Tomb Raider was a 1996 video game that put a tough and talented English archaeologist in search of ancient treasures front and center, capturing the imagination of millions. Including spin-offs, there have been more than 15 games spread out on over 20 different platforms all because of the talented lead female character, Lara Croft. And of course, with all of this success, there’s no way that the movie industry wasn’t going to tap into this goldmine. Video game adaptions to movies are extremely common, almost as common as remakes. And with that, comes a brand new Tomb Raider movie.

Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander) works as a courier and does a little light sparring in her spare time. Judging by the way she lives, you might not expect her to come from money, but that’s just one of the many surprises that Lara has going on. Ever since her father (Dominic West) went missing seven years ago, she has been incomplete. Finally a clue turns up that will lead her on an adventure that will change everything she’s come to believe. In her pursuit of truth, Lara comes face to face with new unexpected allies (Daniel Wu) along with dangerous adversaries (Walton Goggins). The deeper down this rabbit hole she travels, the more dangerous things become. But she cannot back down because she is a Croft.

Let’s start with the positives. Alicia Vikander continues to impress with her assertive onscreen presence. She has already proven that she’s able to succeed in roles that call for an assertive and physical female character (Ex Machina (2014), Jason Bourne (2016)), but her role in Tomb Raider is next-level challenging. For better or worse, she pulls it off. My initial thoughts were more on the negative side but I have to keep reminding myself that this is more of an origin story with this version of Lara Croft being quite unpolished. Angelina Jolie’s portrayal in the original 2001 movie was already skilled in this trade. Going with the younger Vikander should allow the franchise to shape her into a more formidable heroine in future films, assuming the franchise moves forward.

Now comes the portion that isn’t going to be praiseworthy. The overall action sequences don’t have that crisp flow to them, making you feel like you’re watching an average (at best) episode of Iron Fist on Netflix. Early on especially, the switching of camera angles was just too aggressive which makes you think that they’re really trying to hide subpar choreography. The supporting characters lacked any real draw as to what they are bringing to the table. This holds true for Dominic West, Daniel Wu, and especially Walton Goggins. Goggins can really get under your skin when he’s placed into the right rolls. In Tomb Raider, he felt like an over-the-top villain that just wants to be mean for no reason but doesn’t carry intimidation with him very well.

For all intents and purposes, Tomb Raider serves as a original story in a franchise that has been rebooted a bit too soon in my opinion. The action sequences are unpolished, the CGI work is weak, and the feel of the movie is average at best. Even with these glaring negatives, there can be some entertainment found if you’re willing to work for it. And while this prequel (yep, I’m calling it a prequel) isn’t going to light the box office on fire over the next few weeks, I think there will be enough interest (especially in overseas markets) for Warner Bros. to seriously consider green-lighting a sequel. Maybe by then the kinks will be worked out, thus allowing Alicia Vikander to shine as she was intended to. For now however, don’t expect too much and you just might find a few redeeming factors.