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“The Lost City” isn’t an especially unique film; its premise draws on “ Romancing the Stone ” and countless other adventure movies. Its punchlines are recognizable from a distance as the volcano dominating the remote island where most of the story takes place. This is a movie you can get a clear sense of from its opening moments, every beat clearly telegraphed.

There is, however, a significant amount of comfort and delight in all this familiarity. Directors and co-writers Adam and Aaron Nee understand exactly what their audience wants—much like a good romance novelist might—and deliver an undeniably charming (and refreshingly IP-free) romantic romp. This is a movie you watch in the theater, with popcorn, then again and again on streaming, with a glass of wine.

Loretta Sage ( Sandra Bullock ) is a burnt-out romance writer whose grief after the loss of her husband threatens to derail her career. Her disdain for her books is only matched by her dislike of their cover model, Alan ( Channing Tatum ), a seemingly dim beefcake who indulges her readers at signing events.

After an event promoting her latest book, Loretta is abducted by explorer/rich guy Abigail (it’s a gender-neutral name, apparently) Fairfax, played by Daniel Radcliffe . Fairfax knows that the lost city from Loretta’s book is real, and he wants her to translate some ancient writing that leads to a treasure before a volcano erupts and covers the whole thing. Alan mounts an ill-advised expedition to save Loretta, with help from his meditation guru, Jack ( Brad Pitt ), and Loretta’s beleaguered editor Beth (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).

Loretta and Alan’s eventual romance is unavoidable, but “The Lost City” does a great job exploring the mounting chemistry between Bullock and Tatum’s characters. In particular, the movie highlights Alan’s emotional intelligence and unwavering support. He may be the kind of guy who refers to Loretta as a “human mummy,” but he also knows she gets cranky without snacks, and that she could use a slightly more sensible pair of shoes traversing all that rocky terrain. Like many a beloved romantic hero, Alan is not only a gorgeous man, he’s a man who cares .

Tatum is great casting for a role like this on several levels; not only does he look like he belongs on the cover of a romance paperback, he’s also an actor who understands his own appeal and has proven time and again that he isn’t afraid to play it for laughs. Bullock is also more than happy to play into her character’s physical awkwardness and eventual shedding of her prickly exterior—it’s not exactly unfamiliar territory for her, either. Together, the pair exude fun and a sense of affection that’s easy to get caught up in.

Other members of the supporting cast, particularly a very welcome Patti Harrison as Loretta’s hysterically self-involved social media manager, add bright, bizarre punches of humor to a script that otherwise plays it by the numbers (oddly, this isn’t a criticism, “The Lost City” is working with an effective formula). Radcliffe is the only element of the movie that doesn’t work quite as well as the rest. His character is the one area where the film tries to change up established archetypes, and the result is that he feels out of place in a story where everyone else comfortably fits into their roles.

“The Lost City” may get dinged by some for being formulaic and silly, but it does many things well that are notable. It’s bright, both visually and atmospherically. It’s an original story, told by filmmakers who get what kind of movie this is. Most importantly, its central relationship displays a real understanding of the emotional sensitivity and vulnerability that make romance attractive as a genre. Ultimately, “The Lost City” is interested in hitting viewers’ expectations head on. It does so on a level that may seem obvious, but is done with an amount of care that’s sure to hold up to repeat viewings.

This review was filed from the SXSW Film Festival. The film opens on March 25th.

Abby Olcese

Abby Olcese is a film critic and writer based in Kansas City, where she is the film editor for The Pitch Magazine. Abby is a regular contributor to RogerEbert.com, Sojourners Magazine and Think Christian, where she writes about the intersection of popular culture and spirituality.

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The Lost City (2022)

Rated PG-13 for violence and some bloody images, suggestive material, partial nudity and language.

Sandra Bullock as Loretta Sage

Channing Tatum as Alan

Daniel Radcliffe as Fairfax

Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Beth

Patti Harrison

Oscar Nunez

Raymond Lee as Officer Gomez

Thomas Forbes-Johnson as Julian

Writer (story by)

Seth Gordon

Cinematographer

Jonathan Sela
Craig Alpert
Pinar Toprak

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The Lost City Reviews

For a certain kind of mood, one filled with patience, forgiveness and the need to pass a few hours of time, The Lost City might almost be what the doctor ordered.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.75/5 | Oct 10, 2023

The Lost City is the perfect palate cleanser for those who are looking for a fresh twist on the comedy genre.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Sep 26, 2023

Laughing, smiling, & losing my shit! Hands down one of the best comedies I’ve seen in awhile. I need more Channing Tatum & Sandra Bullock now! + Brad Pitt was amazing! This is the perfect Adventure film for all!

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

Despite billing itself as a return to the entertaining adventure-romance movies of the ’80s (it’s impossible not to think of Romancing the Stone), The Lost City was afraid to lose itself in eccentricity.

The Lost City is one of this year's surprises, managing to vary the well-known formulas of the genre in a creative, fun manner (...) a thematically rich ending compensates for any cliches. Definitely, a family viewing party recommendation.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jul 23, 2023

The Lost City is every bit the romantic adventure we didn’t know we needed and then some. It’s fun and hilarious, and its on-the-nose praise of the romance genre is something we’ll never tire of exploring.

Full Review | Jul 23, 2023

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum get blindsided by a wonky and aimless script better suited for the balls-to-the-wall performances of its side characters.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 21, 2023

Sandra Bullock’s return to light-hearted comedy is welcome. While not to be taken too seriously the film does throw in a few heartfelt moments.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 14, 2023

Ultimately, the The Lost City is relatively hollow with a somewhat uncharacteristic denouement that connects back to Bullock’s late husband and her inability to let him go.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Dec 25, 2022

...the breezy chemistry with Sandra Bullock renders this a painless hijinx...

Full Review | Dec 22, 2022

The Lost City is at its best when it is light and silly, smoothing over some of the rougher edges where its jokes don't always land.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Sep 23, 2022

The Lost City is a terrific throwback to studio romcoms of the 90s and 00s, with two true-blue movie star performances from Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 1, 2022

A story about the vicarious pleasures of romance fiction, and about the folly of either dismissing them as stupid or of taking them too seriously … The obviousness of the genre machinery isn’t really a flaw – it’s part of the fun.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Aug 29, 2022

[Channing Tatum's] energetic and eager to please — virtues he shares with the film.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 24, 2022

The sort of bubbly, unchallenging studio plaything that some of us may receive gratefully in these harrowed times.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Aug 24, 2022

Bullock is a solid anchor, Radcliffe gets a couple of humorous lines, and Tatum does his best. But it’s Pitt who steals the show. So much so that the drop-off is pretty significant whenever he’s not on screen.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 16, 2022

A word comes to mind that isn’t often used when describing movies lately. Thinking, thinking … oh, right! The word is “fun.” “The Lost City” is fun.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Aug 15, 2022

An unofficial remake of 'Romancing the Stone' with a big movie star cameo. Dull, obvious and very familiar with a script that just pokes along.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 14, 2022

There are five writers sharing screenplay credit, but for me the writing of Bullock's character was the weakest element.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 9, 2022

The breezy pace is appreciated, but in two years, viewers won't recall any discernible differences between this, Uncharted, and Jungle Cruise.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 31, 2022

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The lost city, common sense media reviewers.

Bullock romcom adventure has cheeky moments, brief blood.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

You are the author of your life story, so live lif

Loretta is a smart woman who incorporates her rese

Non-stereotypical gender representation. Loretta i

One shocking, gruesome shooting with intense blood

Kiss. A character is naked during a long, comical

Strong language includes "ass," "a--hole," "d--k,"

Quite a few brands are notably displayed or mentio

Villains smoke cigars. Drinking throughout, includ

Positive Messages

You are the author of your life story, so live life to the fullest. With a theme of moving on after loss, the message delivered several times is that life is "sweeter after difficulty." Themes include courage, curiosity, and teamwork.

Positive Role Models

Loretta is a smart woman who incorporates her research on ancient cultures into her work. Alan is honest, courageous, and loyal and steps out of his comfort zone to help Loretta. While both Loretta and Alan are ill-equipped to survive a jungle, they work together to overcome obstacles. Beth is a successful boss who prioritizes people over profits.

Diverse Representations

Non-stereotypical gender representation. Loretta is smart and values substance over surface. Alan is emotionally vulnerable, sensitive, humble. Less positively, his beauty routine is a source of humor; there are a couple of laughs based on his supposed lack of intelligence. But his overall depiction is meant to show that a person's relative braininess is just one characteristic in what makes them unique. Eloquent words are used to describe something some see as "ugly" (a skin condition that leads to insecurity) as beautiful. A tough Navy SEAL is also a Buddhist yoga practitioner who quotes Taoist philosophy. Successful Black female publisher Beth is a fully expressed supporting character who brings (a little) body diversity to the film. Most other characters of color are depicted as villains, corrupt, unbalanced, or smarmy.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

