Rating of
3/4
Lost City Worth Getting Found
Chris Kavan - wrote on 07/27/22
The Lost City is not a remake but it obviously takes a fair bit of inspiration and direction from the classic 1980s action/comedy/romance Romancing the Stone. And that is perfectly fine in my book and the reason this film works, much like that one, is due in large part to the great chemistry between leads Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum - along with some scene-chewing fun from the film's villain played by Daniel Radcliffe.
Bullock is romance author and former archeologist Loretta Sage. Sage has been writing since the death of her husband and still finds it hard to move on - or even interact with most of the world. In order to boost her brand, her loyal and hard-working publisher Beth Hatten (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) has booked a publicity tour along with her popular cover model Alan Caprison aka Dash (Tatum) the character from the book. But instead of promoting the book, things quickly fall apart for Sage and, if that wasn't enough, she is kidnapped by eccentric billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Radcliffe) who thinks Sage is the key to finding a lost treasure of a forgotten civilization based on clues from her latest novel.
The film strikes a great balance between action, humor and just the right bit of romance. Also, it has a killer cameo role from Brad Pitt that is to die for. But most of the film relies on the interactions between Bullock and Tatum - whether it be a wheelbarrow rescue, prying leeches from sensitive areas or hammock hijinks - and when they're together, the film is a lot fun. And thought it is a smaller side plot, the interaction between Randolph and local pilot Oscar (Oscar Nuñez) - is also a lot of fun. Most of the movie is just running around, getting in (and out) of crazy situations and coming to terms with what life has given you.
While the setup is familiar, having this cast makes things seem fresh and you will never be bored and is a worthy addition to the canon of action-comedy-romance films.
