From Paramount Home Entertainment, The Lost City will debut on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD July 26th. It is also available to stream.
In late March when The Lost City arrived on cinema screens, there was some criticism directed at it and the concept’s similarity to the excellent 1984 hit, Romancing the Stone. Indeed, both films follow the exploits of a romance novelist who finds herself in grave danger, venturing to a tropical locale on a wild adventure that ends bears some similarity to her published works. Still, it seems harsh to complain about this movie having a similar concept, given that it has been almost 40 years since the original title arrived at theaters.
This reviewer missed the picture during its theatrical release, but recently received a Blu-ray of it for review purposes. After viewing the disc, it turns out that the film is a very pleasant surprise. It actually is a lot of fun and serves as perfect popcorn entertainment. Much of the credit should go to the onscreen chemistry of the leads and genuinely funny performances from the entire cast, who are clearly having a lot of fun. Not every element on display works perfectly, but the enthusiasm is infectious and the charming performers ultimately win one over.
After the unexpected death of her archeologist husband, famous romance-adventure author Dr. Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) has lost her creative spark. With her newest work coming under critical fire, Sage goes through the motions at a press event for publisher Beth Hatten (Da’Vine Joy Randolph). The protagonist displays complete disdain after being forced to make a public appearance with Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum), the cover model for her book series. Things immediately go from bad to worse when billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) kidnaps Sage, demanding she help him locate an ancient treasure called the Crown of Fire mentioned in one of her novels. Caprison, who witnesses the crime and carries a torch for the writer, decides to try to rescue her and prove his worth.
From the outset, the humor is very exaggerated and silly, poking fun at romance novels and adventure films. And that’s perfectly appropriate, given that the equally over-the-top story involves a journey to a hidden island with an erupting volcano. There’s a lot of conflict early on as Bullock’s character exhibits a relatable scorn as her readers fawn over Caprison. In fact, she clashes with just about everyone she comes into contact with during the disastrous promotional tour. Later jokes used during the story’s more outrageous moments are also maximized by the star who delivers plenty of amusing offhanded comments about the absurdity of the situation (which are sometimes misinterpreted by her rescuer), all the while trapped in a jungle-inappropriate sequin jumpsuit designed for the book tour.
Additionally, the movie alters a few other traditional elements. Co-star Tatum has plenty of material to work with here as a sweet-natured but insecure model who is in over his head as a heroic man of action. After the fallout of one jarringly violent moment, his terrified scream of, “I don’t like it!” generates a big laugh. The pair are excellent together, which is a major benefit to the film. If the onscreen chemistry didn’t work, the bickering between the two leads would be irritating, but their interplay is funny throughout.
And Radcliffe is another inspired choice, cast against type as the villain and delivers a handful of great zingers. His continual provocations, referring to Sage as a “sex-book writer” and creator of “vapid lady-fantasy books” are sharply delivered and hit the mark. Randolph also lands jabs as a publisher trying to wrangle her uncooperative author and deal with an extreme set of problems.
Like most modern features, a lot of CGI effects are employed during the action scenes. There is a big explosion that looks authentic and some computer-generated bits involving an aircraft are fairly convincing. Alas, a couple of the bigger effects ones (like the island volcano) do look a little artificial. And there are fewer gags and more sentimental outbursts during the climax as the protagonists ultimately begin to develop romantic feelings for each other. But the story still moves at a tight clip and doesn’t have a lot of fat on its bones, resulting in a light and frothy adventure that is engaging throughout.
For those who pick up the Blu-ray, there are some enjoyable extras as well, including a series of deleted scenes. This includes a large subplot that was excised. It’s all enjoyable stuff, although one can see why this material was cut, especially given that it takes place on the mainland and the tone is a little different from the rest of the picture. However, this reviewer did prefer the deleted final scene involving an ex-Navy SEAL (in a surprise appearance by another major A-list star) more than the one used in the credits of the finished film. There also is a blooper reel and numerous featurettes about the cast, production design, costume design and more. If you enjoy the film, you will appreciate how everyone came together to make this movie under very difficult circumstances.
In the end, a good-natured and game cast elevates an otherwise familiar story and results in a better picture than anticipated. The Lost City knows exactly what it wants to do and simply strives to make each scene as funny and thrilling as it can be. And for the most part, it works. This disc and movie are certainly recommended to anyone at home looking for a little escapism this summer.