‘Tomb Raider’ a well-done adventure; ‘Seabiscuit’ worth a see

Heroine Lara Croft is a female Indiana Jones

A very competent piece of modern moviemaking, the “Cradle of Life”

installment of the “Lara Croft Tomb Raider” series does exactly what

it sets out to do.

Covering familiar action-adventure territory, Angelina Jolie is

perfectly cast as the female version of a composite James Bond and

Indiana Jones persona. She is mysterious, very wealthy, with a proper

English estate, commando trained and athletic enough to pull off the

wild stunts required of the part she plays.

Like Sean Connery, she brings the right mix of aristocratic

confidence and tongue-in-cheek verve to the physical role. Like in

the Bond movies, the villain is a larger-than-life madman who wants

to rule the world.

This time, the object of worldwide control is the legendary

Pandora’s box, once found and hidden by Alexander the Great. Opening

the box would unleash an unstoppable plague that could destroy most

of humanity. Lara’s frantic search for this ancient artifact in a

race with the villainous Dr. Reiss is straight out of the “Raiders of

the Lost Ark” screenplay. It’s certainly all been done before, but

this repeat performance more than holds its own when compared to the

original.

Jolie brings extra gravity to the role of Lara, remaining

believably unperturbed in the face of imminent death. Her war partner

and love interest, Terry Sheridan, is a good foil to her coldly

calculating character. There is just enough mystical force at play in

the special effects to make her journeys to exotic Chinese and

African locales seem plausible.

This film is well done, but ultimately it’s total fantasy

adventure and pure escapist fare. But if that’s your cup of tea, this

picture is a fine example of the genre with a first-rate feminine

twist.

* JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator

for the Orange County public defender’s office.

Heart of a winner found in ‘Seabiscuit’

During the Great Depression, when families made enormous

sacrifices, it was a scrappy horse named Seabiscuit that captivated

America. Against impossible odds, his will to win soothed their

battered souls. As an American icon, Seabiscuit did more than win

races; he offered hope to a downtrodden nation.

Based on the best-selling biography by Laura Hillenbrand,

“Seabiscuit” is a compelling true-life story and an expertly crafted

film. With well-developed characters and heart-pounding race scenes,

“Seabiscuit” chronicles the lives of three isolated, lonely people

who are brought together and transformed by the inner strength of a

little horse with a big heart.

Seabiscuit, barely standing 15 hands high, limped and wheezed as

he ran. Viewed as lazy, he slept most of the day and ate twice as

much as the other horses. And although he came from a good bloodline,

with his short neck and stocky build, he didn’t look like a

thoroughbred. As a racing partner to champions, Seabiscuit was

trained to lose.

But Tom Smith (Chris Cooper), the quiet horse trainer who felt

more comfortable in the company of horses than men, recognized a

determined look in this little horse’s eye and convinced Charles

Howard (Jeff Bridges) that he could train the horse to be a winner.

So, Seabiscuit was purchased for $8,000 and made the 3,000-mile trip

west to Northern California.

It was Smith who also recognized the kindred spirits of the

stubborn, unhappy 3-year-old bay and a turbulent embittered jockey by

the name of Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire). And with their union, the

Seabiscuit camp of misfits was complete.

With encouragement, Seabiscuit began to enjoy racing. He would

tease other horses, letting them catch up to him only to surge ahead.

And although he had won 16 straight races, he was considered too old

to race for the Triple Crown.

Having narrowly lost two Santa Anita Handicap races, Howard was

even more determined to prove that his horse was the best horse. He

challenged War Admiral, the Triple Crown winner, to a match race.

In the film, creative editing of archived footage with current

footage transports the audience back in time. We are able to identify

with the despair as well as the hope that a generation felt as they

cheered Seabiscuit to victory.

Imagine sitting in a dark theater, waiting for the start of the

race, excitement and anticipation escalating around you. The bell

rings and within seconds, the vivid Technicolor scene you’ve been

watching is switched to a motionless Sepia-toned photograph of men

huddled around a radio. And in absolute silence, you are standing

alongside them, straining to hear the tiny voice of the race

announcer.

It was called the race of the century. On Nov. 1,1938, about 40 million people tuned into their radios. The Seabiscuit camp and

America were about to learn that, sometimes, you can’t see the heart

of a winner. “Seabiscuit” is an inspirational story that shouldn’t be

missed.

* JULIE LOWRANCE is a Costa Mesa resident who works at a Newport

Beach overnight aircraft advertising agency.