Angelina Jolie... although highly regarded for Jolie" acting abilities, her films to date had often not appealed to a wide audience, but Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) made Angelina Jolie an international superstar. An adaptation of the popular Tomb Raider videogame, she was required to master a British accent and undergo extensive martial arts training to play the title role of Lara Croft.

Angelina Jolie was generally praised for Angelina" physical performance, but the movie generated mostly negative reviews. Slant Magazine commented, "Angelina Jolie was born to play Lara Croft but [director] Simon West makes her journey into a game of Frogger." The movie was a huge international success nonetheless, earning $275 million worldwide, and launched her global reputation as a female action star.