Review of 'The Lost City'

Dr. Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) writes romance novels featuring Dr. Angela Lovemore, and her romantic interest, Dash McMahon. The somewhat dim cover model Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum) seems to believe he IS Dash, with a gregarious personality that greatly conflicts with Loretta's quiet and reflective one. The two are forced together by Lorretta's publisher Beth Hatten (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) to promote her latest novel. Meanwhile, billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) realises that Loretta has been using some of her deceased husband's archaeological research in her work so kidnaps Sage to help him find the mythical “Crown of Fire”. Travelling to the distant island where she is being held Alan recruits ex-Navy SEAL Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt) to rescue her but is soon shot, leaving Alan and Loretta on their own against Abigail's army of hired thugs. Will they find the Crown? Will they survive?

This is a now too familiar story of two completely opposite personalities being thrown together, causing great hilarity throughout as they get into all sorts of trouble. It is reasonably effective here with a story that has enough twists to keep the viewer entertained. There is also a good amount of A-listers in the cast meaning a larger budget and better special effects. So, it is cheesy but it is good looking cheesy. There are a lot of amusing bits here but subtle or even unique they are not, such as the tiny car being used by Pitt and Tatum to travel through the jungle (yes, first seen parked beside a huge truck causing predictable confusion and “hilarity”).

Of course, Bullock plays to type as the fish out of water but arrogant writer who knows everything but nothing at the same time. As the film progresses the personalities of the two shift to something more serious and the predictable attraction story line develops. No prizes for guessing how their relationship ends. Pitt also plays true to many of his roles here to the extreme as the perfect action hero…that gets knocked off in the first thirty minutes (ok, that was an amusing and interesting twist). BTW, speaking of Pitt, stick around for a surprising end credit sequence.

Stupid but slightly amusing fun that has been done before but looks good here.

Rating: “Average, but who wants to be average?”

Review Date: 2025-03-08

Directed by: Arron Nee and Adam Nee

Studio: Paramount Pictures

Year: 2022

Length: 112 minutes

Genre: Action/Adventure

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13320622/