The Lost City

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Brad Pitt, Oscar Nunez, Patti Harrison, Stephen Lang, Hector Anibal, Thomas Forbes-Johnson, Sli Lewis
Directed by: Aaron Nee, Adam Nee
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
2022

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A romance novelist (Sandra Bullock) and her cover model (Channing Tatum) get caught up in a real adventure when a billionaire (Daniel Radcliffe) forces them to help him find a lost treasure.

Review:

Tim: I'm a bit surprised that I really enjoyed The Lost City. It looked like dozens of other action comedies, most of which are short are both. I admit I wasn't sold that this would be an entertaining, worthwhile movie. But, it is. Aaron and Adam Nee's film works far more often than it doesn't. It has expected flaws, yes, but this is still a victory.

The story requires a lot of suspension of disbelief, but if you're able to do that, it's pretty fun. The idea that a romance novelist would be the only one who could solve an ancient secret and find a treasure is beyond ridiculous, I don't care who her husband is. It's pretty bad that the movie asks us to believe she's the best option in the entire world (I'm sure there are countless experts who would have made more sense). But, if you go with it, it's fun to see this writer caught up in a real-life version of the trashy romances she makes her living writing. That was fun to see and it definitely creates an entertaining fish-out-of-water scenario. Fortunately, the movie never takes itself too seriously, which allows us to laugh along with it. The tone of the Nees' film felt exactly right- it sells the adventure hard, but everything is done with a laugh and a wink and it allows the audience to feel comfortable going along for the ride. This movie is intended to be pure entertainment and that tone makes everything feel okay.

It helps that there's a really solid cast in place here. Sandra Bullock is strong in the lead role- it's kind of a perfect role for her. It leverages her comedic ability, while also allowing her to do some physical comedy. Yes, her performance is often forced, but it feels like Bullock is aware of it, ratcheting up the energy. I do wish she would have smoothed some of the rough parts of her acting out more, but she's enjoyable more often than she isn't. She seems to be having fun, which is contagious for the audience. Channing Tatum was a great partner here, playing a bit against type by not being an action hero. He plays dumb really well (I'm trying not to make an unfortunate crack about it being authentic), but Tatum definitely embraces the "dumb jock" portrayal. He's really good at that. It was fun seeing him being an action hero without actually knowing what he was doing. Tatum has refined his comedy skills over the years and while his performance always feels forced (he's not a great actor), he's good enough to warrant laughs. Indeed, Tatum delivers the film's best line- "I can taste his thoughts!" perfectly. I may not ever really like Tatum, but he and Bullock work really well together. Their interactions always feel a bit forced, but they're still fun together.

I loved the casting of Daniel Radcliffe as the film's villain. Radcliffe may never be a massive movie star, but he's shown over the previous years that he has excellent range as an actor. He's quite good in this role. He knows it's ridiculous, but he seems to revel in being able to play something so far away from Harry. It was fun seeing him in this role. Brad Pitt is one of the all-stars of the cast, though. His role was just perfect, playing a buffoonish version of the action hero he's played in many movies over the years. I loved his performance and his character was definitely the funniest part of the movie. I didn't care for the post-credits scene involving his character, but within the movie itself, it was excellent and definitely made the movie better. Da'Vine Joy Randolph was a bit over-the-top, but she had some great line delivery and contributed to the film. I always love seeing Oscar Nunez and I laughed a few times at his comedic performance here. A big reason this movie works is that the cast is quite solid.

The movie itself is a bit predictable, but it offers up a fun, lighthearted adventure story. It's funny enough that I did laugh at various points throughout the film. It's never really great (or even close to it), but I was entertained from beginning to end. I liked the characters well enough to stay focused on seeing their stories develop. Indeed, the movie itself is solid enough that I hope there's a sequel. I didn't expect that going into The Lost City, and while it's only a good movie, it's still a pleasant surprise.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Heat, Ocean's Eight, Miss Congeniality