Jan de Bont talks Tomb Raider!

Jan de Bont, the director of the upcoming Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, told SCI FI Wire that the sequel film will be bigger, but more realistic. "This is a great story, and more reality-based than the first film, concentrating on both ancient and modern worlds, but not so fantasy-based," de Bont said in an e-mail interview.

Added de Bont (Speed), "It's a darker, sexier story, and it shows Lara's [Angelina Jolie] vulnerability, and is more three dimensional. She's not superhuman. She can be tested. She doesn't always have the answers. All the characters have been more thoroughly developed."

But the film will also feature bigger action, sets and locations, de Bont said. "Visually it's a stunning film," he said. "We have been all over the world to locations you have never seen on film before. Perhaps the most thrilling was in Africa, possibly the actual cradle of civilization, where we filmed in the crater of an active volcano, known as the mountain of God, in Tanzania."

"There is double the action in this movie, but it is very integrated with the story," de Bont added. "Angelina is very physical, and she is very good at action. Other actresses say they did the stunts, but few of them do. Angelina is more accomplished than any other actress." Cradle of Life, which just wrapped production, opens July 25