If you were expecting another Jolie-like Lara, let me be the first to disappoint you. Vikander's take on the character is entirely her own, and that's a great thing. This is definitely a pivot for the actress, who won an Academy Award in 2016 for her performance alongside Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl. But if her petite frame raised questions about her ability to perform credible stunts prior to the film's release, she has more than dispelled them. In fact, the physical and emotional toll of being Lara Croft is more evident in this film than it ever was before: watching Vikander heave herself up onto the wing of a rusty World War II plane perched over a waterfall is to feel your own biceps burn; the look on her face when she makes her first kill makes it clear that this action has killed a part of herself forever. Partly, this is due to Vikander's acting, which is expressive and endearing, a pleasant surprise in a role known for its stoicity. But it also goes back to Uthaug's directorial choice to frame this seemingly superhuman woman as a mortal.