TOMB RAIDER Starring Lara Croft

By: Dan Cziraky
Date: Sunday, November 12, 2000

Playmates Interactive Entertainment (to which they changed their name a few months ago) continues their line of 6-inch action figures based on the extremely popular Tomb Raider video games with two new figures. These are being released through Toys 'R' Us only, but some of you with keen memories might remember seeing them in an old Another Universe.com catalog from quite some time ago. Seems that Playmates didn't get quite the number of orders they'd expected, and so they cut a deal with TRU (who, in turn, have upped the price of each figure by a buck!). That's a shame, because these really are pretty decent variations on the Lara theme.
* South Pac: Lara's in the South Pacific on some jungle island, looking for some a relic. Near a waterfall, she runs into a hungry crocodile. Well, not nearly as concerned about conservation as insane Aussie Steve 'The Crocodile Hunter' Irwin, Lara's armed to the teeth with twin pistols and an M-16 assault rifle. Can you say handbags and matching shoes, Mr. Crocodile? Lara's dressed in jungle togs, with a white cut-off top and green shorts. Oh yeah, that'll provide plenty of protection in the jungle. Then again, I doubt she has any trouble finding volunteers to help yank off those pesky leaches! Lara has six points of articulation, twin pistols and an M-16, a non-articulated crocodile, and a waterfall diorama base.
* London: Holy shades of Catwoman! Lara's in a skintight, black leather cat suit, working her way across the rooftops of London in an effort to recover a stolen relic. Whoa! This must be the place, because they're so security-crazy, they've got a Doberman on the roof! Nice doggie! Lara has six points of articulation, twin pistols and an MP5 assault weapon, non-articulated Doberman, and a rooftop diorama base.
This will probably be all we'll see in Playmates' Tomb Raider for now. I'm not sure if they've got the toy license for next year's TR movie, starring Angelina Jolie and her real-life Dad, Jon Voight. Trust me, whoever does have the license will be churning out Angelina/Lara stuff like Santa's elves on double-espressos!