'Tomb Raider' trailer teases the cinematic reboot of Lara Croft

What's worse: Reboots or video game adaptations? The new Tomb Raider manages to be both, which means it's already facing an uphill battle. The trailer for the wannabe blockbuster is here, with Alicia Vikander picking up the mantle from the original Lara Croft, Angelina Jolie. One Oscar winner replacing another is not a bad place to start. But, somehow the other puzzle pieces don't seem to align. At least from what's on offer in the new promo.

Fans of the recent video games will be happy to hear that it sticks closely to 2013's Tomb Raider (itself a reboot of sorts). The plot involves Lara venturing to a fabled island off the coast of Japan in her quest to solve the mystery behind her father's disappearance. There she encounters a villainous organization known as Trinity, and the mythical tomb her father spoke of. Plenty of butt kicking ensues, as Lara goes full Rambo on the bad guys. Speaking of influences, the flashback scenes of Lara's privileged upbringing recall Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Still, it makes sense that Warner Bros. would want to recreate the magic from the groundbreaking franchise.

Tomb Raider is directed by Roar Uthaug, and penned by Geneva Robertson-Dworet (who's also handling writing duties on the upcoming Captain Marvel). The film co-stars Dominic West (The Wire, 300), and Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight, Django Unchained).

So far so good. So, what's missing? Well, mainly a much needed dose of humor. The jokes in the trailer fall flat, including a gag at the end involving Nick Frost. And, a video game film that takes itself too seriously can expect to get a mauling from critics and audiences alike (look no further than last year's Assassin's Creed for proof). Nonetheless, you'll be able to judge for yourself when the film hits these shores in March.