T is for Tomb Raider

It's Thursday and that means it's time for Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday once again! So what did I choose this time? Tomb Raider! Some of you may know either the computer games or the movies, but others surely haven't heard of Lara Croft yet. Oh, the many faces of Lara -- below you see her early computer game face on a duvet cover.

So what's on my Tomb Raider Things To Do Today board today? Yes, right -- post about T is for Tomb Raider at Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday.

Where to start? Well, in the beginning there was the computer game. That was also my start into the Tomb Raider universe. A couple of years ago I saw the very first Tomb Raider game for a very good prize in a store. I had heard of the game before, but hadn't felt compelled to pick a copy. However, I like adventure stories à la Indiana Jones, so I thought I should give the game a try. After playing the first level, I knew that was the thing for me. From Wikipedia:

"The object of Tomb Raider is to guide Lara through a series of tombs and other locations in search of treasures and artefacts. On the way, she must kill dangerous animals and other creatures, while collecting objects and solving puzzles to gain access to an ultimate prize, usually a powerful artefact. Gunplay is restricted to the killing of various animals that appear throughout each stage, although occasionally Lara may be faced with a human opponent. Instead the emphasis lies on solving puzzles and performing trick jumps to complete each level."

In the meantime, there are nine games on the market. I like all games, but if I had to pick favorite ones, I would choose Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation which is mainly set in Egypt and Tomb Raider: Legend with its many interesting locations. In case computer games are too difficult and hectic for you, there is an alternative -- an interactive DVD called Tomb Raider: The Action Adventure for which you only need a regular DVD player. The game is based on Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness.

Now you are about to meet Lara -- I won this lifesize statue of Lara Croft when the game Tomb Raider: Legend was published. By the way, if you want to meet a hardcore Tomb Raider fan, please visit the website of Goran Agar.

It's fun to go with Lara through the seasons -- with a bat on your shoulder for Halloween or a Santa cap for Christmas. Currently, she is wearing a green cap with a white flower made by Nadescha from CheekyApple which I won in her Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway.

You see -- Nadescha's hats are for everyone!

The Tomb Raider logo on a bag.

Of course, there's a lot to read about Tomb Raider, too. I like the books which were published to accompany the movies as well as the three novels based on the computer game series. Here's the review I wrote for amazon.de of the first novel titled The Amulet Of Power -- I rated it 5/5:

British archeologist and adventurer Lara Croft is rescued from the collapsed Temple of Horus in Edfu, Egypt -- only to be attacked by two silent men in a hospital in Cairo where she recovers from her injuries. Handsome Kevin Mason Junior, a fellow archeologist, comes to her rescue again. Together they flee from religious fanatics who think that Lara has found the most powerful artifact in the world -- the Amulet of Mareish. Lara decides to search for the amulet in the Sudan where Englishman General Charles Gordon might have hidden it in the late 1800s. The dangerous treasure hunt brings Lara also to Kenya and on the Seychelles where she finally faces her biggest challenge.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider The Amulet Of Power starts where the fourth Tomb Raider video game had ended. Fans finally get to know what happened to Lara after she had been trapped in the Egyptian tomb and before she reappears in Paris to visit her mentor Werner Von Croy. Mike Resnick did a good job filling this gap, bringing Lara's character and dry humor to life. As in the video game, there are quite a few killings (people and animals), so the book is not suited for small children. The lost artifact, the exotic locations, the mystical happenings, and the ever-present danger all bring to life what Tomb Raider is all about. Even readers who haven't seen the movies or played the video games will enjoy this adventure novel with a strong-willed, smart, and witty heroine.

Another book I treasure is The Art Of Tomb Raider: Underworld. I am fascinated by the graphic art and character design of all the games, and this book makes you aware of how much work goes into each game which automatically becomes a work of art, too. Below you see a black and white sketch as well as the colored image of a Mayan style ruin.

Just as in a movie, a story board helps to visualize the flow of a scene -- here's one set in the Mediterranean. Ben Shafer, one of the artists from Tomb Raider: Underworld has fabulous concept art on his blog.

Finally, the movies Lara Croft: Tomb Raider from 2001 and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life from 2003 are probably best known. Both films are among my favorite movies -- I especially like the exotic locations as well as how Angelina Jolie brings the strong-willed heroine Lara Croft to life. Oh, and I should also mention the excellent original motion picture scores!

Inkworks has a set of trading cards for both movies. Below you see a couple of cards from the first movie which also starred Daniel Craig as Alex West.

Here are a couple of cards from the second movie which also starred Gerard Butler as Terry Sheridan.

Those sunglasses are way cool!

Oh, the clock is ticking -- I better come to an end now. Feel free to drop me a line if you also like the games and/or movies or if you give one of the novels a try.