The Lost City

STORY: A novelist going through writer’s block is kidnapped by an eccentric young businessman to decode and unearth a hidden treasure mentioned in her books. But his quest for treasure ends up in an adventure of a lifetime.

REVIEW: Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock), a popular author of fictional adventure novels is going through a mid-life crisis on a personal and professional front. She is lonely, depressed and out of ideas to write another book even as her publicist Beth (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) is breathing down her neck to do more. Loretta reluctantly goes on a book tour with her handsome and beefy cover model Alan (Channing Tatum), but is soon kidnapped by a wealthy businessman Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) to decode a hidden treasure he believes is for real and the only person who can help him find it is Loretta. Determined to rescue the lady he secretly pines for, Alan embarks on a journey to rescue her despite having no survival skills.

It’s a tale (of a treasure hunt) as old as time and there’s some novelty in the way directors Aaron and Adam Nee execute it. As soon as the setting shifts to the jungle, we as the audience are also transported and sucked into the adventure that is reckless, sometimes dangerous and at most times funny and childish. And that’s pretty much the high point of this quirky escapade that benefits immensely from a bunch of star actors, who perform well despite being overqualified and too mature for roles like these.

It’s clear that all of them are having a lot of fun playing their onscreen avatar but there is little conviction in what they’re made to do. Thankfully, there are more real locations than special effects, which is always welcome in these days of make-believe computer graphics. The first half has some laugh-out-loud moments and an impressive cameo by Brad Pitt, as the swashbuckling ex-Navy Seal-turned-CIA agent Jack Trainer. There are some shockers here but as the second act rolls, the mediocre writing begins to buckle. The goofy romanticism between Bullock and Tatum is totally unpersuasive but entertaining and the picturesque cinematography is eye-pleasing.

Sandra Bullock is convincing and powerful in her character of a middle-aged novelist and Tatum looks every bit the desirable hunk, who is yearning to be known as more than just a cover model. The two actors work well together as a unit. Da'Vine Joy Randolph’s pushy publicist act gets a bit annoying after a point and is riddled in clichés like the rest of the few character actors. It’s hard to imagine Daniel Radcliffe as an obsessive businessman who can go to any lengths to find the lost treasure. But he looks cute and handsome, nonetheless.

Overall, ‘The Lost City’ is a pretty serviceable action-adventure comedy with a lot of star power and some breathtaking visuals. This should be enough to make it a one-time watch.