One shocking, gruesome shooting with intense blood splatter (but no body shown on camera, and there's a positive resolution). Additional action violence is clearly choreographed to the point of hilarity, with punches, kicks, and knocking people out with hard objects. Villains are armed and shoot guns but mostly miss. Falls that likely result in death. Positive characters are constantly in deep peril, including trapped under water or in a fiery enclosure. Lots of talk about those who potentially die, acknowledging respect for the sanctity of life, even for those with evil intent.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Kiss. A character is naked during a long, comical scene that shows his bare backside, with another character commenting extensively about the size of his penis (it's not shown). The main character is a romance novelist, and there's some innuendo and suggestiveness in regard to her writing. Some low-cut shirts. Romantic feelings.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Strong language includes "ass," "a--hole," "d--k," and "s--t." "Slut" is used as a comical, misguided woman-to-woman term of endearment. "Jesus Christ!" said as an exclamation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Quite a few brands are notably displayed or mentioned, indicating product placement, including Fiji water, Jamba Juice, and a Ram truck. Positive characters drink alcohol with the label of the beverage clearly seen, including Don Julio and Stella Artois.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Villains smoke cigars. Drinking throughout, including tequila, whiskey, champagne, wine, and beer. A character in her 20s appears to have had too much to drink.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Lost City is a romcom action adventure starring Sandra Bullock , Channing Tatum , and Daniel Radcliffe . With a theme of moving on after loss, it has strong messages about being the author of your own story and that life is "sweeter after difficulty." While most of the violence is typical big-budget action fare, there's plenty of peril and one gruesome moment involving a shooting that appears to have been added for shock value (but ultimately has a reassuring resolution). Tatum's bare backside is seen extensively in a nonsexual scene that also has a lot of references to his penis (which isn't shown). Bullock's character writes steamy novels, so expect innuendo and racy language ("d--k," "s--t," etc.), as well as some creative writing tips -- e.g., a humorous dissertation on when the word "throbbing" can and can't be used. There's lots of product placement, particularly alcoholic beverages, which are poured and consumed throughout (villains also smoke cigars). Non-stereotypical portrayals include an intelligent romance novelist, a muscular model who's emotionally vulnerable, and a philosophical Navy SEAL who's into yoga. Although most characters of color are unfortunately portrayed as corrupt or unbalanced, supporting character Beth ( Da'Vine Joy Randolph ) is a great role model: She's a successful Black businessperson who works hard, cares about profits and people, and establishes and maintains boundaries. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

Parents say (12)
Kids say (27)

Based on 12 parent reviews

Clean Hollywood movie. Thank you Sandra, Channing and Brad!

Very funny and entertaining, but not in the “family friendly” category, what's the story.

In THE LOST CITY, reclusive romance novelist Loretta Sage ( Sandra Bullock ) is starting the promotional tour for her latest work, The Lost City of D , accompanied by handsome cover model Alan ( Channing Tatum ). When Loretta is kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire ( Daniel Radcliffe ) to help him find the lost city's lost treasure, Alan sets off to rescue her to prove he's just as much a hero as the one he portrays on Loretta's book covers.

Is It Any Good?

Treasure hunting + adventure + comedy + romance seems like a formula for cinematic success, and, indeed, Paramount Pictures has struck gold here. Giving off Romancing the Stone vibes, The Lost City has a hilarious script that's made even funnier with perfect casting. Bullock is the master of playing a relatably put-upon woman, and here she also gets to be the smartest person in the room and the jungle. It's a kick to see Tatum and co-star Brad Pitt play into their sex-symbol images, laughing along with the audience while simultaneously showing that the "ideal man" has the same insecurities and vulnerabilities as everyone else.

While the top-billed stars are national treasures, the real find in The Lost City is Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Loretta's publisher, Beth. She could have easily turned out as a typical romcom confidante, but Randolph offers a different take, evolving "the best friend" into a magnificent, three-dimensional, confident woman who is a boss by all definitions, literally going to the ends of the Earth for those she loves. While this isn't a perfect film, it's pretty great, and writer Seth Gordon puts plenty in it to love, including a strong message that it's the hard times that help us appreciate the good times.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence and peril in The Lost City. How did the movie use death both for comedy and to magnify the importance that the loss of any life, even that of a villain, is a tragedy? The characters are often in extreme peril: Were you ever worried? Why, or why not?

What do you think "sweeter after difficulty" means? Why might it be a good mantra to remember during rough times?

Do you think The Lost City is a romantic comedy? Why, or why not? How does it compare to other romcoms?

What is product placement, and how does it impact buying choices ? Did you notice certain brands?

Are smoking and drinking glamorized here? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?

Movie Details

In theaters : March 25, 2022
On DVD or streaming : July 26, 2022
Cast : Sandra Bullock , Channing Tatum , Daniel Radcliffe , Brad Pitt
Directors : Aaron Nee , Adam Nee
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Paramount Pictures
Genre : Action/Adventure
Topics : Adventures , Great Girl Role Models
Character Strengths : Courage , Curiosity , Teamwork
Run time : 92 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : violence and some bloody images, suggestive material, partial nudity and language
Award : Common Sense Selection
Last updated : January 27, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Romancing the Stone

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Sandra bullock and channing tatum in ‘the lost city’: film review | sxsw 2022.

The stars share the screen with Brad Pitt in a 'Romancing the Stone'-inspired comedy-adventure directed by Adam and Aaron Nee.

By John DeFore

John DeFore

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A Romancing the Stone -like adventure featuring a more unlikely pair of lovers-to-be than Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, Aaron and Adam Nee’s The Lost City follows a romance novelist ( Sandra Bullock ) as she’s caught up in a plot every bit as loony as those she has grown tired of inventing for her fans.

While it’s no longer surprising to see the sensitive and funny sides of costar Channing Tatum , his hunky character’s puppy-like devotion to Bullock’s dismissive damsel in distress serves the pic quite well, enlivening action that (after a winningly over-the-top kickoff) might otherwise grow too generic. A vastly bigger undertaking than The Last Romantic , the microbudget debut the directors brought to SXSW in 2006, it’s a thoroughly commercial film despite feeling only a little bit more of-the-moment than its 1984 inspiration.

Full credits

Venue: SXSW Film Festival (Headliners) Distributor: Paramount Pictures Production companies: 3dot productions, Exhibit A, Fortis Films Cast: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Oscar Nuñez, Patti Harrison, Bowen Yang Directors: Adam Nee, Aaron Nee Screenwriters: Oren Uziel, Dana Fox, Adam Nee, Aaron Nee Producers: Liza Chasin, Sandra Bullock, Seth Gordon Executive Producers: JJ Hook, Dana Fox, Julia Gunn, Margaret Chernin Director of photography: Jonathan Sela Production designer: Jim Bissell Costume designer: Marlene Stewart Editor: Craig Alpert Composer: Pinar Toprak Casting directors: Miguel Fernandez, Tricia Wood

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The Lost City Review

Sandra bullock and channing tatum are good at their jobs..

The Lost City will hit theaters on March 25, 2022.

The Lost City scratches that particular Channing Tatum itch, the same one satisfied by his directorial debut Dog , where he once again claims the title of Himbo Supreme. His goofy charm, coupled with the radiant and reliable presence of Sandra Bullock — who, at the age of 57, continues to lead action and romance like nobody’s business — keeps the film afloat, even when its mere 112-minute runtime starts to feel endless, and fewer of its jokes begin to land.

It’s directed by brothers Aaron and Adam Nee, who also share writing credits with Dana Fox and Oren Uziel. Whether or not the production was a case of too many cooks, it often feels like it, between its dropped threads, its unfunny (though mercifully truncated) subplot detours, and its litany of jokes added via ADR and delivered from off-screen, only about half of which work in any given scene. However, when a movie is this self-assured of its stars and what they bring to the table, no amount of haphazard filmmaking can prevent it from being enjoyable.

Winter 2022 Movies: The 30 Most Anticipated Films

Bullock plays burnt-out romance author Loretta Sage, who balks at the prospect of yet another book tour where her heartthrob cover model — Tatum’s Alan Caprison, in character as her golden-maned hero Dash McMahon — hogs the spotlight. Twenty volumes in, she abruptly decides that her latest steamy paperback, “The Lost City of D,” will be her last, and will thus be Alan’s swan song too, which leads to an exchange of unpleasant words between the reluctant duo. However, before the well-meaning Alan can apologize, he witnesses Loretta being taken hostage by Daniel Radcliffe’s skeevy businessman Abigail Fairfax, who hopes to use Loretta’s real-world skills as a former archeologist to translate and uncover the location of a hidden treasure, if only to prove to his family that he can. It turns out Fairfax may have discovered the lost city about which Loretta had been writing, pouring elements of her old career into works of fiction by which she now feels shackled.

Armed with AirPods, a neck pillow, and a rolling suitcase, Alan mounts a rescue mission with the help of his suave former trainer, the mysterious mercenary Jack (Brad Pitt), whose resemblance to the fictitious Dash ignites sparks between him and Loretta, and ignites Alan’s envy. However, before long, the mission goes off the rails, and Alan and Loretta are left to their own devices, caught between finding their way off a mysterious Atlantic island, and potentially uncovering its archeological secrets.

What's the best Sandra Bullock comedy?

Bullock’s character is given more emotional heft than the trailers let on. For one thing, The Lost City introduces us to Loretta through pictures of her alongside her now-dead husband, whose absence has caused her to become closed off from the world. It’s a big emotional swing from a film filled wall-to-wall with jokes, but it affords Bullock the opportunity to bring a sense of gravitas to even her quippiest interactions and her bits of physical comedy, making for a delightful contrast with the seemingly airheaded Alan. Where Loretta’s woes are on full display, Alan is more of a closed book that she (and the audience) discover chapter by chapter, mostly through his genuine concern for her. For everything that doesn’t work in The Lost City — a lengthy list! — Loretta and Alan’s simmering-yet-slapstick romance makes up for nearly all of them.

Its emotional throughline doesn’t really play as intended. In order to break out of her rut, Loretta needs to stop living in the past, but the path laid out before her — of adventuring, rediscovering her old passions, and finally locating the ruins for which she and her husband had been searching — is distinctly at odds with this idea of moving forward. The film’s dramatic moments tend to grind things to a halt, acting as more of a pause button on the comedy than a complementary force, but thankfully, Tatum and Bullock’s banter is always just around the corner.

