4K Ultra HD Review: THE LOST CITY

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Jul 30, 2022 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Romance novelist Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) has just completed her 20th adventure novel featuring Dr. Angela Lovegood and her partner Dash, “The Lost City of D”, but her heart just isn’t in it anymore. Ever since her husband passed away five years earlier, Loretta has become a bit of a recluse. However, her publisher Beth (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) has put a lot of effort (and her life savings) into promoting the novel, and insists that Loretta join cover model Alan (Channing Tatum) on the book tour. But wealthy media mogul Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) has other plans. He believes that Loretta may be the key to helping him locate the lost tomb that holds the mythical Crown of Fire. So he kidnaps Loretta, takes her to his island, and forces her to help him in this quest.

Alan, who’s always had a bit of a crush on Loretta, drops everything and heads out on a rescue mission to save her, enlisting the help of former Navy SEAL Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt). But finding Loretta is just the beginning, and the Alan and Loretta soon find themselves living out their own Lovegood and Dash adventure, making their way through a deadly jungle, pursued by Fairfax’s henchmen, and looking for a mysterious treasure. Loretta is still dressed in the bright purple sequined jumpsuit she was wearing when she was kidnapped—not really the best outfit to blend in with her surroundings—and Alan didn’t really have any detailed plan layed out after locating Loretta. So they’re sort of just winging it, but along the way, this odd couple discovers that they have a lot more in common, and that opposites really do attract.

The Lost City is a wild, fun ride, mixing rom-com with action-adventure in the style of Romancing the Stone or The Jewel of the Nile. Bullock and Tatum have amazing chemistry, with Bullock playing the more bookish, straight-laced Loretta to Tatum’s dim-witted but full of heart Alan, who sometimes doesn’t seem to realize that he’s not actually Dash. The film takes these characters on a quite the adventure, filled with some hilarious moments and surprises, some amazing action sequences, and characters you really root for. Joining them are some really fun, ridiculous side characters. Radcliffe plays this over-the-top, campy villain for whom money is no object when it comes to getting what he wants. Whether it’s traying to charm Loretta with a 30-foot charcuterie platter, dealing with his unusual henchmen, or just trying to prove something to his family, Fairfax has always got some absurd, half-baked plan. Also in the mix is Loretta’s friend/publisher, who’s put all of her time and money into backing Loretta, and wants to make sure that both her friend and investment are OK. Meanwhile, she’s doesn’t want to worry her elderly Nana (Joan Pringle), who’s Loretta’s number one fan. And then there’s Pitt’s Trainer, who seems to have all the skills and intelligence that Alan is lacking, which causes some concern for Alan as this was supposed to be his big gesture/rescue mission.

Paramount’s 4K Ultra HD release looks and sounds amazing. The video presentation provides an excellent level of detail in faces and textures, and takes advantage of the Dolby Vision color palette to really showcase the film’s beautiful jungle locales. The film opens with a scene of Angela and Dash inside a tomb, which is beautifully lit by the orange glow of the torches. This kind of strong color composition prevails throughout the film. Dialogue is always clear, and the Atmos audio track provides a nicely-immersive viewing experience, whether it’s the ambiance of the jungle, the explosions at Fairfax’s compound, or just the film’s exciting score and wonderful 80s soundtrack. The 4K disc comes packed in a standard UHD keepcase, with a glossy slipcover, along with an insert with redemption instructions for a 4K digital copy of the film. Like most of Paramount’s newer 4K disc releases, there is no Blu-ray disc included, but the 4K disc contains almost 40 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and filmmakers, as well as 9 minutes of deleted scenes, and a 5-minute blooper reel.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:51:44)

2160p / Widescreen 2.39:1
Dolby Vision, HDR10
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English Audio Description, Czech 5.1 Dolby Digital, German 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 (Spain) Dolby Digital, Spanish (Latin America) 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, French (Canadian) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Italian 5.1 Dolby Digital, Japanese 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Cantonese, Czech, Danish, German, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), French, French (Canadian), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Finnish, Swedish, Thai

Digital (Code subject to expiration, may not be valid after 7/26/2024):

4K Digital Copy redeemable via Apple TV or Vudu (not Movies Anywhere compatible)

Extras:

