Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is the 2001 action adventure film directed by Simon West based on the Tomb Raider video game series and starred Angelina Jolie in the titular character. Two soundtrack albums were released in order to promote the film: an original soundtrack and an original score, both distributed by Elektra Records. The soundtrack album, titled Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (Music from the Motion Picture) was released on June 15, 2001, featuring songs heard in the film, while the second album, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (Original Motion Picture Score) consisted of the original score composed by Graeme Revell, which released on June 25, 2001.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (Music from the Motion Picture)
edit| Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (Music from the Motion Picture) | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | June 15, 2001 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 72:14 |
| Label | |
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Elevation" (Tomb Raider Mix) | U2 | 3:36 |
| 2. | "Deep" | Nine Inch Nails | 4:08 |
| 3. | "Galaxy Bounce" | The Chemical Brothers | 4:45 |
| 4. | "Get Ur Freak On" (Remix) | Missy Elliott featuring Nelly Furtado | 3:10 |
| 5. | "Speedballin'" | Outkast featuring Cee Lo Green[a] and Joi | 4:56 |
| 6. | "Ain't Never Learned" | Moby | 3:46 |
| 7. | "The Revolution" | BT | 4:17 |
| 8. | "Terra Firma" (Lara's Mix) | Delerium featuring Aude | 5:06 |
| 9. | "Where's Your Head At" | Basement Jaxx | 4:43 |
| 10. | "Illuminati" | Fatboy Slim featuring Bootsy Collins | 3:14 |
| 11. | "Absurd" (Whitewash Edit) | Fluke | 3:40 |
| 12. | "Song of Life" | Leftfield | 7:03 |
| 13. | "Edge Hill" | Groove Armada | 7:00 |
| 14. | "Satellite" | Bosco | 3:39 |
| 15. | "Devil's Nightmare" | Oxide & Neutrino | 6:04 |
| 16. | "In Control" | Die Toten Hosen | 3:13 |
| Total length: | 72:14 | ||
Reception
editStephen Thomas Erlewine commented that "this record is as sleek, glossy, and formulaic as the film itself, and like the movie, it's reasonably enjoyable as it plays (providing you're in the mood for it), but it's also curiously dated with its heavy electronic bent and devotion to the video game, feeling as if it really should have come out in 1997/1998 instead of the summer of 2001. And, like the movie, it's also pretty forgettable, more memorable for Angelina Jolie on the cover than the music itself."[1] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine, however, considered it to be "a satisfying romp through the latest in electronica".[2]
Chart performance
edit| Chart (2001–02) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[3] | 10 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[4] | 5 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[5] | 45 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[6] | 30 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[7] | 9 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[8] | 31 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[9] | 55 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[10] | 30 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[11] | 4 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[12] | 36 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] | 14 |
| UK Compilation Albums (OCC)[14] | 13 |
| UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)[15] | 9 |
| US Billboard 200[16] | 32 |
| US Top Soundtracks (Billboard)[17] | 4 |
Accolades
edit| Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards | Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures | Missy Elliott featuring Timbaland – "Get Ur Freak On (Remix)" | Won | [18] |
| MTV Video Music Awards | Best Video from a Film | U2 – "Elevation (Tomb Raider Mix)" | Nominated | [19] [20] |
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (Original Motion Picture Score)
edit| Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (Original Motion Picture Score) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film score by | ||||
| Released | June 25, 2001 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 48:58 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Graeme Revell chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editThe film's scoring process was impacted due to the post-production changes. Originally Nathan McCree, who scored the first three Tomb Raider games was assigned to compose the film score, but executives at Paramount demanded a feature film composer. Greg Hale Jones and Peter Afterman were initially hired to score the film after production finished in November 2000, and Danny Elfman was tasked to write the main themes. However, Jones stated that once West was fired from the project, the score and Elfman's themes were eventually rejected.[21]
Jerry Goldsmith, at one point, was considered to score the film but declined due to health reasons, while John Powell was also discussed to be involved as the film composer, which did not happen.[22] Michael Kamen, who was also involved in the Tomb Raider game series, was then roped in to compose the score after submitting few demos which the production team being impressed. But despite writing a complete score for the film, it was eventually rejected after re-edits done by Stuart Baird. Later, Graeme Revell joined the film as a last minute addition and was tasked to write sixty minutes of music within less than 10 days.[21]
Composition
editGraeme Revell preferred mostly an electronic score as a favor to write much music within a short span and further felt that it was a creative decision as the film's style did not support a big orchestral action score. However, portions of the score was written for a 65 piece orchestra and a 50-member vocal choir recorded at the AIR Studios in London.[23][24] Revell could not attend the recording sessions in London, as he had to stay in Los Angeles, and much of the sessions had been supervised by Ashley and John Kurlander, adding "we've had to redo a few things the orchestrators have misinterpreted but given the circumstances it has gone extremely well".[25]
Release and packaging
editThe CD was released through Elektra Records on June 25. As noted by Revell, the tracks were mislabeled after failed attempts to stop the pressings, where in certain instances, the opening track included both "Main Titles" and "Lara Croft at Home" cues together. This resulted in Revell to apologize for the track sequencing errors that ulitmately led to the poor listening experience through his website.[26][25] The track list was later revised.[27]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tomb Raider Main Titles" | 3:14 |
