The more movies change, the more they stay the same. I saw Romancing the Stone pretty recently, and I enjoyed the hell out of its goofy romcom premise: “romance novelist lives out a real life version of her novel in a tropical jungle locale.” The Lost City, inspired by this Simpsons monologue, straight up remixes the story for 2022 and titles it the Lost City. But if you’re going to plagiarize something, at least it’s a great movie like Romancing the Stone right?
Our beleaguered romance novelist is Sandra Bullock’s Loretta Sage, famed writer of adult romance novels. You know, those novels that love words like engorged, throbbing, “member,” etc. Despite Sage’s protests, her publicist Beth (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) puts Loretta on a book tour with Alan (Channing Tatum), who is the loving but dim cover model for Loretta’s main character Dash McMahon. While going to get some air, Loretta is taken captive by Abagail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), second best son of a billionaire, to treasure hunt for a lost necklace on an island in the Atlantic. Eager to prove he’s more than just a cover model, Alan follows in pursuit….
WITH SEXY CONSEQUENCES! I kid, but I legit laughed at how The Lost City isn’t even trying to hide it’s Romancing the Stone theft. So the question then becomes…why can’t we just watch the original? The answer is Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. Those two might be two of our best physical comedians of the last 30 years, willing to throw themselves into any situation for a joke. The highlight scene is in the trailer for obvious reasons, but the little moments work just as well. Watching Bullock’s watch get caught in Tatum’s ridiculous wig is funny in any language, just like Bullock’s jungle journey in a pink sequened jumpsuit or Tatum’s inability to be cool under pressure. The pair are great with dialogue too, like when they try to justify something terrible inadvertently happening because of them. Studio comedies like The Lost City work because of the chemistry and star power of the leads, and the potent Bullock/Tatum combo is about as good as they get.
The Lost City also modernizes pieces of Romancing the Stone that help make the movie better. The trailer also teases a cameo that is expertly used. There’s references to famous Bullock and Tatum movies in the past that are woven in on the DL. And maybe most importantly, the gender dynamics are more on equal footing here. Bullock isn’t like Kathleen Turner, looking to be saved by someone. Instead, she’s the brains, and the movie is more about her finding her way back to connecting with people, which Tatum excels at. The pair need each other and make each other better, a much more modern message than the “saved by the man” narrative than can plague these movies.
I heard that Sandra Bullock is taking a break after The Lost City. I hope she enjoys it, because I would love to see more screwball comedies, especially with her and Channing Tatum, who are a match made in movie heaven. Next time though, let Daniel Radcliff ham it up a little more please? He’s to grounded here, I want something more like this next time ok Hollywood?