Take a Trip to "The Lost City" - Movie Review

It is an unfortunate truth: Hollywood has all but killed the romantic comedy in recent years. Even before Covid began ravaging our world and life as we know it was changed forever, Hollywood stopped producing the same movies that made so much money just a decade before. After Marry Me came out last month, The Lost City looks to continue the push to bring them back!

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum are a great pair in this film, and the story is a blast.

The Death of the Rom-Com

Between 2000-2009, movies like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, What Women Want, Sweet Home Alabama, 50 First Dates, The Break-Up, Failure to Launch, Knocked Up, Four Christmases, Mamma Mia!, and The Proposal all found themselves in the Top 20 of the box office in their respective years. Since 2010, Crazy Rich Asians is the only romantic comedy to do the same.

Romantic comedies are still being made – but not in the traditional way in Hollywood. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu have released a plethora of romantic comedies in recent years.

They might get just as many eyes – if not more – on them as romantic comedies did in the past. But being relegated to streaming-only has made them seem “less than.” The cast, crew, and audiences are seemingly being told that they aren’t worth having their entertainment put in theaters. When a movie like Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City can play on 2,800 screens, I don’t see why a movie starring Charlie Day and Jenny Slate can’t.

It’s not just that they lack theatrical releases, but they also lack staying power. With streaming movies being released every week, the new ones get a week to make their mark and often, if they don’t, they will fade into obscurity forever.

A Lost City Worth Traveling To

I give you all of this background in order to hammer the point home that although it seems like an obvious winner on paper, The Lost City had a lot going against it. It’s surprising that it got made but even more surprising that it is being released on over 4,000 screens, after it’s premiere at the SXSW film festival.

After brief hiatuses from acting, both Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock have made their ways back into our lives in The Lost City, rated PG 13. Lucky for us, the two have teamed up for one of the funniest romantic comedies in recent memory.

Sandra Bullock & Channing Tatum in THE LOST CITY

In The Lost City, reclusive author Loretta Sage(Bullock) is a romance novelist. Her publisher is played by Da’Vine Joy Randolph. During her tour promoting her new book, Loretta is kidnapped by a wealthy artifact collector and eccentric billionaire, Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe).

This prompts the cover model of all of her books, Alan (Tatum), to go on a rescue mission to save Loretta. Cover model Alan sets out to save Loretta, and the adventure is so much fun!

The plot is both simple and nothing new. We have seen these romantic-comedy-adventure type movies for years. Classics like The Princess Bride and Romancing the Stone have gone on to inspire similar movies, like Jungle Cruise, in recent years. It’s a formula that works – especially when you have two stars as likable as Bullock and Tatum.

The two have an undeniable chemistry that is both playful and sincere. They make you believe that these characters could fall in love with each other – even if the movie around them isn’t exactly breaking new ground.

A Perfect Duo

Both Sandra Bullock & Channing Tatum are respected actors. Each of them have starred in Academy Award winning films. Bullock, herself, has even won the Best Actress Oscar. Despite their ability to be taken seriously as actors, they are both good at taking on silly roles. They have proven on several occasions that they can let their guards down, cut loose, and make audiences laugh.

It’s unsurprising, then, that, in The Lost City, the two play off of each other in an incredibly effective way. For the most part, Bullock plays the “straight” character, while Tatum is the goofy one. Since her husband passed away, Loretta Sage has been a high-strung recluse. The only reason she even agreed to her new book tour is because her agent made her.

Channing Tatum & Sandra Bullock in THE LOST CITY

On the total other end of the spectrum, Alan is a dimwitted cover model who ultimately means well. He soaks up the spotlight when he and Loretta Sage do appearances together. He embraces his role in the fandom of her books and he is more than happy to rip off his shirt if it gets the crowd cheering.

The stars’ screwball chemistry is so charming in this latest story of romance and adventure.

As The Lost City progresses, we get to see different sides to our lead characters. Alan is more than just a cover model and Loretta wasn’t always a shut-in. This helps us better contextualize what makes them the way that they are, which in turn makes us care more about them and whether or not they get out of their situation alive.

