The 2018 Tomb Raider reboot did something unexpected: it made Lara Croft feel human. She wasn’t a perfect, dual-wielding superwoman; she was a scrappy, bruised, and terrified young woman who happened to survive a lot of near-death experiences. Alicia Vikander embodied that vulnerability perfectly.

Now, Tomb Raider 2 (subtitled “Shadow of the Truth”) arrives with a simple goal: make Lara cool again. And in doing so, it loses a little bit of what made the first one special.

The film picks up two years after the events of Yamatai. Lara is no longer just surviving; she’s thriving. She’s broke, obviously (adventuring doesn’t pay well), but she’s officially “The Tomb Raider.” She’s got the gear, the grit, and the gravitational pull toward ancient mysteries. When a mysterious artifact—a dagger that supposedly belonged to Alexander the Great—surfaces in a black market auction, Lara is pulled into a race against time. The catch? The dagger isn’t just a weapon; it’s a key to a lost city that holds the power to “unmake the world.” No pressure.

Standing in her way is a private military contractor named Voss (a suitably smug and evil European actor), who wants the dagger to reshape global politics. Lara must team up with an old frenemy—a rival treasure hunter with flexible morals—to find the city before Voss turns the planet into a parking lot.

The Good: The Action
The set pieces in this movie are massive. The first film had one incredible plane crash sequence; this one has a motorcycle chase through the streets of London, a death-defying climb up a frozen waterfall in Siberia, and a third-act tomb that is genuinely creepy. The puzzles are back, and they require Lara to use her brain, not just her bow. There’s a room filled with shifting mirrors and sunlight that feels ripped straight from the video games. Fans of the Shadow of the Tomb Raider game will recognize the aesthetic—dark, wet, and full of traps that go “shink” when you step on the wrong tile.

Alicia Vikander is still great. She does most of her own stunts, and you believe every bruise and cut she gets along the way. She brings a weight to Lara that the character has often lacked—a sense that this lifestyle is slowly breaking her, even as it defines her.

The Bad: The Familiarity
Here’s the problem: we’ve seen this movie before. The “race against an evil corporation to find a magical MacGuffin” plot is so worn out it has holes. The villain is a generic “I want power” guy with no real connection to Lara. The rival-turned-ally is charming but forgettable. The script hits every beat you expect: the betrayal, the pep talk, the dramatic leap of faith.

Also, the film struggles to balance its tone. The first movie was grounded and gritty. This one wants to be Uncharted (the movie) meets National Treasure, with quippy one-liners and larger-than-life stunts. Lara goes from a scrappy underdog to an action hero who can outrun explosions without breaking a sweat. It’s fun, but it feels like a different character.

The Verdict:
Tomb Raider 2 is a solid, entertaining, but ultimately safe sequel. It expands the world, delivers bigger action, and gives Vikander more to do physically. But it sands off the rough edges that made the 2018 film interesting. It’s a perfectly fine popcorn movie—a Saturday afternoon adventure that looks great on an IMAX screen and evaporates from your brain by the time you reach the car.

If they make a third one, let’s hope Lara gets her dual pistols and her complexity back.