About the film (courtesy of Paramount Pictures):
Brilliant, but reclusive author Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) has spent her career writing about exotic places in her popular romance-adventure novels featuring handsome cover model Alan (Channing Tatum), who has dedicated his life to embodying the hero character, “Dash.” While on tour promoting her new book with Alan, Loretta is kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire (Daniel Radcliffe) who hopes that she can lead him to the ancient lost city’s treasure from her latest story.

Wanting to prove that he can be a hero in real life and not just on the pages of her books, Alan sets off to rescue her. Thrust into an epic jungle adventure, the unlikely pair will need to work together to survive the elements and find the ancient treasure before it’s lost forever.

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum have shown with past projects that each are comfortable in roles that involve adventure, hijinks and comedy relief. Brothers Aaron and Adam Nee look to tap into this wealth of skill as co-directors of The Lost City. Joining the Bullock and Tatum are Daniel Radcliffe (Abigail Fairfax), Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Beth) and Brad Pitt (Jack Trainer).

In an obvious nod to earlier action adventure comedies such as Romancing the Stone (1984) starring Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito, the Robert Zemeckis-directed top box office earner wooed audiences with the thrill of adventure and relief of laughter. The Lost City takes its own path, but if you’ve ever seen the aforementioned film, the vibe is going to feel awfully familiar.

While The Lost City is far from original, its stereotypical nature plays right into the hands of what audiences will want to see. There’s adventure, danger, romance and every other little thing that might be desired in this type of movie. We’re not quite to the parody level here, but Aaron and Adam Nee are well aware of what to poke fun at to get a rise out of the audience.

While I’ll stop short of saying there are performances to be lauded, I will say that from a comprehensive perspective, The Lost City won’t make you feel as though you’ve wasted your time or money. There are many “moments” that carry the plot through bumpy terrain and dense mist only to glitter like gold in a fleeting moment of time.

The Lost City contains just enough chemistry, comedy and campy cheesiness to help tip the scales from flat to fun. Bullock and Tatum have both been involved with movies that severely missed their box office marks, Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) and Jupiter Ascending (2015), respectively, are good examples of that. Thankfully, I do not foresee a repeat performance of such ineptitude. On the other hand though, don’t expect this one to retain any longstanding buzz.

If you’re looking for a fun trip to the theater while also imagining you’re being whisked away to exotic locations living dangerously, The Lost City might be a good destination spot to circle on your map. In theaters today.