A madcap combination of laughs, guilty pleasures and jungle foliage, The Lost City is a combination of Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, Miss Congeniality and a Jumanji board.
Hollywood’s evergreen leading lady, Sandra Bullock, cuts a despondent figure as its troubled protagonist, Loretta Sage. She’s the author of a bestselling franchise that she’s no longer invested in. But after being pushed by her publicist Beth (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), Loretta reluctantly embarks on a tour to promote her latest book, ‘The Lost City of D’, with the novel’s cover star Alan (Channing Tatum).
The Lost City becomes one big, messy, meta adventure when Loretta gets kidnapped by billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) and is thrown into an adventure straight out of the pages of one of her books. Alan is soon adopting his fictional alter ego, Dash, with mixed results.
The next hour is a hilarious procession of flying fists and a scene-stealing cameo by a tousled Brad Pitt doing his best G.I. Joe impression. Bullock strikes up an unconventional, yet wildly entertaining pairing with Tatum as she trudges through the jungle dressed to the nines. Tatum is a joy as her water-allergic knight in shining armour, and the supporting cast bring laughs too.
Co-directors Aaron and Adam Nee’s decision to bet on star power over intricate storytelling pays off. For memorable gags and fun but wildly implausible plot lines, it’s a ride.
Out now.
