Soundtrack of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life

Lore & Background

The original score album, *Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (Original Motion Picture Score)*, was composed by Alan Silvestri, who replaced Craig Armstrong after the latter left due to creative differences. Silvestri incorporated Nathan McCree's compositions from the Tomb Raider video game series for most of the film's music, while the climactic cue 'Pandora's Box' was a fresh composition without influences. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, the score was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. The album was issued by Varèse Sarabande in 2003, containing 15 cues running for an hour. The label later reissued the score in a two-disc deluxe edition including thirty minutes of unreleased tracks, such as music from the film's 'Lab Scene' composed by Armstrong and Silvestri's reinterpretation thereof.

Reader's Guide

The soundtrack and score albums for *Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life* represent the musical identity of the 2003 film sequel. The soundtrack album, released by Hollywood and Warner Bros. Records, aimed to capture the film's action-adventure tone through alternative rock and electronic tracks, though critical reception was mixed. Johnny Loftus of AllMusic noted the album might appeal to the franchise's core audience but criticized its bombast, while Spence D. of IGN found much of the music routine and uninspired. The score album, composed by Alan Silvestri and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, received varied reviews. Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks called it a serviceable action score with fantastic highlights at its conclusion, while Anton Smit of Soundtrack World praised Silvestri's powerful theme and integration. However, Jack Smith of BBC described it as unstructured and unoriginal, and James Southall of Movie Wave expressed disappointment, though noted the album's appeal due to images of Angelina Jolie. The score's inclusion of Nathan McCree's video game themes and the later deluxe edition with unreleased tracks add to its significance for collectors.

Did You Know?

• Korn's song 'Did My Time' was used in the film's end credits but did not appear on the soundtrack album due to clauses in frontman Jonathan Davis's record contract.
• Alan Silvestri replaced Craig Armstrong as composer after Armstrong left the project due to creative differences.
• The score was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.
• The climactic cue 'Pandora's Box' was a fresh composition by Silvestri without any influences from the video game series.