The supporting cast is, for the most part, delightful too, even when they don’t entirely work. Pitt is absurdly, almost satirically hyper-capable in an action-hero role tailor made for him. Radcliffe’s Napoleon complex as a scorned billionaire makes him a lively treat, as he whips between soft-spoken and megalomaniacal, and a couple of his key henchmen stick around throughout the story as well, adding their own color to the proceedings. One of them, Rafi (Héctor Aníbal), even has a connection to the island’s fictitious culture and gets his own conflicted arc in the process (though it doesn’t really pay this off). Elsewhere, the search for Loretta is augmented by her PR team, consisting of her hilariously misguided social media manager Allison (Patti Harrison), and her dedicated publisher Beth (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), who unfortunately finds herself on the receiving end of the film’s least funny dialogue — mostly alongside The Office’s Oscar Nunez as an idiosyncratic pilot, who simultaneously has too much screen time and yet too little to do.

Each time the focus moves away from Tatum and Bullock — more specifically, from their rapid-fire comedic exchanges — it’s a drag, albeit a largely inoffensive one. However, every time the story returns to them and allows them to let loose, they each paint their characters’ worst moments (Alan’s well-intended idiocy and Loretta’s hardened terseness) with enough vulnerability that it becomes impossible not to enjoy their presence. Not only are they funny, but they’re funny in a deeply honest way, where each barb, each argument, and eventually, each action-packed moment of reconciliation, comes from a character-centric place.

The Lost City leaves a lot to be desired, but when it works, it works like a charm.

The Lost City is bland and messy whenever Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum aren’t on screen. Thankfully, their comedic banter is front and center for most of the film, with Bullock, playing a kidnapped smut author, showing why she still excels at action and romance, and Tatum playing her well-meaning cover model, proving once again that he’s Hollywood’s greatest Himbo.

More Reviews by Siddhant Adlakha

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User reviews

The Lost City

A reclusive romance novelist on a book tour with her cover model gets swept up in a kidnapping attempt that lands them both in a cutthroat jungle adventure. A reclusive romance novelist on a book tour with her cover model gets swept up in a kidnapping attempt that lands them both in a cutthroat jungle adventure. A reclusive romance novelist on a book tour with her cover model gets swept up in a kidnapping attempt that lands them both in a cutthroat jungle adventure.

Sandra Bullock
Channing Tatum
Daniel Radcliffe
1.1K User reviews
252 Critic reviews
60 Metascore
3 wins & 10 nominations

Loretta Sage …

Abigail Fairfax

Beth Hatten

Jack Trainer

Ray the Moderator

Fantasy Villain

See all cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

Trivia Ryan Reynolds was originally sought after for the lead male role, marking this a reunion with Sandra Bullock after The Proposal (2009) but a deal couldn't be reached.
Goofs A reoccurring joke of criticizing a character for comparing another character to a "human mummy", is made by other characters, with them stating that "all mummies are human". This is false, as ancient Egyptians were known for mummifying animals (often the pets of the deceased) as well as humans, such as cats, dogs, birds, and snakes. So not all mummies are human. However, all the other characters being wrong only shows that Alan is actually smarter than everybody likes to think. (Don't judge a mummy by its bandages.)

Loretta : Why are you so handsome?

Jack Trainer : My father was a weatherman.

Crazy credits There is a short scene after the first part of the credits.
Connections Featured in Late Night with Seth Meyers: Holly Hunter/Patti Harrison/Catherine Cohen/Larnell Lewis (2022)
Soundtracks True Written by Gary Kemp Performed by Spandau Ballet Courtesy of Parlophone Records Limited By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User reviews 1.1K

Mar 25, 2022
How long is The Lost City? Powered by Alexa
March 25, 2022 (United States)
United States
Official Site
Official Site (Japan)
Thành Phố Mất Tích
Samana, Dominican Republic
Paramount Pictures
3dot productions
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$68,000,000 (estimated)
$105,344,029
$30,453,269
Mar 27, 2022
$192,907,684

Technical specs

Runtime 1 hour 52 minutes

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The Lost City finally fills in the very specific movie gap that The Mummy left behind

Channing Tatum, Sandra Bullock, and Daniel Radcliffe bring back the high-energy, high-stakes action-romance

Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock look up with a waterfall behind them in the jungle in The Lost City

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This review comes out of the 2022 media expo SXSW, where Polygon sent writers to look at the next wave of upcoming releases.

The adventure-romance genre has stood the test of time for a reason. At its best, it offers exotic, remote locations that don’t often show up in movies; a beautiful couple with good chemistry; and a compelling adventure with danger, a love story, and usually a solid sense of humor. After 1951’s The African Queen set the standard for adventure-romances by uniting its era’s biggest stars on a high-stakes trip, and 1984’s Romancing the Stone parlayed the same concept into a crowd-pleasing blockbuster, many filmmakers have tried to replicate the formula. But they’ve found it surprisingly difficult to do well.

While the plot of The Lost City makes it sound notably similar to Romancing the Stone , it’s actually most successful as a successor to The Mummy , a film that found the comedy in the adventure-romance genre and inspired many competitors that failed to live up to it. The Lost City doesn’t have the most exciting or novel plot, and it doesn’t push action filmmaking forward. But it does feature two of the moment’s greatest movie stars coming in at the top of their rom-com game, mixing adventure and love. Filmmaking brothers Aaron Nee and Adam Nee ( The Last Romantic , Band of Robbers ) avoid many of the stereotypes these movies normally fall into, and along the way, they remind viewers that Channing Tatum is a perfect himbo, and Sandra Bullock is a long-standing rom-com queen.

Channing Tatum and Brad Pitt wheel Sandra Bullock away from a huge explosion in a wheelbarrow in The Lost City

Bullock stars as Loretta Sage, a former archaeologist who has discovered that people aren’t really interested in books about lost civilizations, but they will certainly read a romance novel featuring a hot adventurer going to faraway places. She’s channeled her knowledge into writing those novels, but after years of filling books with the same double-entendre jokes comparing lava flowing down a volcano to different fluids flowing down her fictional hero’s “volcano,” she’s become bitter and dissatisfied — especially over her sweet but dimwitted cover model Alan (Tatum), who seems to think he really is the Fabio-inspired star of her books.

After a string of bestsellers, Loretta wants nothing more than to stop writing novels, even if that means ruining her new book tour before it begins. She doesn’t much care about derailing it, since everyone seems to be there just to see Alan shirtless, not to hear about a book. But Loretta can’t drop her career so easily, because she gets abducted by Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), a rich guy who really wants her to know both that “Abigail” is a gender-neutral name, and that the lost city from Loretta’s new book is real and that it’s hiding an immense treasure. He wants her to translate some ancient writing and help him secure the treasure before a volcano eruption buries the whole thing. If he can use the discovery to finally get one up on his more successful brother, all the better.

Yes, the story is a not-so-hidden repeat of Romancing the Stone , with a novelist getting sucked into a treasure hunt in the Latin American jungle. But the cast makes The Lost City stand out. Bullock channels her Miss Congeniality comedic chops for a slapstick performance that shows she isn’t afraid of looking silly. Tatum shows why he’s one of this decade’s biggest movie stars: He excels at exploiting his looks and charisma for comedy. It’s worth watching the movie just to see him utterly fail at being an action hero, like when Loretta throws him a gun and he ducks instead of catching it.

Channing Tatum, in a frilly white shirt, points into the distance while standing with a white horse on a beach in The Lost City

Then there’s the scene-stealing supporting cast, including Brad Pitt channeling his cool, carefree character from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood to play a true action-adventure hero with a magical head of hair. And of course, a good adventure film needs a good villain, and Radcliffe makes a welcome return to blockbusters with a performance that feels like he did a bump of Adderall in the bathroom before every scene.

There’s no question that the Nee brothers and their screenwriting partners Oren Uziel (of the 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot ) and Dana Fox (a writer on Cruella ) consider the movie’s laughs more important than its big stunts. Taking some cues from The Mummy , they’ve clearly decided that they have a winning combination in a big, dumb action hero who looks just as cool beating up a bad guy as he does falling off a motorcycle like a doofus. And placing him next to a capable, smart woman who doesn’t really need saving can create some sparkling chemistry. Not since Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz has a movie like this exuded so much steamy hot chemistry. The Lost City gets a lot of mileage out of placing Bullock and Tatum in awkward but funny situations, as when she has to pull leeches off his butt.

As a treasure-hunting adventure film, like Jungle Cruise , National Treasure, or the recent Uncharted , The Lost City hits the usual notes: your standard puzzle-solving, your codexes, your crawling through very narrow cave openings, and so forth. But thankfully, the creators don’t try to cram in elaborate mechanisms that are hundreds of years old yet have never been found before, like Uncharted does . They also don’t go the Indiana Jones route, with artifacts that are actually magical.

Daniel Radcliffe in a white suit holds a cup of tea and stands over a desk in a tent in The Lost City

Instead, they offer up a grounded, clever roadmap to a supposed treasure that is simply blown out of proportion by unsuspecting white people who expect a big El Dorado-esque secret at the end of the journey. A big problem with adventure films like this is that they focus on stereotypes and on exoticizing other cultures until they’re unrecognizable. The Lost City dodges the issue by mostly ignoring the lore around the treasure in favor of the comedic hijinks between its leads, and by treating the local population with care. When Loretta and Alan arrive in a small town, there’s no special local festival with unusual traditions, no grand welcome for the white foreigners — just a town square where people hang out on a Saturday evening.

But while the filmmakers try to mitigate their use of a Latin American island as an exotic setting by having one of the henchmen be a local with a connection to the culture and the treasure, he’s somewhat left behind by the plot. And The Lost City does include one unfortunate stereotype: a sex-crazed Latin-lover character, who’s played for laughs without adding anything to the story.

