YNOT at the Movies

We have not come out of this seemingly never ending Covid-19 pandemic yet, and a new war has broken out. Struggling in such a depressing reality, we desperately need a silly comedy as an antidote to provide some temporary stress release. Brothers and directors Aaron Nee and Adam Nee timely offer us "The Lost City" (USA 2022 | 112 min.) to perfectly serve that purpose. We will forgive the far-fetched plot and implausible logistics, and simply enjoy the laughter and appreciate the joyful two hours the movie provides.

Dash is a popular character with machismo created by the romantic novelist Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock), and he is modeled by the hunky Alan (Channing Tatum), with silky long blond hair like Fabio, on those book covers.

To promote Loretta's latest book, The Lost City, her publisher Beth Hatten (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) puts Loretta and Alan together on a book signing tour. At their first tour appearance, Loretta is kidnapped by a billionaire Abigail Fairfa (Daniel Radcliffe) and flown to a volcanic island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where an ancient city featured in Loretta's latest novel is located. Abigail believes Loretta is able to help him find the hidden treasure called the Crown of Fire, a headdress described in Loretta's novel.

Alan asks former Navy SEAL turned yogi Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt) for help to rescue Loretta, and he insists on tagging along on the mission. After the dangerous and eventful journey on the exotic island, Loretta realizes that Alan is not just the handsome face on the cover of her books, but he is also a real hero that helps her get through the jungle and escape Abigail's army.

From the very first scene, the movie sets the tone that this is going to be a tongue-in-cheek comedy where the story does not need to be taken seriously, because the story is not the point of the movie. The brothers Aaron Nee and Adam Nee set their goal very clearly; they want the audience to have a laugh-out-loud good time. That's what we need the most at this trying time, and just what the film offers.

Much laughter can be credited to Channing Tatum's perfectly timed delivery as the half-witted Alan. He once again shows his charm, as he did in "Magic Mike" (2012), playing a handsome and irresistibly likable character. When he teams up with another straight-faced Brad Pitt to talk and act silly, they serve up comedy gold.

You will probably forget about the story by the time you walk out of the theater, but the story is not why you came to watch this movie. When there are so many superhero movies jamming the theaters these days, a change of diet feels delicious and comforting, especially when it's a fast-food grade.

"The Lost City" opens on Friday, March 25, 2022.