Unexpected Laughs

The Lost City is full of laughs, but they are not the type of laughs that you would expect from a movie like this. The physical comedy is there but, for the most part, it takes a backseat to the more clever humor.

Jokes about Alan’s intelligence (or lack thereof) abound and they are some of the funniest in the movie. There is also a lot of clever verbal banter between Sandra Bullock & Tatum as they search for the ancient city’s lost treasure.

The romance novelist and her cover model Alan have great chemistry and they use it to their advantage, playing off of each other’s comedic timing perfectly. Together, they go on the book tour of a lifetime.

A Great Adventure

But The Lost City isn’t just a funny romantic comedy. It’s also an exciting and unexpected laughs-riot.

The Lost City is full of laughs, but they are not the type of laughs that you would expect from a movie like this. The physical comedy is there but, for the most part, it takes a backseat to the more clever humor.

Jokes about Alan’s intelligence (or lack thereof) abound and they are some of the funniest in the movie. There is also a lot of clever verbal banter between Bullock & Tatum. The two have great chemistry and they use it to their advantage, playing off of each other’s comedic timing perfectly.

Undeniable Charm

When I first saw the trailer for The Lost City, I was not sure how it would ultimately turn out. I like both lead actors but it felt like a movie that was thrown together haphazardly. You know the type. They are made to give their cast and crew a two month vacation, score a 35% on Rotten Tomatoes, make some money at the box office, then threaten us with a sequel for the five years following.

I was wrong.

The Lost City has a real, genuine charm to it. Even beyond the stars, the cast is game for the wacky premise and their roles in it. Daniel Radcliffe, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Brad Pitt, Patti Harrison, and Oscar Nunez are all so good in their roles. They squeeze every bit of fun possible out of their time onscreen and it makes for a movie that moves swiftly.

Great Characters

Each time the story cut to a different character, I had the feeling of being legitimately excited. Like, “oh yeah! What’s going on with them?” It never felt like a distraction or a way to pad the runtime. Having an ensemble of characters that bring something to the table is important in a comedy and it is done especially right in The Lost City.

Even the moments where the story becomes the focal point over the comedy work! I cared about whether or not these characters were safe and whether or not they would find what they were looking for or learned more about themselves along the way.

I was not rolling my eyes about the character beats that were being hit, despite their familiarity. It’s a testament to the cast that they kept me invested – whether I was laughing or feeling nervous for their fate.

It’s not a perfect movie but I had an absolute blast watching it. I would recommend it to people who enjoy good comedies and are willing to check their expectations at the door. It’s the type of movie where you just go along for the ride and let yourself have a good time.

Audiences Will Love It

A lot of people are going to see The Lost City and they are going to absolutely love it. It hits all the marks that a good comedy should. The cast is likable, the story is simple but effective, and the jokes land more often than not.

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, as well as Daniel Radcliffe and Brad Pitt are all delightful to watch.

I think this could be one of those movies that gets better with age, too. As we move further away from 2020 and everything that came with it, I think people will appreciate The Lost City for what it is – a fun, escapist movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

This movie has everything you could want! Our protagonist is kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire names Abigail Fairfax, a volcano erupts on a remote island, and so much more. This story is worth romancing.

It’s a formula that works – especially when you have two stars as likable as Bullock and Tatum. The story of this romance novelist is reminiscent of classic adventure novels that take you to exotic places.

A Good Time at the Movies

The Lost City is not going to move mountains. It is not going to further the art of cinema in a way that breaks new ground. But it’s also not trying to. And that’s okay. It is a genuinely fun way to spend two hours. It made me laugh consistently and it even had me shocked by the way parts of the story played out. By the end, I was left smiling and excited to see what everyone involved does next.

With a great cast like Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Brad Pitt, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Daniel Radcliffe this movie is so much fun! Pitt’s cameo is a pleasant surprise. It is a current take on the classic treasure hunting capers that we all love. Also, Raymond Lee appears as Officer Gomez.

When the credits begin rolling, I truly cannot ask for a better feeling to be left with.

The Lost City is rated PG 13 for partial nudity, language, some bloody images, suggestive material and more. The release date is March 25, 2022. Be sure to check out The Lost City in real life at the box office!

Read the New York Times review!