In this and other ways, the team behind The Lost City isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel on the adventure-romance trope, so much as it’s trying to slightly update and revive a subgenre that’s faded into the background of cinema, along with theatrical rom-coms and big ensemble comedy movies. The Lost City is capable enough to step into the void and take advantage of the way films like The Mummy have become less common, but it isn’t so striking or memorable that it’s likely to usher in a new era of treasure-hunting capers. Still, Bullock and Tatum’s chemistry is a reminder of why this type of film used to occupy as much space as it did in theaters. It’s an old-school kind of screwball comedy, seemingly designed to ask a single question: Are filmgoers ready and excited for another Mummy yet?

The Lost City opens in theaters on March 24.

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

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'The Lost City' is silly, sexy, movie-star fun

Linda Holmes

There are so many Sandra Bullocks, and there are so many Channing Tatums.

Putting these two in a movie together could give you the gritty and dramatic, the glamorous, or the swooning and romantic version of both. But happily, The Lost City gives you their silly romantic-comedy version. I must admit: In both cases, I think it's my favorite.

Rom-com movies have evolved. But they still need these 3 simple elements

Bullock plays Loretta, who started out as an anthropologist and, after the death of her husband and collaborator, used that knowledge to write a hugely popular series of adventure romance novels featuring a hero named Dash. Tatum plays Alan, the cover model who represents Dash, whose Fabio-ish flowing locks have made him even more popular with Loretta's fans than she is. Loretta is ambivalent as she debuts her latest novel; she's in a rut with these characters, and to the dismay of her editor, Beth (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), she's thinking about just closing down the whole franchise. Among other things, she's sick of being forced to promote her books alongside Alan, whom she considers vain and dopey.

Loretta is in the middle of blowing up her book tour when she is grabbed by a couple of dudes who work for a rich jerk named Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), whose reason for kidnapping Loretta relates to her academic work rather than her novels. When Alan — who does like Loretta, even though she doesn't like him at all — realizes she's in trouble, he decides to try to rescue her. So it turns into an adventure-romcom, and of course they learn to like each other, and comedy ensues.

The obvious reference here is Romancing the Stone , the 1984 film in which Kathleen Turner plays a romance novelist who gets swept up in an adventure with Michael Douglas' on-the-nose rugged adventure hero. But this is really an inversion of that idea, given that Alan is very much not Dash, and in a very funny sequence I really don't want to spoil, you get a chance to see him alongside a guy who is more like Dash, and the two could not be more different.

There's not much to this movie from a plot perspective, and few of the story beats are going to surprise anybody or say anything. (Although I do like the way that what threatens early on to become a distasteful caricature of romance writing gets some reconsideration as the film goes along.) The draw in The Lost City is simply the fabulous time everybody seems to be having, particularly Bullock and Tatum, who are delightful together, and both of whom capitalize very well on their skills in physical comedy.

Channing Tatum is one of the best of his generation at understanding his physical self and using it in interesting ways, from the dancing in Step Up and Magic Mike, to the unexpected action scenes in Haywire, to the stillness of the athlete he played in Foxcatcher, to his talent in comedy. He has not only a dancer's understanding of dance itself, but a dancer's understanding of his body and how it plays in different settings. Here, he takes a character who is introduced as a perfect specimen and finds the guy's inner doofus. And it's not just through pratfalls — it's through small, smart choices (how he runs, how he crouches, how he stands, what he looks like when he's scared) that strip away cover-model swagger and emphasize that an action hero is not just a guy who goes to the gym.

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This kind of being funny is also one of Sandra Bullock's strengths. She's always been good in comedies and in action movies with comedy elements, like Speed , in part because she understands not only how to deliver jokes, but how to look funny. Most of Miss Congeniality is about this; she is why it works. And there's a moment in While You Were Sleeping in which the great Jason Bernard, playing Bullock's boss, gives her a blunt assessment of her standing as the fake fiancée of a man in a coma, and she makes what might be the most inspired "yikes" face of the '90s. When people think of physical comedy, maybe it's more traditional to mean broad and big sequences, but these are both actors whose talent in comedy is closely connected with how well they understand what looks funny.

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They're also both very good at turning on a dime; there's a scene in which they do get to dance together (if you're going to be in a romantic comedy with Channing Tatum, you should certainly get to dance with him), and as silly as the rest of the movie is, that scene is pretty sexy. And refreshingly, even though there's more than 15 years between Bullock and Tatum, nobody talks about it — just like they rarely talk about it when men in romantic films are significantly older than the women they played opposite.

The Lost City isn't up there with the brilliantly silly Paul Feig action comedies that it seems to be inspired by, like Spy and The Heat . It doesn't have the joke density they do, nor the multiplicity of inspired supporting performances. (It's possible the writing got a little scattershot — the screenplay is credited to the directors Adam and Aaron Nee, plus Dana Fox and Oren Uziel, from a story by Seth Gordon. The shaggy script may have had too many cooks.) And despite the fact that Loretta talks (and the movie talks) about how "artifact near a volcano" stories about white "adventurers" are adjacent to colonization, the fact remains that the movie still is calling on a lot of those tropes, even as it tries to critique them a bit.

Still, as a broadly goofy comedy featuring two enormously charismatic leads who are perfectly suited to each other, it scratches a particular itch very, very effectively.

Paramount Pictures

Summary Brilliant, but reclusive author Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) has spent her career writing about exotic places in her popular romance-adventure novels featuring handsome cover model Alan (Channing Tatum), who has dedicated his life to embodying the hero character, “Dash.” While on tour promoting her new book with Alan, Loretta is kidnapp ... Read More

Directed By : Aaron Nee, Adam Nee

Written By : Oren Uziel, Dana Fox, Seth Gordon, Adam Nee, Aaron Nee

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Review: Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum go enjoyably neo-screwball in ‘The Lost City’

A woman and a man beside a waterfall in the movie "The Lost City."

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Midway through the tomb-raiding, car-crashing, butt-baring shenanigans of “The Lost City,” Channing Tatum pauses to remind Sandra Bullock not to judge a book by its cover. It’s an apt cliché: She plays Loretta Sage, the author of a series of popular romance novels; he’s Alan, the stud whose ripped chest and Fabio wig have helped sell her paperbacks to millions of happy readers. To Loretta, Alan is an incompetent himbo with delusions of grandeur and certainly the last fool she’d want to be stuck with on a wild and crazy jungle adventure. But like a lot of Tatum characters (see the “Magic Mike” and “21 Jump Street” movies — seriously), he turns out to be smarter, deeper and more genuinely heroic than she expects.

So sure, don’t judge a book by its cover. I should note, however, that I may have committed an equivalent offense when I opted to check out “The Lost City”: The poster made it look kind of fun, and lo and behold, it is. It helps that the pairing of Bullock and Tatum — now that sounds like a law firm I’d hire, or at least a hoity-toity restaurant I’d eat at — is as delightful as you’d expect from two actors of such goofy charm and combustible energy. It also helps that the directors, Aaron and Adam Nee ( “Band of Robbers” ), have tailored this unapologetically derivative vehicle to their stars’ easygoing chemistry, taking what might have been a strained, clanging excuse for a mainstream action-comedy and investing it with, if not big belly laughs, then at least a refreshing sweetness of spirit.

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The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic . Because moviegoing carries risks during this time, we remind readers to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by the CDC and local health officials .

This may sound like a strange thing to say about a movie in which the male lead gets spattered with human viscera and attacked by blood-sucking leeches (though not, thankfully, in the same scene). But I’m getting ahead of the plot, which is a pleasant mix of the familiar, the preposterous and the familiarly preposterous.

Along with their co-writers, Oren Uziel and Dana Fox, the brothers Nee have rearranged the sturdy bones of “Romancing the Stone,” Robert Zemeckis’ 1984 adventure starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. Once again a pulp novelist finds herself lost in a distant jungle thanks to some treasure-hungry ne’er-do-wells, and once again a not-entirely-trustworthy man comes to her ostensible rescue. This variation on the formula has fewer crocodiles and more explosions; it also has a bonus extended cameo by Brad Pitt , briefly and amusingly sending up his own guy’s-guy nonchalance.

(L-R) Directors Adam Nee and Aaron Nee, Liza Chasin, Daniel Radcliffe and Sandra Bullock onstage at SXSW for "The Lost City"

Sandra Bullock makes ‘The Lost City’ feel like home at SXSW

The action-comedy ‘The Lost City,’ starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum and Daniel Radcliffe, brought warm, friendly star power to Austin, Texas.

March 13, 2022

The two lead roles have also been deftly customized, both to reflect a more 21st-century gender dynamic and to accommodate the yin-yang mix of Bullock’s smarts and Tatum’s sensitivity. Loretta may be a popular writer, but she also despises her work and most of her readers; she’s a serious-minded archaeologist by trade (so, sniff, was her late husband) with a specialty in dead languages. This (sort of) explains why she’s suddenly kidnapped, mid-book tour, by Alistair Fairfax (a very good Daniel Radcliffe), a wealthy media baron with a Murdoch-scion complex who flies her to his heavily guarded compound on a distant island, where she and she alone can locate the whereabouts of some storied El Dorado.

And so even as she has to traipse through the jungle in an impractical sequined jumpsuit as purple as her prose, Loretta is hardly a damsel in distress. And Bullock, having already bested an exploding bus in “Speed,” a failing spacecraft in “Gravity” and a suicidal epidemic in “Bird Box,” regards this out-of-nowhere abduction as if it were merely an ill-timed holiday. Loretta is better prepared to survive a deadly tropical adventure than, say, Alan, who nonetheless touchingly chases after her, determined to live up to the chivalry and heroism of his fictional alter ego.

Daniel Radcliffe and Sandra Bullock in “The Lost City.”

