Lost in the... burning jungle?

★★ 1/2 out of ★★★★ (👍)

The Lost City (2022)

Runtime: 112 minutes

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for violence and some bloody images, suggestive material, partial nudity and language.

The trailers for The Lost City made it look like some cheap action movie with a boring and repetitive plot and nothing particularly interesting to watch. Thankfully, the movie itself is almost nothing compared to the trailer, and surprisingly not awful. Of course, The Lost City could have been more interesting, with its lack of the adventure element, but the fact that it isn't terrible is already good enough.

A summary of the plot revolves around writer Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock), a reclusive author known for her popular adventure/romance novels, featuring exotic places around the world, and a cover model named Alan (Channing Tatum). While she's on a book tour trying to promote her new book with Alan, an eccentric billionaire named Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) kidnaps Loretta, believing that she can find an ancient city's lost treasure. Having found the island, Abigail transfers Loretta to the island, hoping that she can translate an extract of the treasure's whereabouts. Meanwhile, her worried friends and Alan set off, in a desperate attempt to rescue her.

With a coherent plot, fairly good pacing, and notable attempts at characterization, The Lost City is confounding. In a time where most movies have too less plot and too much filler, here's an action movie that has surprisingly more plot and dialogue than action.

While most reviews may rat out the performances of Tatum and Bullock, complaining about their lack of chemistry, I find that the result of their performances make it seem like the characters' relationship in the movie is platonic. It feels like they acquaintances that could possibly be attracted to each other, but it's suppressed. Brad Pitt also makes a long cameo as an energetic Jack Trainer, a skilled fighter whose character is surprisingly killed when the movie suddenly takes a darker turn.

I've also not discussed about the plot yet. It may seem quite unremarkable at first, carrying a striking resemblance with the narrative of Romancing the Stone, but the dark plot twist in the middle of the film makes it a little more memorable. It's quite a contrary to most action movies today, where the protagonists feel like they have the 'plot armor' with them.

On the other hand, the element of adventure is sorely lacking. There are moments when the music and cinematography get more dramatic, only to reveal monochromatic mountains to the horizon. Throughout the entirety of the film, the only slightly exciting setting of the adventure is the place of the tomb, in comparison to the boring huts and towns that don't suggest any thrilling journeys.

At the same time, the characters help outweigh some of its weaknesses. The Lost City doesn't build paper-thin characters, and at least attempts to expand on them. For example, Loretta has been locking herself away from the world, rejecting opportunities to explore and have some adventure. Besides, Alan is not only a cover model, but someone who intends to express more of himself. Yet, I'm a little mixed about the dialogue. On one hand, some of the dialogue is awkward and unsatisfying, yet on the other hand, it is significant to the narrative and amusing. It doesn't work all the time, but somehow, the romance in the film works better than the adventure.

Daniel Radcliffe plays the villain in this movie, as the eccentric billionaire who's desperate to achieve the goal, no matter the stakes. His character could have been more memorable or threatening, but the result is just a mediocre and forgettable villain with not much impact to the story. Moreover, an annoying subplot develops for Loretta's publisher, Beth (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), on a dire mission to rescue her. It's a little hard to watch, but thankfully it comprises of a small percentage of the movie.

Fortunately, the slapstick in The Lost City is frequent enough to elicit some laughs, as it wanders into more adventure and romance towards the second half of the story. I should start believing in the phrase, "Never judge a book by its cover" more frequently, or should I say, "Never judge a movie by its trailer". In conclusion, The Lost City is a surprisingly tolerable ride, with some plot and intermittently worthwhile dialogue, though some of its elements may not always land.