* AudienceColoringAdaptation: The interior of the Croft Manor was so influential that it transcended to the point where ''VideoGame/TombRaiderLegend'', released few years later, eventually used the film version as the in-game location rather than trying to recreate the manor from Core-era games in a new engine.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[OldShame As much as Trent Reznor might hate it,]] the Music/NineInchNails song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEJOZITGpmI "Deep"]] is pretty damn good.
* BestKnownForTheFanservice: One of the most memorable parts of the film (if not the most) is Lara's brief ShowerScene near the beginning, along with the ensuing ModestyTowel, ToplessnessFromTheBack and SideBoob.
* CriticalDissonance: Website/RottenTomatoes gave the film a critical score of 19% and a healthier audience score of 45%.
* CriticProof: Although critical reception was lukewarm at best and wicked at the worst, the film was a smash hit and still holds a couple of records regarding the money it made.
* FirstInstallmentWins: With three ''Tomb Raider'' films released, the first is considered the best of the three by a wide margin, as it treats itself much less seriously than the second and is infinitely more spirited than the reboot.
* GirlShowGhetto: One of the first female-lead action films to break it; according to Box Office Mojo, it was the highest-grossing action film with a lone female BilledAboveTheTitle all the way till 2017 and is ''still'' in the top 3.
* HeartwarmingInHindsight: The filming in Cambodia helped spark Creator/AngelinaJolie's lifelong passion for humanitarian activism, after she witnessed children being affected by landmines in a country that just recovered from a long civil war[[note]]and, less fortunate, convinced her to get involved in the making of ''Beyond Borders'', which, on top of being two hours of pure {{Glurge}}, nearly derailed her career[[/note]]. She later became an ambassador for the UN High Council for Refugees and helped bring awareness to neglected conflict zones and displaced people worldwide.
* HilariousInHindsight: [[Creator/DanielCraig Alex West]] is seen using the Walther P99, otherwise known as one of the main sidearms of ''Film/JamesBond''.
* RetroactiveRecognition: Before he became a big-name action star in his own right, Creator/DanielCraig played a love interest to Jolie's Croft. Also, [[Series/GameOfThrones Jorah Mormont and Locke]] are Powell and Bryce.
* SignatureScene: ''Two''. Depending on who you ask, it's either the ActionPrologue with Lara fighting the robot, or the bungee-cord ballet that turns into a fight against the {{mooks}} invading the manor.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Lara Croft somewhat randomly has a giant KillerRobot in her basement, as well as a tech expert who can probably build several other awesome mechs. You'd have thought that would be a good thing to use in case bad guys invade her mansion. Only for it to still be broken and in need of repairs after her last, excessive training exercise. (Bryce does, at least, ''try'' to fire up the robot when the bad guys show up, rather than forgetting about it entirely as happens in some movies.)
* VideoGameMoviesSuck: A subversion. The film certainly failed with the critics and didn't endear all the fans of the videogame franchise either, but its economic success was uncontested (even to this day) and helped to prove that, while videogame movies might suck, they could be profitable too. It did also attract a cult fanbase, even before [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks the divisive reboot]].
* VindicatedByHistory: The film and its sequel used to be remembered mostly as an early 2000s curiosity that did little more than helping to launch Creator/AngelinaJolie's career. However, after ''Film/TombRaider2018'' was released to an audience that found it a bland and uninspired product, many people started to look back at the Jolie films, mainly the first, feeling that, even if they weren't good per se, they were at least fun and entertaining pulp flicks where one could feel the creators (and especially Jolie) had enjoyed themselves while making them.
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