Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (12A) Angelia Jolie, Gerard Butler, Ciaran Hinds, Chris Barrie and Noah Taylor

LEGENDARY video game creation Lara Croft returns to the big screen in this sequel to the dire Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

And for those who were felt feeling deflated by the jaw-droppingly bad original, this one's not much better. Intrepid British archaeologist Lara Croft (again played by the lovely Angelina Jolie) has discovered an orb that leads to the mythical Pandora's Box.

Unfortunately, the orb falls into the hands of Jonathan Reiss (Ciar n Hinds), an evil scientist who deals in killer viruses, as you do.

He hopes to sell the secrets of the box to the highest mad bidder as the ultimate weapon.

Recruited by the British intelligence service to get the orb back from Reiss, Lara recruits Terry Sheridan (Gerard Butler), a British marine turned mercenary, and former love interest, to help her in her quest.

The duo embark on an epic adventure that spans continents and sees the fit Miss Jolie flipping on a jet ski, parachuting from tall buildings, diving, riding on horses and a host of other athletic pursuits in order to save the world.

A cross between an adolescent's dream of a female James Bond and Indiana Jones, for Angelina Jolie and pure energy it gets top marks but in reality this is one big mess.

Directed by Jan de Bont who made his name with Speed but then went on to inflict on the world Twister, Speed 2: Cruise Control and The Haunting.

He may not have been everyone's choice to save a franchise in dire straits and he disappointingly proves the critics right in this empty sequel.

Mono rating: 4 out of 10

Now showing at the UGC Cinemas in Newport and Cardiff