The Lost City is a great example of escapism done right. It’s a wacky adventure filled with laughs, action, romance, which never takes itself too seriously and sometimes that’s exactly what audiences want from a movie. Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum take center stage, and they’re two actors who can truly do this material justice. They give the story the proper amount of emotional weight it needs to make these characters relatable on the levels required to get the audience attached and intrigued, while also delivering over-the-top comedic moments one after another that don’t feel forced or stupid, yet highlight that this is just silly fun being had by all for your viewing pleasure.
The story is about romance novelist Loretta Sage (Bullock,) who is struggling to find inspiration to continue writing after the death of her husband. Okay, so that’s the emotional weight I spoke about, which coming right out of the gate with it does make the movie sound heavier than it is. This is all showcased in a montage and sets the tone for her character nicely, though the tone of the film changes quite drastically with the introduction of Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum,) who is the cover model for Loretta’s novels, the heartthrob of a hero, Dash McMahon.
The chemistry between Bullock and Tatum is all that you could ask for, and it’s showcased to perfection in their first scene together on stage during their book tour for Loretta’s latest book, The Lost City of D. It’s a hilariously fun scene that’s played perfectly by both and it sets the stage for their relationship – or lack thereof, much to the chagrin of Alan. This is all handled so well that in the next scene when Loretta gets kidnapped by eccentric billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) in hopes that she can lead him to the lost city she’s written about in her books, Alan rushing to her rescue in hopes of sweeping her off her feet while doing so not only makes sense, but keeps the film’s strong pacing going without bashing the audience over the head with needless additional groundwork.
This allows us to get right into the adventure, with Fairfax explaining his plan to Loretta and why he had no choice but to kidnap and bring her to the remote island where he believes the city is located, while Alan recruits his trainer, Jack Trainer (played by the scene-stealing Brad Pitt), to help him track down Loretta and save her. There’s no wasted time here and it’s appreciated. The story itself is simple, and there are plenty of predictable moments within it as well. That doesn’t hurt the overall enjoyment of the movie, but that’s mainly because Bullock and Tatum are just so damn good with all that they’re given here. If lesser actors had signed on to the parts, it wouldn’t be unfair to say that there’s a good chance jokes would’ve fallen flat, or at least wouldn’t have been forgiven as often as they are thanks to the charisma of the film’s leading pair.
The Lost City is just a joyous escape from reality, and an easy to watch one at that. The sights are beautiful, the action is continuous, the jokes range from light-hearted to raunchy with plenty of slapstick mixed between, but all are delivered delightfully by the true workhorses of the film, Bullock and Tatum. While it doesn’t look to break new ground in the genre, nor does it ever reach the heights of the like films it can’t help but be compared with, The Lost City is a brisk two-hour getaway through the jungle that I’d gladly take again down the road.
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review
Paramount is no stranger to delivering superb 4K transfers and The Lost City is no different. The film is presented in 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD and looks fantastic! The colours are sharp, vibrant and rich, which fits perfectly with the tone of the film. The scenes that take place at night are full of deep blacks, but still allow for clean and clear visuals at all time. The details are also incredibly showcased, with characters and clothing looking top tier, and the various foliage in the jungle all shine through in their own unique ways.
The audio side of things is just as well-handled, with the Dolby Atmos bringing the jungle and action to life in your living room. The film’s score carries the fun spirit of the film from start to finish, and the ambient noises within the jungle come at you from all angles depending on your setup. The dialogue is also clear, which is always important, as constantly playing with the remote does get frustrating.
Special Features:
Dynamic Duo – This feature is just under five-minutes in length and focuses on the chemistry between Bullock and Tatum, both on-screen and off. It’s clear here that the filming of this film had to have been a blast, as everyone just seems to be having fun and you can’t beat that type of workplace.
Location Profile – This is a 7-minute featurette that looks at shooting the film in the Dominican Republic, and various locations within the film. It’s always fun to learn about the challenges that crews face while filming and how they had to go about handling them and adjusting to make it work.
Jungle Rescue – This is a six-and-a-half minute featurette that focuses on the bigger action scenes in the movie, the explosions, setting up the effects, and bringing them to life.
The Jumpsuit – Bullock’s character wears an unorthodox outfit for a regular event, let alone for traversing the jungle while trying not to get captured. This featurette is just under 4-minutes in length and takes a look at this purple sequin outfit that was destined for adventure.
Charcuterie – This is a three-and-a-half minute featurette that briefly shows the making of the kidnapping scene, where Radfcliffe reveals a private jet that’s already in flight and causes quite the mess with the food that surrounds them at the time.
The Villains of The Lost City – Here we’ve got a five-and-a-half minute featurette that focuses, as you might have guessed, on the film’s bad guys – mainly, Radcliffe’s work as Fairfax.
Building The Lost City – Here’s a featurette that’s just over 7-minutes and focuses on the production design, location and challenges involved with all. Could this have been mixed in with the location profile? Sure, but it probably would’ve been segmented there too, so it’s all viewed the same in the end!
Bloopers – If you want to see how much fun they had shooting the film, look no further than the blooper reel here! It’s five-and-a-half minutes long and showcases lots of laughs being had.
Deleted Scenes – There are also a handful of deleted scenes here for those who want to take a look.
Paramount Pictures Presents The Lost City. Directed by: Aaron Nee and Adam Nee. Written by: Oren Uziel, Dana Fox, Adam Nee, Aaron Nee. Starring: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Oscar Nuñez, Brad Pitt. Running time: 112 minutes. Rating: PG. 4K Blu-ray Released: July 26, 2022.
