After a recent premiere at SXSW, The Lost City, an action-comedy film starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, is now out in theatres. For Bullock, this is a return to a genre that made up a good portion of her early career with films like Miss Congeniality, Speed, Forces of Nature, and Gun Shy. She just fits perfectly into action-comedy. Why is she perfect, you ask? Well, several factors like believable in the action portion, comedic timing and that elusive ability to have chemistry with whatever male actor she is paired with. This time it is Tatum, but in the past, it has been Ryan Reynolds, Ben Affleck, Keanu Reeves, Harry Connick Jr., Bill Pullman, and others. She has that thing you cannot describe. Sandra Bullock is a movie star. Fans love her.
Love her or not, this is a film that is enjoyable. On a certain level, I mean. It is not a stellar example of storytelling or filmmaking by directors Adam and Aaron Nee (the brothers behind the films The Last Romantic and Band of Robbers) but it solidly slots into the fun category. A film you will enjoy for the almost two-hour runtime but will leave no lasting impression on you. There are a lot of films of its ilk and that is not a slight.
A middle-aged woman sits in her house, in front of her computer and churns out romantic adventure novels. Loretta (played by Sandra Bullock) writes novels about love and adventure without really leaving her house. All her novels feature a character named Dash, who has been portrayed by slightly slow model, Alan Caprison (played by Channing Tatum).
After the release of her last novel her publisher insists she goes on a book tour to promote it. On the tour, Alan comes along with Loretta. While on the tour she is kidnapped by odd billionaire Abigail Fairfax (played by Daniel Radcliffe) because he believes that Loretta can lead him to the lost city she has written about in the novel. Despite the fact that he is not a “hero”, Alan sets off to rescue Loretta.
While the story here isn’t the greatest, it works due to the chemistry between Bullock and Tatum and that she is playing a character she has comfortably brought to the screen before (The Net) and he is playing against type. Though they both could do their roles in their sleep they both are game to bring to life these crazy characters. I mean, Bullock has to do all this while in a purple sequin pantsuit. Running through the jungle, swimming and being hauled in a wheelbarrow. Not exactly glamourous stuff. Yet this is what is demanded of by the genre.
The jokes are not that original either. You will laugh on occasion but it certainly won’t make your Top 10 comedy film list. It features an older style of humour that is kinda hit or miss. There are more hits than misses but precious few belly laughs. Temper your expectations and it will all work out.
Harmless fun that will make you smile and laugh. As well as probably like Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum even more.
