Don’t judge a book by its cover model

At one point during The Lost City, a topless hero drops the cliche ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. This could well be the film’s mission statement - take life as it comes, and you might just surprise yourself. Well, there aren’t many surprises in store here, but that isn’t really the point. A charming cast and some inspired laughs are just enough to make this adventure worthwhile. 

Written by Seth Gordon, the brains behind Horrible BossesandIdentify Theft, the plot is as wacky as you’d expect. Loretta (Sandra Bullock) used to be an archaeologist with her late husband, but now she’s the author of a smutty adventure series (think Fifty Shades mixed with Indiana Jones) that has become more famous for its dashing and dim-witted cover model, Alan (Channing Tatum). On a tour to promote her poorly received new book, she is abducted by the bitter son of a media tycoon (a hot-tempered Daniel Radcliffe) who wants her help to locate the island treasure described in her book. Alan, who might also have feelings for Loretta, sets off on a daring rescue mission.

No ancient medallions for guessing where this is heading. As Loretta and Alan are unwittingly thrown together on a dangerous island, expect a lot of soul-searching, near scrapes with death, and villainous monologues. Thankfully, that doesn’t make this any less entertaining. 

Directors Aaron and Adam Nee keep things fast-paced and funny, with a madcap streak of humour lined through it. There’s also a memorable cameo from Brad Pitt as a spiritual military man who makes Liam Neeson look like a puppy. Not all of the jokes land, and a subplot about a fearless publicist (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) detracts too much from the action, but it’s hard not to be swept up by the sheer silliness on display here.

The Lost City is at its best when its leads are sharing the screen. While Bullock can do high-strung deadpan comedy in her sleep, Tatum threatens to run away with the film as a well-meaning but completely useless ‘hero’ who is way out of his depth. Their chemistry is truly inspired and draws in the biggest laughs of the film, including a hilarious scene where they try to justify sending a goon to his death. It’s with this dream pairing that the film really strikes gold. 

While the story isn’t exactly a page-turner, The Lost City is elevated by some silly laughs and a comic pairing to treasure in Bullock and Tatum.

★★★

keys-crows-dreamers-scones:

viva-la-idiots:

keys-crows-dreamers-scones:

au concept: the the foxes as an acapella group.

like idk why I’ve suddenly thought of this, but I was reflecting on how I associate certain singers/band’s sounds with certain characters (like missio is distinctly andrew to me, p!atd has nicky vibes fsr, etc) and I was thinking if all of them had good singing voices, we wouldn’t just want like a normal band au. like I’d wanna hear how they’d all sing together, and my brain goes THE MONSTERS GO A C A P E L L A

but just the monsters? no. no all the foxes can sing and each have their little specialties. allison and renee are killer beatboxers (renee specializes in doing these really odd synths and has always used it as a party trick to pick up cute girls, so that’s how allison found her in college and immediately recruited her to their music group)

dan and nicky are both powerhouses you didn’t see coming; seth and matt are basses that blend together beautifully. andrew and aaron both pretend not to care but andrew’s got this way of lilting talk-singing that adds something intriguing to the dynamic when aaron and nicky vocalize behind it, and is what attracts kevin’s attention in the first place when he finds them practicing on the front stoop of their house together. (i imagine kev has already run to wymack at this point, and abby maybe convieniently lives in the same neighborhood as the cousins in this au… I’m just guessing because my brain keeps going “he finds them street performing!!” but would they really do that??? who knows)

also andrew ends up being really good at composition and deciding who should sing which part and in what order, and ends up helping wymack and kevin figure out the arrangements in exchange for no questions being asked in how he handles his portion of the crew.

kevin and neil are some of the most versatile, thanks to rigorous training as kids, and kevin has a range that nearly got him killed when he began to leave riko in the dust (wanna know what else is killer? kev’s falsetto, 10/10, slaying it like the queen he is). kevin and neil are also both masters of harmony, kevin by studying and practice, and neil simply by instinct and feeling where the notes would settle into their sound best. neil has this haunting quality to his voice that makes you stop and freeze where you’re standing because he unknowingly packs so. much. emotion. into his voice. he can sing a lie, but his tone resonates with the truth underneath it. he drops his melodies down to a whisper and everyone layers on top of him before he begins building it back up and pulling the others together as he starts leading the song and somehow it occasionally brings to mind an image of this pack of foxes turning on their hunters, taking control and getting stronger and stronger as they pull together.

idk I just have soft feelings towards band aus in general, and an acapella one makes me even softer lmao

and we know seth is a tenor

okay originally I lumped seth in as a bass as well but the idea of him as a tenor is SO MUCH BETTER

AS A CHOIR KID I KNOW HE HAS BIG TENOR ENERGY

foxerice:

kevin, sobbing: my left hand is broken

medicated andrew: did you try putting it in rice

deadpan aaron: have you tries turning it off and on again?

aftg but the twins are played by one actor and instead of cgi-ing them onto a scene where both twins are present, they have to constantly switch between playing andrew and aaron and it’s just the same actor running back and forth

wymack: i’m worried about you

kevin: [dunking his protein bar in his wine] why?

andrew: i walk up and say hello

kevin:yeah

andrew: no that’s too subtle

wymack:andr—

andrew: imma push him

andrew: with a racket

andrew: in the stomach

kevin: i’m always two steps ahead of you bitches

kevin: could be three but i have to ask andrew

neil: [spitting blood at riko] fuck you

riko:how the fuck are you bleeding i haven’t even touched you

wymack: you good kid?

kevin: [laying face down on the floor] i’m sad

wymack: damn me too

wymack: no wait hey sad i’m dad

wymack: no wait what’s wrong

kevin: neil come over to play exy

neil: i can’t i’m on a date

kevin: andrew isn’t here

neil: about that

neil:so yeah,,,,, my face got burnt

nicky, without thinking: oh lit

“my child is fine” your child has learned the riko roast

andrew: all in all, a 100% success

aaron: andrew we lost our mom

andrew:all in all, a 100% success

wymack:hey if you join us you could stay at the dorms before the school year starts

neil:

andrew:okay keep an eye on kevin for me

neil:ok

neil five minutes later:

no one: 

aftg fanartists: orange orange orange orange orageorange,, orange . orange orange did i miss an orange spot orange, orange

matt: [walks in on the twinyards fighting again]

matt:enough you two have to stop fighting

matt, handing them boxing gloves: without proper supervision

nicky, knocking on bathroom door: hey neil what are you doing in there

neil, dying his hair: uh DRUGS

fuck relationships except whatever that redhead and cigarette have going on

you are a pipe dream (derogatory)

aaron: can you get me my glasses

andrew:sure

andrew:

[image description: a hand clutching a pair of glasses by its lens. but it’s just. so wrong. like the glass of the glasses. a thumb is on the front on the lens and the rest of the fingers are on the inside. you should feel very uncomfortable. end]