And after a bumbling, grumbling fashion, he does. Alan isn’t much of a fighter, as we see in a few amusingly staged early action scenes, but his abiding sweetness gradually disarms Loretta, as does his habit of shedding clothing whenever narratively necessary (which is cheekily often). It also nudges “The Lost City” into a more pleasurably laid-back groove than you might expect. You wouldn’t call this movie understated, exactly: There are cars to crash, ancient treasures to uncover and bad men to incinerate, but Bullock and Tatum never seem in any particular hurry to get it all done.

They make an effortlessly watchable duo, whether they’re squeezing into a hammock or negotiating the gently bickersome neo-screwball rhythms of the dialogue. The other actors pick up nicely on their vibes, including Oscar Nuñez as a friendly guy with a goat and a terrific Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Loretta’s tirelessly loyal book agent, who knows all too well the value of romantic fantasies as shrewdly calculated as this one.

‘The Lost City’

Rated: PG-13, for violence and some bloody images, suggestive material, partial nudity and language Running time: 1 hour, 52 minutes Playing: Starts March 25 in general release

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The lost city review: bullock & tatum charm in fun old-school adventure.

With the effortlessly charming and talented cast doing most of the heavy lifting, The Lost City makes for a highly entertaining, joyful adventure.

Directed by Adam Nee and Aaron Nee from a screenplay they co-wrote with Oren Uziel and Dana Fox, The Lost City feels like a film from the past (in a good way). The film doesn’t set out to do anything different, settling into the comforts certain tropes and story beats provide. However, that doesn’t make The Lost City any less fun than it aims to be. With the effortlessly charming and talented cast doing most of the heavy lifting, The Lost City makes for a highly entertaining, joyful adventure.

The Lost City follows best-selling romance author Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock), a widow who is trying her best to finish her latest book in time for a book tour her manager, Beth (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), put together. Loretta isn’t feeling it, though, especially when she realizes Alan (Channing Tatum), a model who portrays Dash, Loretta’s character, on the cover of all of her books, will be at the events. All Alan wants to do is please Loretta, but all the recluse wants to do is to go back home. However, her life takes an adventurous turn when she’s kidnapped by billionaire Abigail Fairfax ( Daniel Radcliffe ), who believes the Lost City of D the author wrote about — as well as the tomb containing a treasure he’s seeking — is real. Enter Alan who, despite not knowing at all what he’s doing, endeavors to go save her.

Related: Sandra Bullock Fought Studio Hard to Get The Lost City Movie Made

The Lost City has a lot going for it: a charming cast, genuinely funny moments, and some adrenaline-fueled adventure. The film harkens back to the days when such romcom adventures were more of a constant. Bullock and Tatum have the bickering down, but when things slow down between them, they’re able to understand each other a lot better than before. As a team, they work well and they’re the highlight of the film overall, with their comedic timing being especially worth noting. Tatum really delivers as a man who’s got his heart in the right place, even when he isn’t the most intelligent of people. His rapport with both Bullock and Brad Pitt — whose role as Jack Trainer is smaller than the trailers would have one believe — is fantastic. The frustrated energy Bullock puts out is fabulous and the physical humor employed by Tatum underlines his comedic abilities well.

If anything, The Lost City could have used a lot more heat between Bullock and Tatum, with only a couple of scenes making good use of their chemistry before the film moves on too quickly to the next thing. That said, the film is well-paced and, at one point, even surprising. Not all the humor lands, but it is so full with comedic moments that the audience will find themselves laughing more often than not at the antics and reactions of the characters. Tatum’s Alan, who has zero combat skills, takes to slapping Fairfax’s henchmen when they attack and it’s incredibly amusing to watch. Mostly, The Lost City is buoyed by Bullock and Tatum’s charisma, of which they have plenty. Radcliffe’s turn as the villain of the story really works, though he only gets a few moments to show off how truly menacing he can be.

The Lost City is an overall fun film. It’s engaging and full of humor that never feels forced for the sake of it. Aaron and Adam Nee have crafted a film that is never boring, maintaining its sense of intrigue and momentum throughout without falling flat. It’s rare for films these days to mix a bit of romance with the thrills of an adventure without crumbling under their own weight or lack of charm. However, The Lost City has plenty of each and, while obviously formulaic, audiences will find themselves entertained for the majority of the film’s runtime thanks to a story that understands what it’s supposed to be and the talents of a great cast.

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The Lost City is playing in theaters as of March 25, 2022. The film is 112 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for violence and some bloody images, suggestive material, partial nudity and language.

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Buckles are swashed … Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in The Lost City, released in the UK on 15 April.

The Lost City review – Bullock and Tatum bring welcome silliness

Tongues are firmly in cheeks in this amiable adventure-comedy which sees game performances and quality cameos deliver the laughs

T here are some nice lines, game performances, midrange CGI and a worryingly unfunny credits sting in this otherwise likable adventure-comedy in the tradition of Romancing the Stone. Sandra Bullock plays Loretta, the author of a novel franchise-series about a Lara-Croft-type badass discovering exciting secrets in far-flung places with her lover Dash. But Loretta has to live with the fact that her books are bestsellers because of the hunky male model, Alan (Channing Tatum) who always appears on the front covers “playing” Dash – and this temperamental, over-moisturised gym bunny now gets to appear on stage with Loretta on her book tours, preening and pouting like Magic Mike for the simpering fanbase. But when an evil bearded British billionaire (Daniel Radcliffe) kidnaps Loretta and takes her to a mysterious island because he is convinced she can tell him about ancient treasure there, silly Alan has to toughen up and be the swashbuckling hero he dreams of being, by rescuing her.

There are some amusing touches and quality cameos, including one from Brad Pitt as the (genuine) tough guy that they initially hire to find Loretta. Bullock duly has a stunned piece of dialogue with him: “Why are you so handsome?” “My dad was a weatherman.” There is also Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Loretta’s manager Beth, who has her own adventure getting to the island to ensure her client is safe.

This is all amiable enough, with the all-important dimension of laughs: Tatum and Bullock showing that they are smart enough to know how silly it is, and that they know that we know that they know. There is also a very bizarre scene, apparently inspired by The African Queen, in which Bullock has to pluck blood-sucking slugs from Tatum’s rock-hard buttocks and is then reduced to gibbering inarticulacy at the sight of his penis. I don’t remember Katharine Hepburn doing this with Humphrey Bogart.

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‘The Lost City’ review: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum find a chemistry that’s off the charts

Movie review.

How charming is “The Lost City”? So charming that the villain is played by Daniel Radcliffe. So charming that it leaves you wondering why nobody has asked Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum to host the Oscars, or make an “Ocean’s 8” sequel in which he’s the mark, or team up for a series of PSAs in which they just banter for 30 seconds and make everyone feel better. So charming that the popcorn I was holding simply vanished, with no memory of it having ever existed. So charming that Brad Pitt, who pops by for an extended cameo, is not even the most charming person in it — and that, my friends, is a lot of charm.

“The Lost City,” directed by brothers Aaron Nee and Adam Nee, is no masterpiece; you sense that in the hands of a lesser cast, it might even have been a bit of a slog. Its story feels both ridiculous and predictable: Loretta Sage (Bullock), the reclusive author of bestselling romantic adventure novels, gets kidnapped while wearing a purple sequined jumpsuit (this is an important detail) by an eccentric rich dude (Radcliffe) who hopes she can lead him to a lost treasure in an ancient city alluded to in her recent book. Alan (Tatum), the absurdly handsome cover model for her book series, takes it upon himself to rescue her. Lots of running about in the jungle ensues, along with other “Romancing the Stone”-ish complications that you can likely figure out for yourself.

But Bullock and Tatum take hold of the material and turn it into an enchanted screwball. These two characters, we learn, don’t initially like each other very much: Loretta complains to her long-suffering agent (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) that “he’s always glistening all over the place”; Alan calls Loretta a “human mummy,” only to be reminded that mummies are human. (Alan is not the brightest bulb in the box, something Tatum plays with a sweetly masterful deadpan; referring to Loretta as a “word writer extra ordinary.”) After the kidnapping, Alan engages the services of a contractor skilled in jungle rescue (a grinning Pitt, having a ball) but insists on coming along on the mission, “for backup and awesomeness.” I cannot begin to describe how perfectly Tatum delivers that line, and I would like to get it as a ringtone.

The comic chemistry between these two is off the charts, and it’s such a pleasure to see Bullock, who’s been taking a detour into heavy drama lately (“Bird Box,” “The Unforgivable”), reminding us that she’s both the most likable of stars and a brilliant comedian. Watch her variety of funny walks; note how Loretta’s posture changes in that jumpsuit (it’s as if she’s apologizing for it); and listen as both she and Tatum mutter asides to each other that feel entirely spontaneous. Maybe they are? Here’s hoping these two team up again, immediately; we need them.

With Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Brad Pitt, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Oscar Nunez, Patti Harrison. Directed by Adam Nee and Aaron Nee, from a screenplay by Oren Uziel, Dana Fox, Nee and Nee. 112 minutes. Rated PG-13 for violence and some bloody images, suggestive material, partial nudity and language. Opens March 23 at multiple theaters.

The Lost City Review

13 Apr 2022

The Lost City

Death cannot stop true love; it can only delay it for a while. Or so The Princess Bride taught us. Sure enough, the much bally-hooed death of the big-screen romcom is beginning to look more like a hiatus, because here we are in 2022 with a crowd-pleasing, star-led romance in an exotic location. If much of directors Adam and Aaron Nee’s plot feels like a throwback to an earlier era, and in particular to Romancing The Stone , the humour here is entirely up-to-date and immensely fun.

