The plot concerns a hunt for the infamous Pandora's Box. Along the way, Croft gets to blast away on her big, silver guns and gets to slug a menacing shark right in his snout. THE SUM OF ALL FEARS's Ciar n Hinds plays the story's villain, Dr. Jonathan Reece. Dr. Reece is a Nobel Prize winner who has turned into a bio bad boy. He has designs on the box so that he can unleash a biological catastrophe on the world and turn a tidy profit in the bargain.

Is this Lara Croft movie better than the first one? I guess, but that's not exactly a ringing endorsement. Other than ogling Jolie, there's simply no reason whatsoever to see it.

LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: THE CRADLE OF LIFE runs 1:58. It is rated PG-13 for "action violence and some sensuality" and would be acceptable for kids around 10 and up.

My son Jeffrey, age 14, who never seemed particularly engaged by the picture, nevertheless gave it ***. He said that it was a little better than the first one. He especially liked Jolie's stunt work.