Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Tomb Invader'

Written by Scott Edwards

Like many people, I am fascinated by history and I am not ashamed to admit it. As a true believer in the notion that the more we know about what happened in our past, the less mistakes we will make in our future, I can still remember my time in archaeology class when I could not put down the text books, because it held so much value to me, that and they are expensive. As the history of human life can be something people can bond over, it is also important that we all learn from our mistakes because if we don’t, we are destined to repeat them, for better or worse.
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Walking in the commons area after class, Alabama ‘Ally’ Channing gets greeted by her favorite fellow teachers and they all sit down for lunch. Talking about how difficult it is for a woman to attain a doctorate from the university, the group is interrupted by a stranger who has something near and dear to Ally’s heart, her mother’s journal. Telling Ally about a dig in China being funded by Tim Parker and that he needs her on the team, Ally is a bit hesitant, but with her colleagues at her side, she will be able to accomplish anything. 

Arriving in China and meeting with Tim Parker, Ally is shocked to see that there is another archaeologist on site, one who is not very well respected in the community. Nathan has turned finding ancient treasures into a profiteering game and while it doesn’t sit well with Ally that she has to work with him, she is ready to put her knowledge to good use. Trying to initially skate away from what they are really looking for, the recluse millionaire Tim finally comes clean about what he is trying to find in the birthplace of civilization, the Heart of the Dragon, the last relic to unify people in generations. With finding the Heart of the Dragon being the pinnacle to Ally’s Mother’s life’s work, she is more than happy to join the expedition, but little does she know what troubles may be in store for her and her team.

Waking up in the middle of the night to an attack on the camp, the group sees one of their own meet her end and Nathan get kidnapped. Tracking the unknown raiders, Ally quickly finds out that they are keeping an eye on her group as well and she starts to tread slowly. Being able to locate Nathan and free him from whatever his fate would be, the group is surrounded by Jian and his crew who are looking to take full advantage of the search party. With the leader being honest about his past, i.e., once being a friend to Ally’s mother, Ally is forced to believe that he should be the rightful owner of the Heart when she finds it, but others in the group may have an alternative motive for the ancient relic and will do anything within their power to sell it off to the highest bidder.

This is an interesting little flick that came out before the reboot of Tomb Raider, but it was not that bad overall. Feeling a little more like an Indiana Jones movie, the subtle jokes and great interaction between the characters were what really kept me drawn in. I liked really liked all of the booby traps all around, and while you get one person being taken out by them, I would have liked to see more, because the ancients were keen on protecting their treasure and should be rewarded with blood. With a journal, some friends, some enemies, some spears, traps and an ancient relic that wants to be found, this is just an entertaining movie all around. While I do like the idea of checking out some ancient sites from time to time, I will always remember that only special people were granted access back in the day and that was for a reason. Happy Viewing.

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