DIRECTORS: Aaron Nee & Adam Nee
WRITERS: Orez Uziel, Dana Fox, Adam Nee
STARRING: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, DaVine Joy Randolph, Brad Pitt, Oscar Nunez, Hector Anibal, and Joan Pringle
I’ve been waiting so, so long for a comedic masterpiece to arrive back in theaters. You know, that feel good movie that when you leave the theater, you still have a smile permanently plastered to your face. And it was my hope when this new comedic, adventure thriller THE LOST CITY hit the screen this week, it was going to do that for me and so much more…
I mean, I love Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, and when you throw in Daniel Radcliffe and Brad Pitt, this much stardom bouncing of the screen has to make for a fabulous film, right? Well, almost…as this one takes us into the life of romance novelist and widower Loretta (Sandra Bullock), pining away for her hubby, struggling to finish her latest romantic masterpiece, The Lost City of D.
When Publisher and friend Beth (DaVine Joy Randolph) forces Loretta out of her cocoon at home, to take on a long overdue book tour promoting her latest creation, it seems that cover model, and swooning Ladies man Alan/Dash (Channing Tatum), has not only let this fictional depiction of himself go to his head, but it seems he might be falling for the beautifully picturesque writer, who has single-handedly sent his Fabio-esque character, into the stratosphere.
Now, when adventure seeker Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) decides that Loretta and her knowledge of the lost city in her book, is his ticket to making a name for himself, he decides to kidnap this sequin-clad cutie so that she can provide the knowledge he needs, to become someone richer than in his wildest dreams…
Enter Loretta’s savior in the jungle, Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt), who quest is to save her from Abigail, while making a few bucks off Alan, as we join into his fabulous hair-flowing endeavors…
But when the best laid plans don’t work out in Trainer’s favor, it looks like Loretta and Alan are destined to adventure together, fighting off Abigail and his crew, while having to remove a few blood-sucking leaches from Alan’s posterior, before we are through…
I give THE LOST CITY a rating of 3 out of 5: With the perfect comedic timing of Bullock and Tatum showcased the whole way through…THE LOST CITY is one of those kind-of funny, kind-of romantic, kind-of too ridiculous at times movie, that we have all experienced before. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this film, complete with a few romanticesque interludes between our stars along the way, and who doesn’t love the opportunity to stare at Tatum’s derriere for a significant amount of time too, seriously! I just hoped that at some point, the silly banter that kept showing up in more places than were necessary, would find somehow, someway to just fade up and away. But with that said, as romantic comedies go, the chemistry is most definitely there for our heroine, and her leading man, it just doesn’t garner enough steam to find the natural climactic ending that it should have. I loved Daniel Radcliffe taking on a much more diabolical role than we are used to seeing from him though, and I also loved the little more than a cameo appearance by one of my favorite leading men, Brad Pitt, making its way onto the screen, but I ended up feeling gypped too, by the short amount of screen time he received. I also wish that DaVine Joy Randolph would have gotten a little more screen time along the way too, as her performance seemed to be picking up steam, and then she was through too. As I sit here writing this review, it is just killing me not to give this one a 5 out of 5, because I adore these stars from many of their previous films, but there are too many mishaps throughout this little jungle adventure, for me to jump all in, as it needs more passion, more adventure, and more Brad Pitt yumminess to make this one a must see!
I would also love to know why the studio decided to remove the D from the title, yet leaving it in every sequence of the film, as this too made no sense at all. But with that said, it seems the conversation of removing it has made for some pretty funny interviews through THE LOST COTY’s fabulous real-life press tour! But, if you love Bullock, Tatum, Pitt, and Radcliffe like I do, then please don’t let me deter you from heading out to a theater near you to catch this one on the big screen, knowing that you will get a few laughs from this feel-good movie. Just know that if you are expecting to take in something remotely as entertaining as RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK or even ROMANCING THE STONE for that matter, you will want to think again…
3 out of 5
MATINEE CHAT with Kathy Kaiser 