The Lost City (2022)

Streaming Service: Paramount+
Movie Name/Year: The Lost City (2022)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Length: 1h 52min
Rating: PG-13
Production/Distribution: Paramount Pictures, 3dot productions, Exhibit A, Fortis Films, Paramount Pictures International, United International Pictures, Universal Pictures International, Constantin-Film, NOS Audiovisuais, Odeon, Paramount Pictures Australia, Paramount Pictures France, Paramount Pictures Germany, Paramount Pictures UK, Warner Bros. Pictures, Paramount Pictures Spain, Paramount+
Directors: Aaron Nee, Adam Nee
Writers: Oren Uziel, Dana Fox, Adam Nee
Actors: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Brad Pitt, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Daniel Radcliffe, Héctor Aníbal, Oscar Nuñez, Patti Harrison, Raymond Lee, Thomas Forbes-Johnson
 
IMDb Blurb: A reclusive romance novelist on a book tour with her cover model gets swept up in a kidnapping attempt that lands them both in a cutthroat jungle adventure.

 
Cat’s Point of View:

I had a lot of eager anticipation leading into my viewing of The Lost City. There were so many elements from the trailer that simply had me giddy and elevated my expectations. It was in my top 5 in the Top 20 Movies to Look Out For in March of this year, after all.
 
Confession time. This was the 2^nd time I watched The Lost City – and I was happy to do so. My family and I rented the movie through Xfinity On-Demand as soon as it became available within our budget. It was a fun time then, and I really enjoyed experiencing it again. The Lost City isn’t one of those films that just gets boring after you’ve ‘been there and done that.’ It was just as funny and charming the 2^nd time around.
 
The Lost City felt like a classic throwback adventure movie along the lines of the ones that came out when I was younger – such as Romancing the Stone (1984), The Jewel of the Nile (1985), or pick your Indiana Jones installment. I got the same feeling of thrilling fun as I watched the misadventures unfold.

 
Aaron and Adam Nee (The Last Romantic, The Geniuses, Band of Robbers) spun a really entertaining story that, while it didn’t take itself too seriously, felt grounded and believable. Even the over-the-top bits didn’t even make me blink – it all just fit in the story so organically. This sibling writing and directing duo is one to watch. This seems to be their first big-time movie together. I can’t wait to see their next project.
 
Speaking of over-the-top, the Nee Brothers’ use of Brad Pitt’s (World War Z, Fury, Bullet Train) cameo as the tropey action-guy was absolutely brilliant. Then pairing him up with Channing Tatum’s (Foxcatcher, White House Down, Dog) greenhorn cover model was comedy gold. Tatum has proven that he’s got quite the range well beyond his good looks and smooth dance moves. He’s dabbled in a little bit of everything across the spectrum from serious to silly. The Lost City is definitely in the silly category for the most part – but his stunt work was legit and he really nailed the layers to the character.
 
Under the humorous story, though, there were some more serious themes explored. Dealing with loss and learning to see past the superficial exterior of the people that are involved in our day-to-day lives were among them. I could seriously relate to Sandra Bullock’s (Gravity, Minions, Bird Box) character and the blockage she faced both in her writing and her personal life. While I haven’t experienced exactly what she did, I have found that since my MS diagnosis, it’s been harder for me to write creatively outside of here for Trust the Dice. While her literal journey was on the crazy side, I appreciated the impact it had on her character.

 
Honestly, the whole cast was insanely awesome. I could fill up an entire article with notes about everyone. Alas, in an effort to prevent the need for a TL;DR, I’m doing my best to keep things short(er) and sweet. I would be remiss, however, to not mention Daniel Radcliffe’s (Jungle, Guns Akimbo, Miracle Workers) part in these monkeyshines. I absolutely adore his characters which are completely opposite of the image that the Wizarding World created for him. This was one of those times that he was bloody brilliant as the crazy antagonist.
 
I have the need to geek out a moment over his plane, though. It acted like a Harrier with its vertical takeoff and landing, but it looked like a private jet on the inside – those are military planes and don’t have room for such things. I was confused and intrigued, wondering if it was simply a figment of movie magic. I did a little digging and it turns out that a prototype was used for the movie – of a very real up-and-coming plane being developed in South Africa (with a $20 Million price tag no less) called the Pegasus Vertical Business Jet. I digress…
 
The Lost City was a blast and exactly what I needed during the stress of this past month. It felt great to laugh and enjoy the ride – and I’ll likely be watching again in the near future. You can catch it on Paramount+ currently. 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 79%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 83%
Metascore – 60%
Metacritic User Score – 5.8/10
IMDB Score – 6.1/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5
 
P.S. – There is a mid-credits scene.
 
Movie Trailer: