Carl Roberts 
The Lost City is an exciting, hilarious, and fun film that will take you out of reality and take you on a joy ride. I loved it. And so will you.
When I saw the trailer for Paramount Pictures’ upcoming movie ‘The Lost City.’, I was curious. It gave me a sense of familiarity. But in a good way. To me, it threw up thoughts of ‘Romancing The Stone’ crossed with ‘Indiana Jones.’ A rip-roaring adventure movie. The kind of which we have seen before but with an engaging twist. Yes, we still have the reluctant female author thrown into an unwanted adventure. Yes, we have the rugged male hero who fights to save her and the day. And yes, we have a villain that steals the show. But it is also a pretty enjoyable ride for the most part. And one that we are thrilled to become a part of.
THE ADVENTURE
The film opens with a tense scene. Our two leads are in dire peril. Lying on a floor of a temple, surrounded by snakes, they are taunted by an unnamed villain and his henchman. Both of our heroes suddenly start to question their surroundings. The villain starts to panic slightly as we begin to realize what we are seeing. With the word ‘delete’ being uttered, everything starts to vanish. We now come to understand that the scene was a chapter in Loretta Sage’s (Sandra Bullock) latest novel. One that she was writing as the scene played out. But also one she decided to remove from her book.
LORETTA SAGE
Loretta is a best-selling romance novelist who is suffering a crisis. Her husband has passed away. And she has trouble completing her latest novel, ‘The Lost City Of D.’ She decides to end the book suddenly, which causes her to receive a few dreadful reviews. Loretta has been signed up for a book tour by her publicist, Beth (Da’Vine Joy Randolph). Adding to her woes is her new Social Media Manager, Allison (Patti Harrison). Allison is enthusiastic about her job. Maybe too enthusiastic. Loretta has no real interest in her social media presence and considers Allison an unwanted distraction.
ALAN CAPRISON/ DASH McMAHON
Loretta’s main male character in her books is an all-adventurer by the name of Dash McMahon. To give her readers an idea of the character, a cover model has been used to adorn the covers of her books. His name is Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum). Alan seems to be obsessed with the role of Dash. In fact, at times, he even believes he IS Dash. To him, it is the role of a lifetime, one he loves playing up. Alan is also booked to appear on stage with Loretta. But it becomes apparent that the audience is not there for Loretta. They are there for Alan to play Dash on stage.
ABIGAIL FAIRFAX
Loretta goes outside to show her frustration after the show. However, she has been tailed by several tough men. Loretta is abducted by the pair just as Alan comes outside to speak to her. He witnesses the whole abduction but is powerless to do anything to stop it. Loretta is brought before Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe). He is an eccentric billionaire with sibling issues with his younger brother. Fairfax has been looking for the lost city, a fabled place that no one has ever been able to find. He believes that clues that Loretta has written in her book will show him the way to this mysterious place.
ALAN TO THE RESCUE!
Thanks to Loretta’s smartwatch giving off a signal, Alan, and Beth can locate Loretta’s whereabouts. Alan turns to the Navy Seal-Turned CIA agent Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt) to find her. Jack accepts the mission of rescuing Loretta but needs her smartphone to track her. Alan flies down to the jungle to meet with Jack to deliver the phone. But he also wants to help him rescue Loretta. Jack is none too happy with this but allows Alan to tag along. Jack tells Alan to stay in the car while he rescues Loretta.
But Alan, wanting to prove himself as more than just a cover model, ignores Jack and follows him to help out. Although Jack is successful in rescuing the author, things go wrong, leaving Loretta and Alan to attempt to flee through the jungle and to freedom.
THOUGHTS
The film is a hoot at times and is extremely entertaining. Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum make for a terrific coupling from the start. We can predict what will happen by the closing credits but it is a fun ride along the way. Both play off each other to terrific effect, giving the audience a fun ride alongside them. Both appear to be completely enjoying their roles, adding to the joy the audience will experience. Brad Pitt plays up to his action man, hero-type image but in a fun and send-up kind of way in an extended cameo. Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Beth gets some of the best lines in the film. Her interactions with Oscar, an eccentric cargo pilot, played by Oscar Nunez are inspired. If a sequel is to be made, I would love to see more interaction between the twosome. Together, they are a joy to watch.
MAGIC RADCLIFFE
But it is Daniel Radcliffe as Fairfax that stands out. You forget he was a child star and is best known for playing ‘Harry Potter.’ Here, he is in great form. A token British villain that can be charming one minute and psychopathic the next. At times, he comes across as a petulant child. And it makes for a token but enjoyable villainous turn. You will never see Radcliffe in the same way again. The set pieces the film contains are thrilling and extremely enjoyable. And does contain some surprising moments of hilarity. One sequence had me and the audience roaring with laughter. And I think everyone will get a kick out of it. No spoilers but you’ll know it when you see it. The visual effects too are top-notch. Some you can see are CGI but for the most part, you can believe what you are seeing on screen.
ROMANCING THE STONE
The script, I can describe easily. If one was to take ‘Romancing The Stone’, ‘Raiders Of The Lost Ark’. ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ and ‘The Jewel Of The Nile.’ Throw them all in a blender, blitz, and then take the contents out and form a screenplay, you’d have the script for ‘The Lost City.’ It isn’t anything we haven’t seen before but it is executed brilliantly. The direction by Adam and Aaron Nee does exactly what’s needed to provide the audience with a good enough experience. And it works. The pair have a knack and visual flair for the material, one which shines through for the most part. Combined with a witty script and some terrific performances, they have delivered a film that everyone can enjoy.
It won’t win awards for originality but it is a fun way to lose two hours. Most jokes hit their mark while some miss the target. But what is assured is a thrill ride that will send the audience home happy. An inoffensive piece of entertainment that will at the very least send you home with a smile. And in today’s climate, it is exactly what we needed. An exciting, hilarious, and fun film that will take you out of reality and take you on a joy ride. I loved it. And so will you.
‘The Lost City’ will release in UK cinemas on April 13th, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Carl Roberts is the News Editor for The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force frequently!
