bruckheimer work. Tomb Raider is an adrenaline rush with all the trimmings, a high-energy, high-impact, non-stop action thrill.

Phoebe Layton