Reclusive romance novelist Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock)is being forced into a book tour by her agent Beth (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) to promote her latest romance novel. Loretta seems to hate her romance novels almost as much as the cover model for her books with whom she has to share the tour. Alan (Channing Tatum) secretly loves the author but she considers him a dumb model who believes himself to be her book’s hero. When billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) kidnaps Loretta because he believes she can lead him to the “Lost City” of her latest book Alan sets out to rescue her. 

The Lost City has a premise very similar to 1984’s Romancing The Stone. A romance novelist hiking through the jungle with a man she loves to hate but may actually just love (eventually). The first half of the film is an out and out comedy playing on the archetypal characters with aplomb with a group of actors who know exactly what they are doing. The second half of the film becomes a romance and an adventure story with a storyline and chemistry between its characters that the recent Tomb Raider and Uncharted films wish that they had. 

Bullock proves herself to be the queen of comedy again. Effortlessly portraying the nuances of her frustrated academic forced down the road of romance novels who is still pining for the love of her life who died young. The humour that she gets out of the sequinned jump suit she spends half of the film in is worth the entrance fee alone. Tatum is equally brilliant at portraying a dumb model who has far more emotional intelligence than Bullock’s character gives him credit for. Tatum has been happy to play on his good looks for humour for some time and this is no exception. The two together have great chemistry both comedically and romantically and it’s nice to see the Hollywood age gap of romantic leads inverted for once as well. 

Around the edges of the film there are funny turns from Loretta’s Agent, social media coordinator (Patti Harrison) and kidnapper. But nothing is quite as good as the cameo from Brad Pitt amongst the supporting actors. Another actor playing on media perception of himself he plays a yoga guru / special forces operative who is paid to rescue Loretta but seems to have the same hair as his character from Legends of the Fall and is constantly flicking it. 

The Lost City may be full of archetypes and have a story that is predictable but what it proves is that this is absolutely fine when executed with absolute precision. A breath of fresh air and will have you laughing and grinning ear to ear. 

Hang on for a mid credits scene as well. It’s worth your time.