The familiar bits first: Sandra Bullock steps into Kathleen Turner ’s shoes as a successful romance novelist whose personal life is a mess. But unlike Joan Wilder, Bullock’s Loretta is grieving a lost husband, and seems irritable at the success of her own books. In place of Michael Douglas ’ tough jungle guide we have Channing Tatum ’s gentle cover model Alan, who’s nursing both a crush on and a grudge against Loretta, the latter for her refusal to take her own books seriously. However, when she’s kidnapped by a media billionaire’s son, Abigail Fairfax ( Daniel Radcliffe ), Alan swings ineffectually into action, and soon our two heroes are lost in the jungle of a small island, bickering and perhaps bonding as they try to find safety.

None of this is particularly new, of course. Bullock has played the wary, uptight over-achiever before; Tatum’s given us previous variations on witless-yet-beautiful; even a bit with leeches has been done before. But the film finds nuance to season the archetypes. There’s more than lip service paid to Loretta’s grief and her dashed dreams of serious scholarship, and while she’s not immune to Alan’s looks, you can see  why he wouldn’t be on her radar. Tatum, meanwhile, gamely plays the bimbo role, but manages to inject just enough edge to suggest  that Alan’s brain is merely underutilised and not entirely absent.

This movie is like its star’s jumpsuit: sparkly, gorgeous and entirely frivolous.

With the stars carrying the film along, the Nees can add emotion and humour in the detail. They mine laughs from Alan’s phone contacts and Fairfax’s cheese board, while costume designer Marlene Stewart puts Bullock in a fuschia-coloured sequinned jumpsuit that plays well against the otherwise standard jungle aesthetics. Brad Pitt ’s hyper-capable survival trainer, Jack Trainer, is an awe-inspiring embodiment of the romance novel archetype who threatens even the usually laid-back Alan, while Da’Vine Joy Randolph does a lot with very little as Loretta’s editor. Radcliffe even comes close to saying something true about the entitlement and self-righteousness of the super-wealthy as a black-sheep billionaire.

Really, though, you have to want to find deeper meanings here. This movie is like its star’s jumpsuit: sparkly, gorgeous and entirely frivolous. It coasts by on charisma and comedic talent, on dancing and daring, on stunning locations (the Dominican jungle) and stakes that are high enough to hold the attention and not a millimetre higher. You will predict almost every beat before it arrives and welcome its arrival anyway, because the formula works. The romcom is dead; long live the romcom.

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The Lost City Review: Star-Studded Adventure Delivers Big Laughs

A romance novelist (Sandra Bullock) and a male model (Channing Tatum) search for a mythical treasure in The Lost City.

Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, and a scene-stealing Brad Pitt are hilarious in a better than expected romantic comedy. The Lost City takes a reclusive author and clueless male model on a wacky slapstick adventure loaded with saucy double entendres. The archeology subplot is a clever set up for the fish out water shenanigans. The film runs about twenty minutes long but keeps the laughs flowing consistently.

Sandra Bullock stars as Loretta Sage, a best-selling romance novelist who's been hiding from the outside world for five years. She continues to grieve after the death of her beloved archeologist husband. Loretta's publisher, Beth (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), forces her out of seclusion to start a book tour. Loretta dreads public appearances. Especially when all the lusty fans come to see Alan (Channing Tatum), the chiseled male model who portrays Dash, her fictional gallant hero, on the book covers.

Their first event turns out to be the disaster Loretta expected. Alan does his best to impress her but always comes off as an imbecile. The situation gets worse when Loretta is kidnapped by Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), a slighted media mogul. He's looking for the mythical Crown of Fire and thinks Loretta can decipher a clue to its remote island location. Alan springs into action to rescue Loretta. He contracts an elite soldier (Brad Pitt) for the job. But wants to tag along and prove his worth to Loretta.

The Cast Elevates The Script

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum elevate the script with talent. Loretta can't believe what's happening to her. And gets more frustrated by Alan's spectacular bungling. He tries his best to emulate Dash's heroics but falls short. Alan's a sweet guy that's tired of being ridiculed for his shirtless modeling. His noble efforts bring Loretta out of her shell. She's a capable woman who needed a nudge forward. Their scenes together in the jungle will have audiences howling with laughter.

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The supporting cast holds their comedic own with the leads. Brad Pitt almost steals the show with a sliver of screen time. He's Dash personified and that completely emasculates Alan. Channing Tatum, who normally plays the good-looking savior, trips over himself as the goofy sidekick. Daniel Radcliffe also gets big laughs as the antagonist. He clearly relishes a role that his legion of Harry Potter fans would never expect. Radcliffe is akin to a rom-com Bond villain with a bruised ego. He's such a versatile actor.

Humor in The Lost City

The Lost City does not take itself seriously. It is an escapist film with a lot of physical humor. The script counts on the ensemble cast to shore up the plot with pratfalls and sight gags. There's a running joke about Loretta's purple-sequined jumpsuit. It's a plot device designed to be used throughout as an easy source of chuckles. I thought these scenes were good fun. They allow the cast to improvise but can see where some may find them silly.

The Lost City is a check our brain at the door experience. The film reminded me of the Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas eighties classic, Romancing the Stone. It's light, fluffy, and will put a smile on your face. No one will walk out of the theater in a bad mood. That's exactly the kind of entertainment needed in such stressful times.

The Lost City is a production of Fortis Films, 3dot Productions, and Exhibit A. It will have a March 25th theatrical release from Paramount Pictures.

The Lost City Elevates a Standard Plot With Humor & Chemistry

The Lost City's endearing characters, strong performances, and enthusiastic embrace of genre tropes elevate a by-the-numbers plot.

The Lost City suffers from a forgettable plot but is otherwise largely a comic success. The movie is elevated by a committed cast and an unabashedly enthusiastic tone that finds the right balance of embracing and parodying the genres it recreates.

After years of writing successful (and self-described schlock) romance-adventure novels, Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) decides she's had enough. Intending to end the series and retreat back into her grief over the death of her husband, Sage is caught off-guard when the volatile billionaire Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) kidnaps her and brings her to a remote island. It turns out a reference to her husband's archeology work in her books gives Sage key insight into potentially uncovering an ancient city containing a priceless treasure. Meanwhile, Sage's well-meaning but dimwitted cover model Alan (Channing Tatum) and her desperate publicist Beth (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) embark on separate missions to rescue her. Alan rushes to the island after recruiting the military expert Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt).

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The Lost City is unapologetic in its influences, drawing equally from Romancing the Stone , Indiana Jones , and even a bit of 21 Jump Street's knowing embrace of genre tropes. That doesn't hurt the film. If anything, the unsubtle references give the film's leads more room to poke fun at the genres without going full parody. Bullock and Tatum's chemistry carries the film, with Tatum's puppy-dog enthusiasm to save the day proving consistently endearing. Bullock finds interesting touches to a relatively one-note character, whose motivations throughout the film prove shakier than Tatum's straightforward character. The real MVP though is Radcliffe, who digs his teeth into a comically manic performance as a would-be villain who's so over his head that his desperation becomes genuinely threatening.

The Lost City honestly shouldn't work as well as it does. The plot is straightforward, and many of the jokes prove somewhat obvious. Comic discretions abound, distracting from a plot that always seems to be in a hurry to skip to the comedy and action beats. Those little throwaway gags spent with Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Patti Harrison, and Oscar Nuñez are all entertaining, relying on the performers to imbue the minor characters with fun touches. The Lost City showcases directors Adam and Aaron Nee's action-chops well. In fact, the pair prove adept at the bombastic adventure-comedy and still imbue their characters with the kind of earnest core that made their previous films like Band of Robbers sing.

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Even the obvious sight gags and action beats largely land thanks to Bullock and Tatum, both of whom have showcased impressive comic chops over the years and quickly find a fun rapport together. Both are also refreshingly willing to go full slapstick with their antics. The biggest laughs happen when they just bicker or reason with one another, which could carry a film all on its own. The film would fall apart without Bullock and Tatum. The plot of The Lost City is almost an after-thought, but not in a careless way. The film is just far more focused on the interplay of the characters and how the journey reflects Loretta's own personal growth. Threading the story is her lingering grief over losing her husband, an element that carries the emotional heft of her arc and works as well as it does because of Bullock's performance.

At one point, Tatum's Alan finds himself defending "schlock" and other kinds of entertainment that might be called disposable, highlighting how happy it can make people. It's a sentiment at the heart of the entire film -- just have fun, and don't overcomplicate the nice things in life. If that line is a statement of intent and purpose, The Lost City achieves its goal fairly well. While the film might not be revolutionary, it is certainly an entertaining watch.

The Lost City hits theaters on March 25.

KEEP READING: Is Channing Tatum's Gambit Movie Dead Or Can Disney Save Fox's Forgotten X-Men Film?

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DVD & Streaming

The Lost City

Action/Adventure , Comedy , Romance

Content Caution

In Theaters

March 25, 2022
Sandra Bullock as Loretta Sage; Channing Tatum as Alan; Daniel Radcliffe as Fairfax; Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Beth; Brad Pitt as Jack Trainer; Patti Harrison as Pratt Caprison; Oscar Nunez as Adrian Austin

Home Release Date

May 10, 2022
Aaron and Adam Nee

Distributor

Paramount Pictures

Movie Review

Loretta Sage is suffering from a serious case of lover’s block.

Not writer’s block. The novelist can string words together just fine. But the thing is, Loretta writes romance novels. And honestly, ever since her husband died, Loretta just hasn’t been in the mood for romance.

Her latest book , The Lost City of D (featuring her popular protagonists Lovemore and Dash) was as steamy as a cold shower, as sultry as a tax audit. And even though her romances have sold incredibly well, Loretta feels as though The Lost City of D might be her last. Dash can dash off, for all she cares—yellow hair streaming in the sunset—and leave Loretta alone.

