Tomb Raider 3D Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.0

Tomb Raider 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

Warner Shortchanges 3D—Again

Reviewed by Michael Reuben June 18, 2018

Warner's commitment to the 3D format continues with Tomb Raider, which it is also releasing in standard Blu-ray and 4K UHD. But Warner's commitment doesn't add up to much when it keeps insisting on crippling its 3D releases with lesser audio, omitting the superior Dolby Atmos soundtrack that appears on the other two versions. In the case of Tomb Raider, the omission is particularly unfortunate, because the film's 3D presentation doesn't offer a meaningful visual upgrade.

My thoughts on the film can be found in the standard Blu-ray review. Additional perspectives are offered by my colleagues Brian Orndorf in his theatrical review and Josh Katz in his weekly column.

Tomb Raider 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

(Note: Screenshots accompanying this review have been captured from the standard Blu-ray. Additional captures from that disc can be found here.)

Tomb Raider's 3D presentation is a product of post-conversion, and what's most striking about it is how routinely the conversion passes up opportunities to intensify the viewing experience and add excitement to an otherwise dull adventure by deepening the perils faced by Lara Croft. It's a 3D image, yes, but nothing jumps out of the screen, even when the potential seems obvious—e.g., when Lara ventures onto the fallen tree that provides a makeshift bridge across a river and plunges into the rapids below, or when debris is scattering and falling during her extended escape on the crumbling superstructure of a World War II airplane, or when she's demonstrating her archery skills, or when any of the traps are sprung in Himiko's tomb, or when the waves are washing over the Endurance and Lara leaps into the sea, or . . . I could go on, but you get the picture. The 3D image adds a minimal extra sense of depth through the contrast between objects in the foreground and background, but that illusion was already present in the standard Blu-ray (and even more so in the superior image of the 4K UHD).

In exchange for this unimaginative 3D conversion, the price is a small but definite decrease in sharpness in the Alexa-acquired photography by George Richmond (cinematographer of the Kingsman films). There's no crosstalk or interference, just a noticeable falloff in the Blu-ray's and UHD's crisp edges and distinct detail. This isn't unusual with 3D post-processing, but you typically get a dimensional benefit in the tradeoff. Not here.

The film's palette is unchanged, although individual experiences may vary, depending on equipment and calibration. (As I've noted previously, my calibrator has established a separate 3D viewing mode that compensates for any diminution in brightness and shift in color imposed by the viewing glasses. It's an approach I highly recommend, if you have your system professionally calibrated.)

In sum, if you're looking for an interesting 3D disc, look elsewhere. Tomb Raider has nothing to offer.

Tomb Raider 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

If one has not experienced the superior Dolby Atmos track on Tomb Raider's standard Blu-ray and 4K UHD presentations, then I suppose the lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix on the 3D disc will be impressive. The mix remains active and aggressive, with broad dynamic range, sophisticated effects editing and an immersive presence that utilizes the entire speaker array. But if you've heard the Atmos, then the Master Audio sounds muddy by comparison. It's something of a boon to the musical score by Tom Holkenborg a/k/a "Junkie XL" (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), which expands into the listening space, dominating the rear speakers and often burying the specific sound effects that Atmos' object-based processing is able to separate and locate with far greater distinctness.

The Master Audio track is serviceable enough, but there's a far better one available, and given the disc's anemic 3D, there's no real sacrifice in preferring the standard Blu-ray for its superior audio or the UHD for its superior audio and video. With the price of Atmos-equipped AVRs rapidly dropping, Warner's stubborn refusal to include the best available audio on its 3D discs is looking increasingly short-sighted.

Tomb Raider 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 3D disc has no extras. The accompanying standard Blu-ray contains the extras listed and discussed here.

Tomb Raider 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Warner's 3D presentation of Geostorm demonstrated the format's ability to add visual interest to an otherwise mediocre film (and I'm being polite with that adjective). But the same doesn't apply to Tomb Raider, whose 3D rendition is flat, banal and boring. The omission of the superior Dolby Atmos soundtrack is the deal-breaker. The disc wouldn't be worth buying even if Amazon weren't charging the ridiculously inflated prices they now slap on Warner's 3D discs. Skip it.