- Director : Adam Nee, Aaron Nee
- Actors : Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Brad Pitt
- Studio : PARAMOUNT
- Media Format : 4K Ultra HD
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- MPAA rating : PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
- Release date : July 26, 2022
There is something refreshing about seeing a
blockbuster can still exist without being a part of a larger franchise or cinematic
universe. For that reason, I was fully in support of The Lost City, even if the
final product felt somewhat lazily constructed. Even with some fun adventure, The
Lost City mostly feels formulaically reliant on the worst the romantic comedy has
to offer. Star power is what moves the narrative forward, and audience
enjoyment mostly depends on how much the audience likes the cast members.
Unfortunately, even liking Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum as individuals did
little to convince me of their chemistry together. And the film needed much
more from Brad Pitt’s character, who has always been underutilized as a comedic
actor.
I was slightly
put off by the age difference between Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal,
and it is even worse in The Lost City, which feels like a combination of that
plot with a number of Indiana Jones rip-offs from the 1980s and ‘90s. In the
film Bullock plays romance novel author Dr. Loretta Sage, whose lives a reclusive
life since the death of her husband and instead lives vicariously through a
book series centered on Dr. Angela Lovemore, and her romantic interest, Dash
McMahon. While promoting her latest book, The Lost City of D, Loretta is forced
to go on a publicity tour with Alan Caprison (Tatum), the dim-witted model used
for the cover of her book series. Alan tries hard to impress Loretta, though she
resents the fact that he is inexplicably more popular than she is with her own
fans.
Because Loretta has
utilized historical research for her latest novel, a criminal billionaire named
Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) becomes convinced she will be able to help find
an ancient city containing a lost treasure. Despite Loretta insisting the opposite,
Fairfax kidnaps Loretta, which is witnessed by Alan. Since the hero he models
as is nothing more than an image established for publicity, Alan hires a
tracker named Jack Trainer (Pitt), and sets out on a mission to rescue the
romance novelist.
The plot of The
Lost City is silly, as are most of the characters. Bullock leans into the
serious and professional-minded persona she has often played, but the film’s
screenplay relies a little too heavily upon the charm of the cast members. While
The Lost City is an easy view and decent date night movie, it is also highly
forgettable. I am glad to see there is room for theatrical releases of movies
like this, but I also wouldn’t have been surprised to see The Lost City show up
as a streaming-only release on Netflix.
The 4K Ultra HD
release of The Lost City comes with a digital copy, though sadly no Blu-ray or
DVD. What it lacks in various ways to watch the film, the release makes up for
in special features on the disc itself. There are over 50 minutes of bonus content
which includes deleted scenes and bloopers that are occasionally more amusing than
the jokes in the film itself. There are also a handful of promotional
featurettes covering key sequences in the film and the stars themselves, though
they are mostly just surface and self-praising. The main reason for the 4K package
is the high dynamic range in the presentation, which is as good as you will get
outside of a movie theater.
Entertainment Value:
7.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6.5/10
Historical
Significance: 5/10
Special Features: 6.5/10
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