If you have watched Romancing the Stone, Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum’s The Lost City will seem very familiar. Bullock plays Loretta Sage, a growingly uninspired writer. She is pulled into a mission to uncover a hidden treasure against her will by a wealthy heir Fairfax, played by Daniel Radcliffe. Tatum’s character, Alan, who wants to be more than a book cover model to Bullock, travels to the islands where she is taken and tries to save her. The mismatch between ambition and actual capabilities leaves lots of space for comedy.

It’s been a while since I have watched an honest comedy – one that is not trying to be too many things at once. The Lost City honours its mission to make us laugh by setting up the most ridiculous scenarios. When Fairfax first drags Sage to meet him, she is tied to a chair in a large room filled with flowers and fruits. Why Fairfax would think the embellishments would charm Sage escapes my imagination, but it definitely makes you laugh.

I should also mention that Brad Pitt makes an appearance as an ex-Navy Seal, Jack Trainer. Pitt has made the occasional cameo before in comedy movies, but he is well utilised in this movie for his star effect. There are some other secondary characters like the cargo pilot played by Oscar Nunez, from The Office, and Ray the moderator, played by Saturday Night Live’s Bowen Yang. Altogether, I found the whole movie well cast.

Lost City is no longer screening in cinemas by the time I publish this post, but it is definitely a worthwhile comedy film to add to your roster if you are looking for some assured laughs. Here are my ratings:

Cinematography: 3/5

Screenwriting: 4/5

Musical Score: 3/5

Acting/ Performance: 4/5

Overall: 3.5/5