But first, she’ll have to participate in one more excruciating book tour—answering the same questions, plastering on the same fake smiles. Worse yet, the tour includes Alan Caprison, the beefy, blond model who—thanks to myriad appearances on Loretta’s book covers—has become synonymous with Dash. In fact, it seems that most of Loretta’s fans actually want to see Alan . And preferably without his shirt.

But as the first stop on the tour winds down, Loretta meets a fan who wants to talk with her . It would’ve been more flattering, perhaps, if the fan (a rich fellow named Fairfax) hadn’t also sent a couple of goons to kidnap her. Fairfax, you see, isn’t that interested in the plot of the Lost City of D : He’s more interested in the actual lost city Loretta wrote about, and the treasure that might be found there.

Fairfax knows that before Loretta became a romance novelist, she was a lost-language specialist: He believes that she based her book on real history. In fact, Fairfax knows it: He found Loretta’s Lost City and now owns the island on which it sits.

But now he needs Loretta’s help. See, somewhere in that archaeological ruin lies the fabled Crown of Fire, a bit of treasure that must be worth ever-so-much. Moreover, he’s uncovered a strip of cloth written in a language lost to everyone but Loretta. He believes that it might—no, it must —point to the fabulous crown. And he needs to retrieve it quickly, before the island’s volcano buries it underneath a few layers of lava.

Loretta politely declines to work with Fairfax, but refusal is not an option. The novelist is promptly chloroformed and whisked off to this island paradise/prison/potential tomb. She’ll help Fairfax: Oh, yes. Fairfax will make sure of it.

It’s just the sort of scenario that Loretta might write about, actually—one she’d neatly resolve with heroic Dash riding in on a white horse, hair gleaming, muscles flexing, gun booming, dimples dimpling.

Alas, Dash isn’t real. But Alan is. Yeah, that’s right: The cover model. Sure, Alan may not have two doctorates or years of martial arts training like Dash. But he is a certified Crossfit trainer, and that counts for something, right?

Positive Elements

So, yes, Alan’s a little out of his depth here. He dives into this adventure despite being allergic to water. (A little dip in a jungle river gives him a serious case of eczema.) But he’s kind of attracted to the author, and he’s willing to put his life on the line to save her. He also turns out to be a pretty decent, kind-hearted fellow, too—not just Dash’s mindless, muscle-bound stand-in. You might say (and the movie actually does) that Loretta learns a bit about not judging book models by their cover. Or something.

Beth, Loretta’s publisher, is equally dedicated to the writer. While she doesn’t come swinging into the jungle like Alan does, she works tirelessly to rescue Loretta—buying tickets, twisting arms, riding goat-laden cargo planes as she tries to track down her star writer. And she gets a little help herself from Adrian, the owner of the aforementioned cargo plane, who aids the party in unexpected ways.

Spiritual Elements

Someone calls Adrian an angel in passing. “How did you know?” he says. Some characters participate in what appears to be a meditation class, and we learn that Alan met a character at a meditation retreat. We hear an exclamation of “Holy Christmas!” We hear a quote attributed to Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism: “To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.”

Sexual Content

Fairfax refers to Loretta as the “sex book writer.” And gathering from the snippets we hear from her books, that feels pretty accurate. Readings are filled with suggestive imagery and titillating verbiage (without crossing the line into straight-up verbal pornography), and Loretta coaches someone on how to pace a book’s erotic elements for full emotional appeal. One night, as she tries to treat the eczema on Alan’s exposed back, Alan asks how she might “write” that scene and make it romantic. Her narration is filled with erotic descriptions and ends with the heroine’s request to have sex.

Loretta and Alan don’t physically replay Loretta’s sensual narration, but (obviously) a mutual attraction does develop between them, and they smooch a time or two. They also, comically, share a hammock. Loretta also sees all of Alan’s anatomy after a leech-infested wade through a river: Alan exposes his buttocks to her (and the camera), and Loretta has to pull leeches off his posterior. He then turns around so she can inspect his crotch: (She makes several comments on what she sees, but the audience doesn’t itself see anything.)

Alan often goes shirtless, and Loretta quips that the model finds an excuse to remove his shirt during every public appearance. (During a mutual appearance during the book tour, the audience convinces Loretta to remove Dash’s shirt for him—though the removal attempt goes awry.) During that same tour stop, Loretta’s publicist forces Loretta to wear what the writer describes as a “glitter onesie.” It reveals quite a bit of cleavage and is quite tight—so much so that Loretta claims the fabric is climbing up into numerous areas. (She wears the outfit for most of the rest of the movie, though the onesie’s leggings eventually are ripped off.) She smuggles a bit of cloth in her own outfit, tucking it between her breast and the onesie’s fabric.

Alan helps Loretta scale a cliff by pushing his head into her crotch (thus helping to push her up). Beth also wears outfits that showcase cleavage. In a physical manifestation of part of Loretta’s book draft, Lovemore and Dash lie next together—and at first it would seem they’re in the throes of post-coital bliss. (That turns out not to be the case.) We hear crass references to body parts and sexual activity, along with both intentional and unintentional double entendres. Loretta takes a bath, and we see her from the shoulders up. Later, in the clutches of bad guys, she exposes her shoulder seductively. She describes herself as a “sapio-sexual,” which she says means that she finds intelligence sexy. Someone calls another woman a “slut” (in what the caller hopes is an affectionate, chummy way).

Violent Content

In a fairly shocking scene—shocking, in part, because of the movie’s PG-13 rating—someone is shot in the head, sending blood and brain matter everywhere. A good bit of the gore seems to land on Alan’s face (including his mouth), and he complains that he can “taste” the victim’s thoughts.

A man falls from a ledge, apparently to his doom. Two others fall off a cliff after crashing into each other on motorcycles. (“Perhaps they’re fine,” Loretta suggests, though that seems unlikely.) Someone is set ablaze via cigar ashes and alcohol. Someone’s knocked off the roof of a moving SUV/tank. A few people are rendered unconscious due to sleeper holds. Others are knocked out during fights, which involve fists and feet and drinking glasses and car doors.

Two people nearly drown. Guns are pointed and sometimes fired. A tomb holds the skeletal remains of two people embracing, and others are nearly buried alive in the same tomb. A volcano threatens the safety of many. A scene in one of Loretta’s books depicts a tomb littered with poisonous snakes. Loretta is overcome by chloroform.

Crude or Profane Language

We hear two uses of the s-word along with several other milder profanities, including “a–,” “crap” and “h—.” God’s name is misused nearly 15 times, and Jesus’ name is abused thrice.

Drug and Alcohol Content

“Why can’t your own personal tank have its own mini-bar?” Fairfax asked. It’s a rhetorical question, of course, because his personal tank has one. He enjoys his whiskey and drinks it often. Others imbibe as well. We see, for instance, a pre-kidnap Loretta sip a glass of iced Chardonnay in the bathtub. Someone smokes a cigar—with unfortunate consequences. (Turns out, smoking really can kill you.)

Other Negative Elements

We hear references to bat feces, and a cave mouth is compared to a “troll anus.” Someone urinates in a body of water. Both Alan and Loretta gag while dealing with leeches. After Loretta kicks a trash can over, she’s appalled with herself for littering.

As Loretta and Alan plot out their next move—trying to decide whether to get off the island or dive deeper into the jungle to find the fabled Crown of Fire—Alan turns to Loretta.

“This is your story,” he tells her. “How do you want to write it?”

Someone might’ve posed the same question to the movie’s screenwriters.

The Lost City can feel a little lost itself. While it always aims to be a romantic adventure comedy, a la 1984’s Romancing the Stone , it swings wildly on its PG-13 pendulum. Though our protagonists rarely kiss and never have sex, Loretta’s raunchy prose and the screenplay’s naughty entendres push this blushingly out of bounds for most families. For much of its runtime, the movie seems to intentionally avoid both death and blood—and then in one shocking moment, that restraint is blown to pieces … along with part of someone’s head, apparently.

With just a little more restraint, The Lost City could’ve been unexpectedly navigable. But because of a handful of scenes, the film is unexpectedly ooky. It’s almost as if the studio received a nice, sweet, funny script and hired Family Guy’ s Seth MacFarlane to handle the rewrites.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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The Lost City review: A big screwball swing for old-school action-comedy

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum are 'Lost' and on the loose in a breezy, patently ridiculous throwback to '80s romps.

Leah Greenblatt is the critic at large at Entertainment Weekly , covering movies, music, books, and theater. She is a member of the New York Film Critics Circle, and has been writing for EW since 2004.

Somewhere in the mists of time before IP and franchise, there used to be a lot more of a certain kind of sunny, modestly ambitious movie that might have been called a romp: blithe action comedies in which two pretty people fight and blunder and fall for each other, and maybe romance a few stones along the way.

Almost everything about The Lost City (in theaters March 25) feels familiar in that sense, and comforting, too: a cheerfully shambolic grab-bag of shenanigans and movie stars with enough screwball wit and self-awareness to drag it into 2022. It's also a fitting send-off for Sandra Bullock , who recently announced her retirement , or at least a furlough from acting, and was essentially forged in stuff like this. Here she's Loretta Sage, a woman who writes bestselling bodice-rippers she can barely stand; Channing Tatum is Dash, the genetically blessed himbo whose fame as the palomino-maned cover model for her novels have made the two of them synonymous, much to her chagrin.

Except his real name is actually Alan, and the hair, like his life skills, is largely an illusion. He's only ever really had to play the hero on embossed paperbacks, so when Loretta is plucked from a book-tour event by unknown assailants and kidnapped, he feels compelled to prove that he can be that guy in real life. And when her Apple Watch pings somewhere over the Atlantic, her panicked publicist, Beth (Da'vine Joy Randolph), agrees to let him go ahead, largely because he's the only one with anything resembling an action plan.

