Maleficent (Film still via Walt Disney)
Since her first movie role alongside her father, Jon Voight in 1982, Angelina Jolie has emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Now widely known as a passionate humanitarian figure as well as for her acting and film-making abilities, Angelina’s star is very much in the ascendant. Not only is her professional life pretty damned fantastic, she is also one half of uber-cool ‘Brangelina’ with gorgeous husband Brad Pitt and raising a multi-cultural family of cute kids.
It was Angelina’s role as Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider movies that really catapulted her into the big time. Clad in black hot-pants, work boots and not much else, Angelina high-kicked her way on to our screens in one of the best kick-ass roles ever. Lara Croft is the lead character in the hugely popular interactive video game series and Angelina owned the role with her toned physique and simmering sex appeal. Even before Angelina took the part, Lara Croft was perhaps the first video game sex symbol and deserving of recognition as an industry forerunner. The game was also one of the first, and certainly most successful, to be adapted to the widescreen. It is worth checking in on the Royal Vegas Casino’s Tomb Raider to remind ourselves of the game’s great content and sheer quality.
Soon after Tomb Raider’s success, Angelina signed up for 2005’s Mr & Mrs Smith where she starred alongside Brad Pitt who was at the time in a relationship with Jennifer Aniston. Brad and Angelina memorably became more than just good friends, and the rest as they say, is history (at least for Aniston). They soon amalgamated themselves into the Jolie-Pitt’s and started adding to Jolie’s broad. In Maleficent, Angelina starred with youngest daughter, Vivienne in a star turn which might have terrified lesser mortals but apparently left the youngster unscathed. A brilliant take on the famous story of Sleeping Beauty, Angelina played the dark fairy with twisted, snarling aplomb.
Kung Fu Panda 3 (Film still via DreamWorks)
The soon to be released Kung Fu Panda sequel sees Angelina in another kid’s movie, although this one promises to be a bit fluffier. Voicing Tigress, in as cool a role as a cartoon tiger can be, Angelina again flexes her martial arts muscles, even the pixelated ones. In reprising her role as Tigress, Angelina helps out Jack Black’s Po in fighting the evil spirit warrior and regaining everyone’s chi. Very Zen. It’s the third outing for the Kung Fu Panda gang and while the formula remains a bit samey, it’s a nice piece of escapism with some amusingly gawky Dreamworks characters and a fair few funny quips. Like most of Angelina’s movies, it’s definitely worth a watch, although Tigress is no Lara Croft! The Royal Vegas Casino Tomb Raider game shows the inspiration behind Angelina’s first and most enduring success. Angelina Jolie shows us that it’s possible to be the woman who has it all!
