Movie Review

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum navigate a comedic jungle in The Lost City

Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock in The Lost City.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Although it was easy to miss while it was happening, it’s clear now that Sandra Bullock has been slowly but surely pulling away from acting. Bullock, who was pretty much good for at least one movie every year between 1992 and 2009, has been spacing out her appearances in the 2010s while she raised her kids. Now, she’s announced that The Lost City will be her final starring role for a good while so she can spend more time with her family.

On the surface, the film fits right in with the rest of her filmography, which has featured mostly broadly appealing movies. Bullock stars as romance author Loretta Sage, who has grown tired of writing her series about Dash McMahon, especially since people have become much more interested in the cover model hired to depict the hunk, Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum), than her.

That is, everybody except Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), a billionaire who believes that Loretta and her late archaeologist husband discovered the location of a lost city in their research. Fairfax kidnaps her and takes her to a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s up to Alan, Loretta’s agent Beth (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), and a very famous movie star in an extended cameo to rescue Loretta.

Written and directed by the brother team of Aaron and Adam Nee, with help from co-writers Oren Uziel and Dana Fox, the film is very much a tale of two halves. During the set-up half of the film, laughs and even a bit of emotion come easily as the characters and the ridiculous plot are established. The first half also includes a hilarious turn by that very famous movie star — Brad Pitt — as an expert in pulling off high-stakes rescues.

Unfortunately, the second half of the film fails to live up to the first as the filmmakers go down a series of rabbit holes that are neither funny nor thrilling. The premise of the film is supposed to put Loretta and Alan at odds at all times, but they wind up being equally clueless, defusing any narrative tension. Anyone hoping for an updated version of Romancing the Stone will be disappointed, as the romantic angle between the two of them doesn’t work either.

The film also does a pretty bad job at making its location in an island jungle believable. Using what appears to be a combination of sets on a back lot and CGI, most of the film looks and feels fake. Even the scenes where it’s clear they’re actually outside have a veneer of falsity. It’s not a surprise they went that direction in the time of comic book movies, but the lack of effort into making the scenes feel like they’re in a real location is disappointing.

Both Bullock and Tatum are game for whatever the filmmakers throw their way, but each of them has been much funnier elsewhere in their careers. Bullock maintains the relatable appeal that she’s had in most of her movies, but she can’t quite put the story over the top. Tatum pokes fun at the idea that he’s just known for his physique, but his performance still winds up being one-note.

The Lost City is a middling adventure comedy that could’ve used a lot more of both genres. If this is to be Bullock’s last starring role for a while (she has a small role in the upcoming Bullet Train), it’s too bad it had to be in a film that doesn’t live up to its — or her — potential.

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The Lost City opens in theaters on March 25.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Lost City.

$Da\u2019Vine Joy Randolph in The Lost City$

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Lost City.

Weekend Event Planner

These are the 16 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony

Photo courtesy of Dolly Parton

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This weekend in Dallas features a wide selection of events, including a very busy stretch for Majestic Theatre, which will host four different comedians over four days. Other choices include four concerts, an exhibition featuring a certain boy wizard, two festivals, a symphony concert featuring a renowned country singer, two local theater productions, a dance production, and a unique event centered on haunted objects.

$Dolly Parton\u2019s Threads: My Songs in Symphony$

Photo courtesy of Dolly Parton

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony" at Meyerson Symphony Center, October 24-26.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. If you want more options, check out the calendar for an even longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, October 23

Abstraction Media presents Max Amini
Through an array of eccentric impressions and novel storytelling, Iranian-American comedian Max Amini delivers a strong message about family ties, cultural trappings, and social topics. He has appeared on shows such as NBC's Heroes, Netflix's Real Rob with Rob Schneider, and Comedy Central's Mind of Mencia. He'll perform the second of back-to-back shows at Majestic Theatre.

Reneé Rapp in concert
Singer-songwriter Reneé Rapp first came to fame when she took over the role of Regina George in the Broadway production of Mean Girls, a role she would reprise the 2024 film adaptation. Buoyed by that exposure, she's also released two albums, the latest of which - the recently-released Bite Me - went to No. 3 on the Billboard 200. She'll perform at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

Friday, October 24

Fever presents Harry Potter: The Exhibition
Harry Potter: The Exhibition celebrates all things Harry Potter by bringing to life favorite moments, characters, locations, and beasts from the film series, as well as the extended Harry Potter universe. Guests can get up close to authentic props and costumes, practice Quidditch skills, pot a Mandrake, and more. The exhibition, located at 14902 Preston Rd., a former Steinmart within Pepper Square in North Dallas, will be open through at least January 31, 2026.