That plan pretty much begins and ends with texting Jack Trainer ( Brad Pitt ), a freelance mercenary he met once at a meditation retreat. Jack is everything Alan isn't: combat expert, casual intellectual, man of substance and advanced sleeper holds. Thankfully, he also accepts crypto, and it doesn't take them long to track Loretta down on the remote tropical island where the black-sheep son of a media mogul called Abigail Fairfax ("It's a gender-neutral name!") has taken her in the hopes of using her knowledge of ancient cuneiforms to track down an ancient treasure known as the Crown of Fire.

In other words, it's all ridiculous, and everyone here, including directing duo Adam and Aaron Nee ( Band of Robbers ) knows it. But Fairfax is played by Daniel Radcliffe, who is clearly having more fun than most actors recently conscripted to represent today's favored screen bogeyman, the feckless tech-bro villain (See also: Free Guy , Old Guard , Venom , The Matrix Revolutions ). His Abigail is a perfect twerp, the peevish flipside to Pitt's Most Interesting Man in the World shtick. Randolph's harried, brutally honest Beth and Patti Harrison, as a daffy social-media manager, also regularly manage to steal their scenes from the margins.

But nothing in Lost City would really hang together without its main pair, whose chemistry movies like this inevitably live or die on. She's a trademark Bullock heroine, forever vacillating between serene self-assurance and high anxiety; he's like a happy Labrador, winning hearts and minds while heedlessly crashing into things. Their rapport feels both meticulously market-tested and somehow gratifyingly natural, and strong enough too to withstand a careening, unabashedly cartoonish plot (penned by Horrible Bosses director Seth Gordon) whose into-the-sunset endgame is already guaranteed. They're just here to play with wigs and passports and pratfalls and for two breezy, anesthetizing hours, make the world outside disappear. Grade: B

‘Asphalt City’ Review: Arbiters of Life and Death

Sean Penn plays a flinty paramedic showing a rookie the ropes in this maddening drama about emergency medical workers in New York.

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A man with blood on his arm works in the back of an ambulance.

By Natalia Winkelman

Two paramedics — Ollie Cross (Tye Sheridan), a wide-eyed rookie, and Gene Rutkovsky (Sean Penn), a gruff veteran of the trade — traverse the mean streets of East New York, Brooklyn, by ambulance in the solemn drama “Asphalt City.” Flooded with neon and sirens, the movie opens during Cross’s first nights on the corps, tracking his and his new partner’s efforts to provide care for an array of challenging patients.

Directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire — with evident inspiration from Martin Scorsese’s “Bringing Out the Dead” — this jittery drama wants viewers to appreciate the unique burdens facing emergency medical workers. Its approach to achieving this goal, however, involves a profusion of overly literal allusions to the paramedics as arbiters of life and death. “We are gods,” a colleague insists to Cross in one of several midnight symposiums on ethics and existentialism. As if those weren’t enough, our hero in training also sports a bomber jacket conspicuously embroidered with angel wings.

For reasons beyond my understanding, Cross, an aspiring doctor, looks up to Rutkovsky, a flinty old timer with a propensity to aggress when he feels sad or mad or basically anything. Their dynamic is familiar at best and dull at worst, particularly for those who long ago tired of the tragedies of toxic machismo. A couple of women do inhabit “Asphalt City”: the enthralling Katherine Waterston as Rutkovsky’s nettled ex wife, and Cross’s nameless love interest, whose naked body seems to receive more screen time than her face.

Asphalt City Rated R for bloody emergencies and graphic nudity. Running time: 2 hours. In theaters.

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COMMENTS

The Lost City movie review & film summary (2022)
Loretta and Alan's eventual romance is unavoidable, but "The Lost City" does a great job exploring the mounting chemistry between Bullock and Tatum's characters. In particular, the movie highlights Alan's emotional intelligence and unwavering support. He may be the kind of guy who refers to Loretta as a "human mummy," but he also ...
The Lost City
The Lost City doesn't sparkle quite as brightly as some classic treasure-hunting capers, but its stars' screwball chemistry make this movie well worth romancing. Read critic reviews. Audience Says ...
The Lost City
The Lost City is a terrific throwback to studio romcoms of the 90s and 00s, with two true-blue movie star performances from Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 ...
The Lost City Movie Review
Our review: Parents say ( 12 ): Kids say ( 27 ): Treasure hunting + adventure + comedy + romance seems like a formula for cinematic success, and, indeed, Paramount Pictures has struck gold here. Giving off Romancing the Stone vibes, The Lost City has a hilarious script that's made even funnier with perfect casting.
Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in 'The Lost City': Film Review
Release date: March 25 (Paramount Pictures) Venue: SXSW Film Festival (Headliners) Cast: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Oscar Nuñez, Patti Harrison, Bowen ...
The Lost City Review
The Lost City is a decent action-comedy that coasts on the presence of its stars. Focus Reset ... All Reviews Editor's Choice Game Reviews Movie Reviews TV Show Reviews Tech Reviews. Discover. Videos.
The Lost City (2022)
The Lost City: Directed by Aaron Nee, Adam Nee. With Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph. A reclusive romance novelist on a book tour with her cover model gets swept up in a kidnapping attempt that lands them both in a cutthroat jungle adventure.
The Lost City review: Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum ...
The Lost City finally fills in the very specific movie gap that The Mummy left behind. Channing Tatum, Sandra Bullock, and Daniel Radcliffe bring back the high-energy, high-stakes action-romance
'The Lost City' is silly, sexy, movie-star fun
'The Lost City' review: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum are both sexy and silly The Lost City is mostly a chance to watch Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum be charming and silly together.That turns ...
The Lost City
The Lost City - Metacritic. 2022. PG-13. Paramount Pictures. 1 h 52 m. Summary Brilliant, but reclusive author Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) has spent her career writing about exotic places in her popular romance-adventure novels featuring handsome cover model Alan (Channing Tatum), who has dedicated his life to embodying the hero character ...
'The Lost City' review: Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum charm
March 24, 2022 1:46 PM PT. Midway through the tomb-raiding, car-crashing, butt-baring shenanigans of "The Lost City," Channing Tatum pauses to remind Sandra Bullock not to judge a book by its ...
The Lost City Review: Bullock & Tatum Charm In Fun Old-School Adventure
The Lost City Review: Bullock & Tatum Charm In Fun Old-School Adventure. By Mae Abdulbaki. Published Mar 25, 2022. With the effortlessly charming and talented cast doing most of the heavy lifting, The Lost City makes for a highly entertaining, joyful adventure. Directed by Adam Nee and Aaron Nee from a screenplay they co-wrote with Oren Uziel ...
The Lost City review
There is also a very bizarre scene, apparently inspired by The African Queen, in which Bullock has to pluck blood-sucking slugs from Tatum's rock-hard buttocks and is then reduced to gibbering ...
'The Lost City' review: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum find a chemistry
Movie review. How charming is "The Lost City"? So charming that the villain is played by Daniel Radcliffe. So charming that it leaves you wondering why nobody has asked Sandra Bullock and ...
The Lost City (2022 film)
The Lost City is a 2022 American action-adventure comedy film directed by Aaron and Adam Nee, who co-wrote the screenplay with Oren Uziel and Dana Fox, based on a story by Seth Gordon. Starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Brad Pitt, the film follows a romance novelist and her cover model, who must escape a billionaire who wants her to find a lost ...
The Lost City Review
13 Apr 2022. Original Title: The Lost City. Death cannot stop true love; it can only delay it for a while. Or so The Princess Bride taught us. Sure enough, the much bally-hooed death of the big ...
The Lost City Review: Star-Studded Adventure Delivers Big Laughs
The Lost City does not take itself seriously. It is an escapist film with a lot of physical humor. The script counts on the ensemble cast to shore up the plot with pratfalls and sight gags.
The Lost City Movie Review
The Lost City suffers from a forgettable plot but is otherwise largely a comic success. The movie is elevated by a committed cast and an unabashedly enthusiastic tone that finds the right balance of embracing and parodying the genres it recreates. After years of writing successful (and self-described schlock) romance-adventure novels, Loretta ...
Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe on 'Lost City'
In "The Lost City" (in theaters March 25), Bullock plays romance novelist Loretta Sage, whose life is on autopilot until she's kidnapped by a rich eccentric (Radcliffe) who believes she can ...
Movie Review: The Lost City
Movie Review: The Lost City. Action adventure rom-coms are a rare breed at the cinema these days. Somewhere between the rise of the superhero epics, the stunt filled spy thrillers, and the hard-hitting slice-of-life dramas, they slipped into obscurity. But if The Lost City is anything to go by, we've been missing out on a whole lot of zany fun.
The Lost City
Someone might've posed the same question to the movie's screenwriters. The Lost City can feel a little lost itself. While it always aims to be a romantic adventure comedy, a la 1984's Romancing the Stone, it swings wildly on its PG-13 pendulum. Though our protagonists rarely kiss and never have sex, Loretta's raunchy prose and the ...
The Lost City review: A big screwball swing for old-school action-comedy
The Lost City review: A big screwball swing for old-school action-comedy. Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum are 'Lost' and on the loose in a breezy, patently ridiculous throwback to '80s romps.
Video shows moment a Baltimore bridge collapses after ship collision
Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after it was struck by a large ship, according to video obtained by CNN. Hear the 911 dispatch the moment it happened.
'Asphalt City' Review: Arbiters of Life and Death
Two paramedics — Ollie Cross (Tye Sheridan), a wide-eyed rookie, and Gene Rutkovsky (Sean Penn), a gruff veteran of the trade — traverse the mean streets of East New York, Brooklyn, by ...

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