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The controversy started before the film even made it to the silver screen, with many fans expressing disdain towards the fact an American actress had been cast as the iconic British lead. Angelina Jolie's first outing as Lara does not, however, and two decades on, it still seems unfair that it gets lumped in with the other flops. For what it’s worth, the sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (otherwise known as Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Case Of The Magical Moving Colon), belongs in this category. Lara Croft’s film debut launched during the era of the bad video game movies though, when films like BloodRayne, Alone in the Dark, Hitman, Doom, and Max Payne would have been better off being released into a garbage dump than a cinema, and this has long stained its reputation. Video game movies have turned it around recently, with Sonic the Hedgehog, Detective Pikachu, and Mortal Kombat helping buck the trend of box office bombs. This seemed like great entertainment in 1997, when we had five television channels.) Still, at least it’s better than any of the Tomb Raider films.This week marks the 20th anniversary of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider hitting cinemas, which is as good a time as any to look back on its legacy. (Famously, you could lock Lara’s doddery old butler in that walk-in freezer. The whole thing takes itself awfully seriously, which is a shame, as the old games never did. The tie-ins to the games feel tenuous, meanwhile, so there’s not enough meat to satisfy hardcore fans. So … who is this cookbook for? The recipes are solid, but unlikely to blow the minds of foodies, who probably already have a recipe for tomato soup, or a tin opener.
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It’s as if the book is afraid to acknowledge that it’s actually based on a video game. To be fair, the pages are peppered with lush screenshots and artwork, but these feel like garnish rather than a key ingredient. There are brief, functional references to Lara’s relationship with the locations, but no attempt to evoke how it feels to explore them within the games. rex rib eye you’ve left on the hob for too long, it’s also a bit dry. These are well-researched and dense with facts, but like a T. There are some obvious and unnecessary tips in the back: “Most countries require a passport for foreign entry.” (How different history might have been if Lara had not known this, and spent the first game exploring Heathrow.) Recipes are interspersed with lengthy sections about the history of key locations from the game. Presumably the Brexiters will be happy.Īs well as a cookbook, this is also billed as a travel guide. The localisation for the UK market from the US feels a bit lazy, though cream is heavy, cheese is shredded, and weights are in pounds rather than grams. The recipes are straightforward and easy to follow, with equipment lists, prepping and cooking times. Tomb Raider: the Official Cookbook and Travel Guide.
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rex rib eye”, there aren’t even any good puns, which is a shame for anyone seeking the perfect recipe for spaghetti carbo-Lara. There’s little attempt to tie the recipes to the games beyond a cursory sentence explaining their inclusion (“Dr Willard can be seen enjoying a hot bowl of tomato soup in Tomb Raider III”). There are also recipes for beans on toast and Jaffa Cakes, presumably for when you can’t get to the shops but have some cannellini and gelatin lying around. Representing England we have fish and chips, sausage and mash and chicken tikka masala. There’s focaccia from Italy, Japanese okonomiyaki, jollof from Ghana, and Nepalese momos. Instead, much like Lara herself, the book flits around the world helping itself to cultural treasures from different countries. The recipes are solid but unlikely to blow the minds of foodies, who probably already have a recipe for tomato soup, or a tin opener Based on the later games’ Bear Grylls-style survivalist tone, you might have expected recipes for squirrel lasagne and urine soup. This is food you want to eat, which is a relief. The food is the star – Lara doesn’t even feature on the cover – and the many full-page photographs of the dishes inside are beautifully styled. The book is a glossy, well-produced tome, as well it might be with a cover price of £22.99. Photograph: Titan BooksĪll of which makes the release of a Tomb Raider cookbook seem a bit odd, though admittedly, the Lara-related merchandise that’s been launched in the last two and a half decades includes everything from shower curtains and toothbrushes to fizzy pop, postage stamps and pants. Tomb Raider: the Official Cookbook and Travel Guide by Tara Theoharis and Sebastian Haley.