Miss Congeniality, Magic Mike, and Harry Potter go into a jungle… [end of review]. A-list comfort food for the masses? Absolutely. “The Lost City” doesn’t fall under the Rom-Com category since it’s missing one critical element: romance. Instead, brothers Adam and Aaron Nee (“Band of Robbers”) find inspiration in an 80s card catalog under the letter “Z” as their fingers walk past Zemeckis and head straight for Zucker, resulting in a comedy that takes its cues from “Airplane!” over “Romancing the Stone.”
Bullock plays anthropologist turned romance novelist Loretta Sage who is kidnapped by eccentric billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) to help him find hidden treasure on a remote island in the Atlantic. Why Loretta? Well, because she wrote an adventure-romance novel called “The Lost City of D” which may or may not contain clues to finding a real treasure. Or at least that’s what Abigail believes since Loretta was once married to a famous archeologist whose work is rumored to be the inspiration for her latest novel.
Along the way, the comedy parodies everything from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” to “The African Queen” and of course, the aforementioned “Stone” as Channing Tatum provides the bulk of comic relief as Fabio-like model Alan who graces the covers of Loretta’s novels dressed as Dash her handsome protagonist. The Nee brothers missed the opportunity to parody one more film where the villainous Abigail discovers the treasure is a run-down island resort filled with former Chippendales dancers, thus explaining the “D” in the title of Loretta’s latest novel.
When Superman removes his cape, he’s nerdy Clark Kent and when Alan takes off his long-flowing wig, he’s, well Alan, not the hunky adventurer Dash. It would have been funny to see Alan whip out the wig and transform into Dash as he attempts to rescue Loretta (a missed opportunity) but Tatum doesn’t need the prop as his naïve and boyish charm provides plenty of laughs. Timing is essential for comedy, and I’ve got to give the “Magic Mike” actor props for hitting the mark every time.
Of course, Alan isn’t really hero material, so he hires ex-Navy Seal Jack Trainer (funny cameo by Brad Pitt) to help him rescue Loretta who upon seeing Jack asks, “Why are you so handsome?” to which he replies, “My dad was a weatherman.”
Bullock and Tatum make a great comedy team. She plays it straight, he does all the physical comedy, while Radcliffe does his best impression of a zany over-the-top villain. The supporting cast includes the vivacious Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Loretta’s gung-ho agent and publicist Beth, with Patti Harrison as Loretta’s social media manager Pratt, and Oscar Nunez as the nutty cargo plane pilot who falls for Beth.
“The Lost City” is a throwback to 80s adventure rom-coms filled with jokes, physical comedy, and A-list actors. While Bullock and Tatum have good chemistry, the full-throttle comedy extinguishes any chance of steamy moments between the duo who play it up for laughs. And while our protagonists get into scores of perilous situations, it never feels like they are in any real danger. Still, if you’re looking for a good time and plenty of laughs, you’ll enjoy this charming comedy.
(3 stars)
Now showing in theaters
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