Upon first impression, The Lost City might sound like the title of the next installment in the Uncharted video game franchise or possibly Dwayne Johnson’s next swashbuckling action-adventure trip. But beyond that, Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum starrer, The Lost City attempts to be everything that an action-adventure can be and yet evoke laughter on the tropes utilized abundantly across the genre.
The Lost City Movie Cast
- Sandra Bullock as Loretta Sage / Angela
- Channing Tatum as Alan / Dash
- Daniel Radcliffe as Abigail Fairfax
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Beth Hatten\
- Brad Pitt as Jack Trainer
The Lost City Movie Plot
Romance-adventure novel writer Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) finds her career in a downfall after she chose to lead the life of a recluse post her archaeologist husband’s death. Although her novels, centered around Dr Angela Lovemore and her lover, Dash McMahon, remains a hit among the writer’s fans, with the cover model for Dash, Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum), managing to cultivate quite a fan base for himself. But, in reality, Alan is the antithesis of the book’s character Dash. While he still retains the charm and looks of the character in the real world, he’s anything but the adventurous, macho, and daring alpha male in the world outside of Loretta’s adventures.
In the midst of the book tour for her latest book, Loretta is kidnapped by billionaire Abigail Fairfax, who has discovered the lost city Loretta has written about in her latest book ‘The Lost City of D’. Alan, forced by her feelings for Loretta, hires Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt) and embarks on a journey to rescue Loretta, with the intention of proving that he can be much more than just the cover model Loretta takes him to be.
The Lost City Movie Review
The Lost City banks its money on the opportune situations that the setting of an action-adventure movie presents with cool action sequences, weird dilemmas, and the obvious challenges faced when being presented with a questionably baffling mystery. The movie ticks every box on the checklist for an action-adventure but it’s the way it approaches the genre is where things start taking a different turn.
Beyond the basic premise, the movie doesn’t really provide a lot of adventure to ride upon, instead, it focuses on poking fun at the obvious bluffs played by similar movies on the bandwagon of the action-adventure genre. In that aspect, more than an action-adventure, The Lost City treads on the path of a romance-comedy with near-perfection, evoking some heart-warming conversations between the two protagonists as they transform into different individuals while on a journey inside a jungle on a remote island in the Atlantic. While the movie doesn’t throw curveballs when it comes to the story or the execution, it’s the comedic respite and awkward conversations that arise out of the situations at hand that add to the entertainment presented by this film.
The Aura of Actors keeps The Lost City Alive
The most attractive aspect of the movie is not its story, action, suspense, and visuals. What keeps the machine going in The Lost City is the aura of the actors who grace the roles and share incredibly fun chemistry with each other. The focus of the story remains momentarily on solving the potentially great mystery at hand while engaging deeply with the evolving relation the characters share on their journey into the unknown. Comedic exchanges, cliched yet hilarious banter, and paving the way for situations to emerge that resonate with most of the action-adventure movie lovers prove to be the strengths of this oft-charming, frequently hilarious, and decently adventurous action-adventure movie.
Channing Tatum’s Alan, a young model trying to follow his dreams and fit into the mold, provides the unexpected travel partner to an uptight novelist who mostly looks down upon her own work. Both of them discover something new in themselves and each other as they find a way to escape a hilariously menacing villain who’s been suffering from his own insecurities as his father gave away all the property to his brother. Followed by this set of main characters are a bunch of uniquely different ones who add their own tang to the humor. A highly motivated publisher, a quirky social media manager, a local henchman, and an eccentric pilot contribute generously to the hilarious action centered around the odd couple.
What pulls back the potential of this film is the lack of novelty in the presentation. While the witty dialogues and banter provide fun and interesting moments to enjoy, the lack-luster and simplistic plot with a predictable storyline is not one that might keep the on-looker hooked and wanting for more. The brilliantly energetic and exciting beginning, thanks to a cameo by Brad Pitt, meets a rather underwhelming end. The nature of events proves rather inconsequential and the feeling left at the culmination of an adventure an unsatisfactory one. The poorly done CGI doesn’t work magic either, especially at the moments when the character on screen is staring at the picturesque beauty of the scenery around with an expression of perpetual awe, without any of the emotion reaching the viewer, who’s looking at something that looks like the indoors of a cheap attraction in an amusement park.
The Movie Culture Synopsis
A movie like The Lost City will always retain its charm because of its straightforward nature of handling its characters and action without any pretentiousness of the action-adventure genre holding it back. The makers have devoted their attention to presenting a fun, enjoyable, and occasionally smart story that evokes interest in the characters it houses inside rather than the plot.
The film really believes that unprepared characters put in seemingly tough situations often end up creating moments of laughter and love. Having some protagonists and a bunch of supporting characters who barely know what they are actually doing throughout the course of the story, barring a couple of moments, adds to the freshness presented by The Lost City in a gratifying manner.
Undoubtedly, the story is predictable, lacks novelty, and feels like a lost opportunity in creating something that could have potentially utilized the marvelous talent available. But despite its many shortcomings, The Lost City will strike a chord with those looking for a fun and adventurous romantic comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously, too often.
