The Lost City

 

Score:  B

Directed by Adam and Aaron Nee

Starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe

Running time: 112 minutes

Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  The Lost City is a bit of a blast from the past: a non-franchise action comedy driven by the popularity of its stars.  The actors do their jobs well, for the most part, with Bullock, Tatum, and Radcliffe all seeming to have a great time.  But to me, this was yet another film with a great start held back by a disappointing turn toward formula in the back half.  Still, there are some really entertaining, funny, and creative scenes in the first half that make this worth a viewing.

Loretta Sage (Bullock) is one of the world's most popular romance writers, but she's just about had it.  She drags her (uncomfortable) heels through her latest book tour, where she is joined by her frequent cover model, Alan (Tatum).  In the midst of the tour, however, the plot twists when an unhinged heir named Fairfax (Radcliffe) kidnaps her.  He sees something real in her lurid fiction and drags the bewildered author on an adventure.  What Fairfax is not counting on, however, is the loyalty of her publicist (Randolph), or the bumbling nosiness of Alan.  Loretta has found herself in the middle of a plot worthy of her best books - and now she has to find her way back out.

The Lost City is an enjoyable movie, driven by its premise and strong performances; sadly, it's limited by a weaker second half.  I don't usually go see anything with a whiff of rom-com like this, but given the right ingredients, I'll give it a try, for a change of pace.  The actors certainly do their part in this one.  Sandra Bullock is as much a star as ever; she gets to be both a realistic, put-upon and thoughtful creative-type and also a more kinetic, down-and-dirty action hero (kind of), and somehow she makes it fit in one character.  Channing Tatum is more of a surprise; I've never thought much of him, but he is convincing and likable as a doofus (in the first half, at least; more later).  And Daniel Radcliffe continues to put Harry Potter as far behind him as he can, giving us an over-the-top but enjoyable villain.  There are several good supporting roles, too, notably Da'Vine Joy Randolph's tough publicist.  But Brad Pitt isn't one of them.  Sure, the character type is fun, but I am so sick of Pitt playing the "cool guy".

Like several other movies this year, The Lost City is a Jekyll & Hyde creation, strong at first but a let down later on.  It starts quickly, letting Bullock lead the way in establishing her grumpy author and providing a hilarious showcase scene of her and Tatum in a book tour interview show.  It isn't long before the action moves to the titular, volcanic island-based Lost City, and we get an extended chase sequence that's really two uproarious scenes following Tatum's Alan - first alongside Pitt, and then Bullock.  Tatum is so fun in this first half, stealing the show; it's a well-written part, and he's committed.  But the second half turns toward a much more conventional rom-com style - especially, and most disappointingly, with Tatum transforming from lovable dolt to boring action hero.  On reflection, it does make some sense - the movie itself turning into the kind of corny romantic adventure that Sage used to write.  But it also would have been fine to keep it going like the first half, and to me, much preferable.

***

The Lost City did turn out to be a nice palate cleanser, a light entertainment that was about the opposite of the dark The Batman.  Its 75% on Rotten Tomatoes is about right, I'd say; I'm not exactly the target demographic for it, and those more inclined to it will probably rate it more highly than me.  Even better, I'm happy to see it do pretty well at the box office.  The pandemic, of course, took a wrecking ball to the movie theater, and it's still an open question as to when and how that business will recover.  While I love seeing the blockbusters in theaters - that's what drove me there in the first place - it's important to have as diverse a selection of movies available as possible.  It'll take time, but hopefully as more people feel safe to go back out - and want to get away from their lonely home screens - we'll get more of it.  Give this a try, especially for a date night!  

* By http://www.impawards.com/2022/lost_city_ver2.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69527903