Dynamic Duo (4:42)
The cast and crew talk about the amazing dynamic and chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum at the heart of this odd-couple action-comedy. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-directors/co-writers Aaron Nee & Adam Nee, and stars Sandra Bullock (producer/“Loretta”), Channing Tatum (“Alan”“Dash”).
Location Profile (7:09)
The cast and crew talk about changing their filming location from the Canary Islands to the Dominican Republic due to COVID travel restrictions, and the benefits and challenges that this brought. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-directors/co-writers Adam Nee & Aaron Nee, associate producer/1st AD Charlie Endean, supervising location manager Marco Giacalone, production designer Jim Bissell, and stars Channing Tatum, Sandra Bullock, Héctor Aníbal (“Rafi”), Daniel Radcliffe (“Abigail Fairfax”), Thomas Forbes-Johnson (“Mustache”) & Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“Beth Hatten”).
Jungle Rescue (6:25)
The cast and crew talk about the filming the film’s big stunt and action sequences, such as the truck rescue, the motorcycle chase through the jungle, and the compound fight and escape. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-directors/co-writers Adam Nee & Aaron Nee, SPFX supervisor Eric Frazier, stunt coordinator Kyle Woods, associate producer/1st AD Charlie Endean, and stars Channing Tatum, Sli Lewis (“Shades”), Thomas Forbes-Johnson & Sandra Bullock.
The Jumpsuit (3:41)
The cast and crew talk about the inspiration and design of Loretta’s sequined purple jumpsuit. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-directors/co-writers Adam Nee & Aaron Nee, producer Liza Chasin, costume designer Marlene Stewart, and star Sandra Bullock.
Charcuterie (3:32)
The cast and crew talk about the giant 30-foot charcuterie board, and using the industrial fans to make the food fly. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-directors/co-writers Adam Nee & Aaron Nee, property master Chris Ubick, SPFX on-set coordinator Craig Barnett, SPFX supervisor Eric Frazier, associate producer/1st AD Charlie Endean, and star Daniel Radcliffe.
The Villains of The Lost City (5:29)
The cast and crew discuss Abigail Fairfax and his henchmen—Rafi, Mustache, Shades and more—and the actors/stuntmen behind these roles. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-directors/co-writers Aaron Nee & Adam Nee, stunt coordinator Kyle Woods, stuntmen Ryan Orr & Alex Schoenauer, and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Héctor Aníbal, Thomas Forbes-Johnson & Sli Lewis.
Building The Lost City (7:23)
The cast and crew talk about building the sets and making the film’s island world come to life. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-directors/co-writers Aaron Nee & Adam Nee, production designer Jim Bissell, set decorator Karen Frick, SPFX on-set coordinator Craig Barnett, and star Daniel Radcliffe.
Deleted Scenes (8:52)
Collection of 8 deleted scenes. Play All, or select from:
- Spying on Fairfax (:44)
  Trainer plans his attack on the Fairfax’s compound, Loretta tries to escape.
- Beth Looks For Loretta (1:23)
  Beth decides that she needs to go look for Loretta, while Allison tries to talk her out of it.
- The Climb (:14)
  Loretta and Alan talk about climbing the mountain.
- Allison’s Dance (:53)
  Allison records a TikTok video as Nana looks on disapprovingly.
- Hammock (:53)
  Alan apologizes to Loretta as they lay in the hammock.
- Navigates Drone (:43)
  Fairfax and Rafi track Alan and Loretta with a drone.
- Loretta Calls Nana (3:26)
  Loretta tries to call Beth but talks to Nana instead, who gives her a new perspective on her life and situation.
- Trainer Has a Headache (:32)
  Alternate scene to the post-credits scene, where we see Trainer in the jungle.
Bloopers (5:33)
Laugh along with the cast as they flub and forget their lines, and crack each other (and themselves) up.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Highly Recommended

The Lost City is a highly-entertaining odd-couple action/adventure/rom-com that will surely delight viewers. Bullock and Tatum have fantastic chemistry and are the core heart and humor of the film. However, they are joined by an amazing supporting cast, including Daniel Radcliffe in a hilarious out-of-character role as the over-the-top villain. Paramount’s 4K release looks and sounds great and includes a solid selection of bonus material. This release comes highly recommended to fans of the film or of the cast/genre in general. I enjoyed the film just as much the second time around on disc, after originally seeing it in the theater when it was first released.