“Tomb Raider” looks to be one of the few good video game-to-film adaptations out there. Part of doing that means rebooting the past two movie iterations of the popular game series that previously starred Angelina Jolie to kick off a new franchise.
This version of “Tomb Raider,” starring Alicia Vikander, takes its story from the 2013 game of the same name. That game also looked to restart the franchise, refocusing on a version of protagonist Lara Croft that was more a self-sufficient survivor than a busty piece of eye candy. The game largely succeeded in that attempt, with a sequel released in 2015 and another being teased by publisher Square Enix.
Director Roar Uthaug’s take on that story, in which a shipwrecked Lara fights off bad guys on a strange island off Japan using mostly her wits and her archery skills, is also looking to spawn sequels. The movie sets up future stories in line with those of the games. In the age of cinematic universes, the possibility of a sequel often means teaser scenes that pop up after the credits have rolled. So do you need to stay in your seat after the conclusion of Lara Croft’s story?
The answer is yes, but you won’t have to wait as long as you might fear to hit the bathroom. “Tomb Raider” has a short mid-credits scene that pops up after the theatrical credits, but before the longer and more extensive credits sequence. The scene doesn’t so much as set up a future storyline — instead, it pays a little service to longtime “Tomb Raider” fans.
(Spoilers for the scene from here on out!)
The mid-credits scene in “Tomb Raider” occurs back in London, where Lara lived before she set out on her adventure. During the movie, she visited a pawn shop where the owner, Max (an always hilarious Nick Frost), haggled with Lara over a pendant she sold to get the money she needed for her trip. At the end of the movie, Lara returns to get back what’s hers.
After her experiences on the island of Yamatai, however, Lara has changed significantly — and she’s also claimed the Croft fortune. She buys back her pendant, and then asks the pawn shop’s owners for something more. They show her their stock of guns, which Lara looks through in earnest.
Eventually, Lara picks two big pistols, referencing her traditional dual-pistol approach in the original video game series. It’s a fun nod for “Tomb Raider” fans, and after everything audiences learn in the movie about the evil organization known as Trinity, it suggests that Lara’s going to take the fight to her enemies.