Movie review: The Lost City - and the resurfacing of Sandra Bullock's supernova charisma

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in The Lost City.

The latest example in a mini-trend that has seen Hollywood attempt to resurrect almost forgotten sub-genres pushed aside by the proliferation of the superhero industrial complex, in this case, the romantic adventure comedy. These attempts have not always been successful, but in this case, the result is an absolute hoot of a movie that made me wistful for an era when star chemistry was the best thing about a film.

Sandra Bullock directly accesses her supernova charisma for the first time in what seems like ages as Loretta Sage, author of a popular series of romantic adventure novels centred around a long-haired, muscular man of action named Dash. Loretta would rather be writing historical non-fiction, but her romance books have become a runaway success thanks in part to the swooning covers in which Dash is portrayed by a nice-but-dim model named Alan (Channing Tatum).

After a disastrous appearance together at a book fair, Loretta is kidnapped by Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), the black sheep son of a Murdoch/Roy-esque family empire who wants to prove himself by claiming the hidden treasure of an actual lost city on a remote island. The genuine research featured in Loretta's latest book means she has the ability to help him decipher an old map.

Desperate to prove himself as more than just a clueless himbo, Alan insists on joining extraction expert Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt), who is employed to rescue Loretta from Abigail's clutches.

The obvious immediate point of comparison here is 1984's Romancing the Stone, which also paired a romance novelist with an adventurer in the jungle, but The Lost City displays enough self-awareness to avoid coming across as derivative. This is a loving homage to a certain kind of film which also goes out of its way to be as funny as possible.

Indeed, I can't recall the last time I laughed out loud this often in an actual cinema. It may reek of post-shooting script punch-ups – many of the snappiest lines are heard when you can't see the actors' faces – but when the result is this funny, it doesn't matter.

Bullock doesn't do anything here we haven't seen from her before, but she is never less than an absolute joy in the role.

A wooden actor at the best of times, Tatum hasn't been this much in his element since the Jump Street films, and you can't help but apply some of Alan's complaints about his perception to the actor himself.

Brad Pitt puts his effortless smoulder to great use in his extended cameo, and Radcliffe cuts a nice line in energetic, wide-eyed mania. It's rare that such silliness is so well balanced with genuine life and death peril, but this all comes together really nicely.

Exactly the kind of mid-sized movie we often lament the modern absence of, The Lost City is a surprisingly awesome throwback.

Cast: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe
Directors: Adam Nee, Aaron Nee
Running time: 112 minutes
Rating: M (Violence & nudity)
Verdict: Star-driven fun of the highest order.