Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003), an action adventure film directed by Jan de Bont and based on the popular video game series, takes place on Santorini island in Greece. A powerful earthquake reveals the Luna Temple, originally constructed by Alexander the Great to house his most treasured possessions. One of these treasures is a luminous orb adorned with a cryptic pattern. While treasure-hunting archaeologist Lara Croft and her team uncover this orb, they are ambushed by Chen and Xien Lo, leaders of the Chinese crime syndicate Shay Ling. Despite their efforts, Lara manages to evade capture with an unusual medallion in her possession. MI6 approaches Lara with information regarding Pandora’s box – a legendary object thought to hold a deadly plague that could be used as a weapon. This box is hidden in the enigmatic Cradle of Life and can only be located with the help of a magical sphere which doubles as a map.

The sphere, previously stolen by Chen Lo, is now being targeted for sale to the infamous Dr. Jonathan Reiss. A once-respected scientist and successful businessman, Reiss has turned down a dark path as a dealer of destructive bioweapons. Realizing the grave danger posed by the sphere falling into Reiss’ hands, Lara agrees to assist MI6 in retrieving it. However, this comes with a condition – Terry Sheridan, Lara’s former love who happens to have insider knowledge on Chen Lo’s illegal operations, must be released from his imprisonment by MI6. Together, Lara and Terry embark on a mission to infiltrate Chen Lo’s hideout where he is hiding smuggled Terracotta Soldiers. In an epic battle, Lara defeats Chen Lo and discovers that the sphere has been transported to Shanghai, China. Upon arriving in Shanghai, she uncovers that Chen’s brother Xien has plans to hand over the sphere to Reiss.