| 2. | "Lara Croft at Home" | 2:13 |
| 3. | "Powell and the Illuminati" | 2:58 |
| 4. | "Lara Dreams of Her Father" | 1:46 |
| 5. | "The Clock" | 3:01 |
| 6. | "Home Invasion" | 3:59 |
| 7. | "Alex West and Mr. Wilson" | 4:05 |
| 8. | "The Letter" | 1:25 |
| 9. | "Journey to Cambodia" | 2:00 |
| 10. | "Angkor Wat" | 7:36 |
| 11. | "Lara Battles Stone Monkeys" | 3:32 |
| 12. | "The Brahman" | 1:31 |
| 13. | "Siberia" | 2:52 |
| 14. | "The Planetary Alignment" | 5:08 |
| 15. | "Lara Defeats Powell" | 3:38 |
| Total length: | 48:58 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tomb Raider Main Titles/Lara Croft at Home" | 3:14 |
| 2. | "Powell and the Illuminati" | 2:13 |
| 3. | "Lara Dreams of Her Father" | 2:58 |
| 4. | "The Clock" | 1:46 |
| 5. | "Alex West and Mr. Wilson" | 3:01 |
| 6. | "Home Invasion" | 3:59 |
| 7. | "The Letter" | 4:05 |
| 8. | "Journey to Cambodia" | 1:25 |
| 9. | "Angkor Wat" | 2:00 |
| 10. | "Deep in the Temple" | 7:36 |
| 11. | "Lara Battles Stone Monkeys" | 3:32 |
| 12. | "The Brahman" | 1:31 |
| 13. | "Siberia" | 2:52 |
| 14. | "The Planetary Alignment" | 5:08 |
| 15. | "Lara Defeats Powell" | 3:38 |
| Total length: | 48:58 | |
Reception
editFilmtracks based Christian Clemmensen wrote, "As Revell himself suggests, the Tomb Raider album is definitely not the best representation of his talents. The production quality of the album is sparse, matching the content of the music. Revell has been known to take underdeveloped ideas from previous scores which did not receive the best of treatment and incorporate them into his larger and better works at a later date. The title sequence of Tomb Raider shows a glimpse of something that could have been very entertaining had Revell been able to record it with a fuller orchestra and chorus after a decent amount of development time. As it stands, you have to give credit to him for getting anything done in this situation, but the album cannot escape the circumstances which led to 45 minutes of bland and uninspiring material."[26]
Jonathan Broxton of Movie Music UK also added "Stylistically, Tomb Raider is apart from almost any other score I have heard recently – occasionally it reminds me of the more dissonant parts of Maurice Jarre’s Dead Poets’ Society, and there are some blatant Terminator quotations in ‘Lara Battles the Stone Monkeys’ and ‘The Brahman’, but that’s about as far as it goes. Revell is nothing if not a chameleon, able to switch styles and techniques with ease. It’s just a shame he doesn’t really excel at any of them – ultimately, his scores are lacking in character and individuality, falling into the trap of being totally nondescript away from its intended piece of celluloid. For all Revell’s heroic efforts, Tomb Raider is exactly that, and is destined to be remembered as one of 2001’s biggest disappointments."[28]
Notes
edit- ↑ Green's featured performance is not mentioned in the soundtrack credits
References
edit- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Review: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (June 14, 2001). "Review: Tomb Raider, Original Soundtrack". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Soundtrack – Tomb Raider". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Soundtrack – Tomb Raider" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Soundtrack – Tomb Raider" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Soundtrack – Tomb Raider" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Canadian Albums: Week of June 30, 2001". Billboard. June 30, 2001. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Soundtrack: Tomb Raider" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Soundtrack – Tomb Raider". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Soundtrack – Tomb Raider" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Charts.nz – Soundtrack – Tomb Raider". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Soundtrack – Tomb Raider". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Soundtrack – Tomb Raider". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Official Compilation Albums Chart Top 100 – 15 to 21 July". Official Charts Company. July 15, 2001. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50 – 10 to 16 February". Official Charts Company. February 10, 2002. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Billboard 200: Week of July 7, 2001". Billboard. July 7, 2001. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Soundtracks: Week of July 7, 2001". Billboard. July 7, 2001. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ Feiwell, Jill (April 9, 2002). "ASCAP to honor Silvestri". Variety. Archived from the original on September 22, 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ Mancini, Rob (July 23, 2001). "Video Music Awards nominations: Fatboy Slim, Missy Elliott, 'NSYNC, 'Lady Marmalade' lead the pack". MTV News. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- ↑ "Fatboy Slim's 9 nods leads MTV nominations". New York Daily News. July 24, 2001. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 Tales From Development Hell: The Greatest Movies Never Made (Revised ed.). Titan Books. 2012. p. 231. ISBN 0857687239. Archived from the original on December 14, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "The Lost Scores: Scoring Assignments That Might Of Been". Jerry Goldsmith Online. Archived from the original on February 25, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ Davidson, Paul (May 16, 2001). "Graeme Revell Pinch Hits on the Tomb Raider Score". IGN. Archived from the original on June 16, 2026. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
- ↑ "TOMB RAIDER: Composer Graeme Revell - Creating a feature-film soundtrack in less than two weeks". mania.com. March 27, 2013. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
- 1 2 "Graeme Revell". Music from the Movies. September 3, 2001. Archived from the original on December 15, 2002. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- 1 2 Clemmensen, Christian (June 26, 2001). "Tomb Raider (Graeme Revell)". Filmtracks. Archived from the original on July 22, 2001. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- ↑ Castillo, Phil (July 29, 2002). "GraemeRevell.com NEWS". GraemeRevell.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2001. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
- ↑ Broxton, Jonathan (June 16, 2001). "LARA CROFT – TOMB RAIDER – Graeme Revell". MOVIE MUSIC UK. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014.