The Legend of Lara Croft Season 1 Review — An Epic Globe-Trotting Adventure

I will admit that I’m not super familiar with Tomb Raider as a franchise. I know of it, obviously. Lara Croft’s iconography and historical significance in the gaming space is inescapable at this point. And it’s something I always meant to get around to given that, even without the added context, “Female Indiana Jones In The Modern Day” is an extremely strong hook.

But for one reason or another, I just never got around to playing any of the games or experiencing any of the previous adaptations. And as such, though the casting of Agent Carter herself, Hayley Atwell, in the lead role caught my eye, I was concerned about how Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft would play to a newcomer such as myself.

Thankfully, my fears were for naught; as the series is a remarkably fun, action-packed adventure show telling a compelling and mostly standalone story, while still feeling in line with the canon and overall spirit of Tomb Raider that longtime fans have come to know and love.

Sometime after the events of 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara Croft, voiced by Hayley Atwell finds herself on increasingly death-defying adventures around the world; but without any of her friends and allies by her side. However, she soon finds herself reunited with her best friend Jonah, voiced by a returning Earl Baylon from the Tomb Raider games, when an ancient and powerful artifact is stolen from Croft Manor.

Now, Lara must team up with Jonah and other past allies as she travels the world to find the artifact before its full power can be unleashed, take down the mysterious thief, and uncover the truth behind her past, who she is, and who she wants to be.

Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give to Legend of Lara Croft is that unlike so many other streaming shows these days, it’s an actual TV show. None of this “6-8 hour movie split into chunks” nonsense. There is an ongoing plot and overarching continuity, but each episode nonetheless sends Lara to a new location where she has to solve a new problem in a standalone narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

This episodic structure allows the series to really tap into that classic adventure feel. Navigating booby-trapped temples, solving ancient mysteries, helping local villagers, it all evokes the style and atmosphere of something like Indiana Jones while still having its own unique flair beyond just the contemporary setting and female protagonist.

More specifically, Lara seems to do more of her actual job as an archaeologist than Indy ever did, showing genuine acumen for ancient cultures and customs and frequently taking time for additional research when she needs to. Plus, she’s more physically agile than even Dr. Jones in his prime and watching how creatively Lara navigates various environments is often just as exciting as the gunfights and hand-to-hand brawls sprinkled throughout the series.

Speaking of that action, Powerhouse Animation, the studio behind Castlevania and Blood of Zeus among others, has delivered some of their finest work here. On top of the action scenes being remarkably varied thanks to the different locations and weapons (On top of guns, Lara has her climbing hook and bow from the Survivor trilogy), it’s incredibly fluid, every move has weight and impact, and you can always tell who’s doing what to who and how that affects the flow of the fight.

But I think what really elevates the show for me is Lara’s character journey. Without getting into spoiler territory, Lara has clearly been through a lot over the course of her life and the show isn’t afraid to tackle how that affects her psyche and personal relationships head-on. It’s a genuinely compelling arc that provides authentic emotional catharsis and closure by the end while keeping the show engaging beyond the action sequences.

And I have to give props to Hayley Atwell here for bringing this arc to life with her excellent vocal performance as Lara. I feel like she’s underrated as an actor, voiceover or otherwise, and it’s nice to get to see her shine in a lead role like this. Also, Earl Baylon’s experience voicing Jonah in the games clearly paid off and Allen Maldonado is utterly delightful as Zip, the Q to Lara’s Bond.

If I had any criticism, it’s that the story feels like it moves slightly too fast. It’s not long after the initial stakes are established that they start escalating further and further. I feel like it could’ve used at least one or two more episodes to flesh out certain story beats and let things breath a little more. Additionally, while I thought the way the series leaned into the more fantastical elements of Tomb Raider was a lot of fun; I imagine some longtime fans might be turned off by that given the grounded nature of the more recent games this is following up on.

I went into Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft with no idea what to expect and came out of it having thoroughly enjoyed myself. It’s an action-packed, consistently thrilling adventure show with beautiful animation and a compelling arc for its central character; even if its pacing could stand to slow down just a little bit every once in a while. Apparently, a second season is already in the works and I for one cannot wait for more.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft Season 1 Review — An Epic Globe-Trotting Adventure

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is sure to please longtime fans and newcomers alike thanks to its stunning action, Indiana Jones-style adventure feel, and a surprisingly emotional arc for the title character. It can occasionally feel like it’s going too fast, but that’s only because you want to spend as much time with these people as possible.