The Lost City Review: Star-Studded Adventure Delivers Big Laughs
A romance novelist (Sandra Bullock) and a male model (Channing Tatum) search for a mythical treasure in The Lost City.
Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, and a scene-stealing Brad Pitt are hilarious in a better than expected romantic comedy. The Lost City takes a reclusive author and clueless male model on a wacky slapstick adventure loaded with saucy double entendres. The archeology subplot is a clever set up for the fish out water shenanigans. The film runs about twenty minutes long but keeps the laughs flowing consistently.
Sandra Bullock stars as Loretta Sage, a best-selling romance novelist who's been hiding from the outside world for five years. She continues to grieve after the death of her beloved archeologist husband. Loretta's publisher, Beth (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), forces her out of seclusion to start a book tour. Loretta dreads public appearances. Especially when all the lusty fans come to see Alan (Channing Tatum), the chiseled male model who portrays Dash, her fictional gallant hero, on the book covers.
Their first event turns out to be the disaster Loretta expected. Alan does his best to impress her but always comes off as an imbecile. The situation gets worse when Loretta is kidnapped by Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), a slighted media mogul. He's looking for the mythical Crown of Fire and thinks Loretta can decipher a clue to its remote island location. Alan springs into action to rescue Loretta. He contracts an elite soldier (Brad Pitt) for the job. But wants to tag along and prove his worth to Loretta.
The Cast Elevates The Script
Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum elevate the script with talent. Loretta can't believe what's happening to her. And gets more frustrated by Alan's spectacular bungling. He tries his best to emulate Dash's heroics but falls short. Alan's a sweet guy that's tired of being ridiculed for his shirtless modeling. His noble efforts bring Loretta out of her shell. She's a capable woman who needed a nudge forward. Their scenes together in the jungle will have audiences howling with laughter.
The supporting cast holds their comedic own with the leads. Brad Pitt almost steals the show with a sliver of screen time. He's Dash personified and that completely emasculates Alan. Channing Tatum, who normally plays the good-looking savior, trips over himself as the goofy sidekick. Daniel Radcliffe also gets big laughs as the antagonist. He clearly relishes a role that his legion of Harry Potter fans would never expect. Radcliffe is akin to a rom-com Bond villain with a bruised ego. He's such a versatile actor.
Humor in The Lost City
The Lost City does not take itself seriously. It is an escapist film with a lot of physical humor. The script counts on the ensemble cast to shore up the plot with pratfalls and sight gags. There's a running joke about Loretta's purple-sequined jumpsuit. It's a plot device designed to be used throughout as an easy source of chuckles. I thought these scenes were good fun. They allow the cast to improvise but can see where some may find them silly.
The Lost City is a check our brain at the door experience. The film reminded me of the Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas eighties classic, Romancing the Stone. It's light, fluffy, and will put a smile on your face. No one will walk out of the theater in a bad mood. That's exactly the kind of entertainment needed in such stressful times.