City of Grand Prairie presents Main Street Fest
The City of Grand Prairie Parks, Arts & Recreation Department will present the annual Main Street Fest. The event will include live music from The Jacksons and others, a BMX riding showcase, carnival rides, arts & crafts, food & beverage gardens, an array of entertainment at the Kidzone, and more. It takes place in downtown Grand Prairie near City Hall.

Atsuko Okatsuka: The Big Bowl Tour
American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer Atsuko Okatsuka was named one of Variety's "Top 10 Comics to Watch" in 2022, and her unique brand of comedy has been gaining attention all over the country, landing her spots on Hulu, HBO, and Comedy Central. Her debut standup special, The Intruder, was named the "Best Debut Special of 2022" by the New York Times. She'll perform at Majestic Theatre.

The Bacon Brothers in concert
Actor Kevin Bacon has been acting in movies and elsewhere since 1978, but it wasn't until 1994 that he decided to pursue his other passion of music with his brother, Michael. In between Kevin's acting gigs, the duo has released 10 albums over 28 years, most recently Ballad Of The Brothers in 2024. They'll play at Coppell Arts Center.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony"
"Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs In Symphony" is an innovative multimedia experience featuring Parton on screen, leading audiences in a visual-musical journey of her songs, her life, and her stories. Audiences will hear new and innovative orchestrations of her hit songs, her personal favorites, and an as-yet unreleased selection from her upcoming Broadway musical. There will be three performances through Sunday at the Meyerson Symphony Center.

The Rocky Horror Show x 2
In a slightly odd turn of events, there will be two dueling productions of The Rocky Horror Show starting in Plano this weekend. In the cult classic, sweethearts Brad and Janet discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. There they meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rock-n-roll biker and a creepy butler, who are celebrating Dr. Frank-N-Furter's newest creation, Rocky. The production at North Texas Performing Arts runs through November 2, while the production at Art Centre Theatre runs through November 15.

Denton's Day of the Dead Festival
Held outside on Hickory and Industrial St, Denton’s Day of the Dead Festival is a true collaboration of the eclectic art and music community of the city. It pays homage to many of fall’s treasures such as cooler weather, the harvest, the celebration of Dia de los Muertos, and all things Halloween. Highlights include live music, the Halloween Cabaret “Cirque du Horror,” Coffin Races, a lantern-lit twilight parade, and more. The festival runs through Sunday.

Halsey in concert
Pop singer Halsey has had a remarkably consistent career, going to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with her 2015 debut album, Badlands, and matching or exceeding those heights with each of her other four albums. She'll pay tribute to the album that started her highly successful career at this concert, which will be her only stop in Texas on the limited, 23-city world tour. She'll play at South Side Ballroom.

Ballet North Texas presents Sleepy Hollow
Heads will roll in Sleepy Hollow, a chilling world premiere by Carrie Ruth Trumbo, inspired by Washington Irving’s classic tale. The production follows Ichabod Crane, Katrina Van Tassel, and Brom Bones in a haunting love triangle set against the backdrop of 18th-century superstition - with Katrina’s perspective at the center of the story. There will be performances on both Friday and Saturday at Moody Performance Hall.

Saturday, October 25

Texas Theatre presents Haunted Objects Live
Haunted Objects Live features Greg and Dana Newkirk, two of the world’s only full-time paranormal investigators. During the presentation, the Newkirks will take audiences on a journey through history, folklore, and true-life accounts of encounters with objects that seem to possess a life of their own. The event takes place at Texas Theatre.

Junior H in concert
Mexican singer/rapper Junior H has had a prolific career in a relatively short period of time. After self-releasing his debut album in 2019, he quickly gained notice in the corridos tumbados subgenre. He went on to release three albums in 2020, another in 2021, two more in 2022, and another in 2023, almost all of which finished in the top 3 on Billboard's Regional Mexican Albums chart. His latest, $ad Boyz 4 Life II, was his most successful yet, going to No. 14 on the overall Billboard 200. He'll play on Saturday and Sunday at Dos Equis Pavilion.

Heather McMahan: The Bamboozled Tour
Heather McMahan is an actress, stand-up and podcaster who is known for her authenticity and broad humor. Named to Variety’s 2022 Comedy Impact Report, she was one of the featured female comedians to perform on Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin: Ladies Night Live on Netflix, earning Fonda’s admiration, and subsequently hosting Fonda’s 85th birthday celebratory fundraiser. She'll perform at Majestic Theatre.

Sunday, October 26

Nurse Blake: "But Did You Die?”
Comedian Nurse Blake will bring his specialty blend of humor and nursing expertise for a night of laughter, connection, relatability, and pure entertainment. The "But Did You Die?" tour will dive into the wild things patients and their families say and do at hospitals, from self-diagnosing Stage 8 cancer with WebMD to hitting the call light like they are on a game show. He'll perform at Majestic Theatre.

comedy music concerts exhibitions-visual-arts kids families festivals symphony theater dance education event-planner

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