Rom-com romp

Middle-aged movie fans will find The Lost City pleasantly familiar. This romantic action adventure, in theaters, pulls its inspiration from Romancing the Stone (1984), but it injects enough ­originality to make the implausible film a treat for audiences weary of Hollywood’s sequel-reboot cycle.

Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) writes romance novels inspired by the work she did with her archaeologist husband, but after his death she becomes reclusive and struggles to bring her series to a satisfying conclusion. To promote her flailing franchise, Loretta goes on a book tour with Alan (Channing Tatum), the Fabio-like model who appears on her covers. But her novels contain too much archaeological reality, and a nefarious collector (Daniel Radcliffe) kidnaps Loretta to help him find a lost treasure. Alan takes it upon himself to rescue the woman he secretly loves.

The Lost City is rated PG-13 for ­violence, language, and partial nudity. The plot deals with romance novels, so expect a bit of innuendo, but the movie is free of sex. The raciest scene features a male backside with only a few leeches to cover it. The movie is a silly romp, and fans of Bullock’s rom-coms will enjoy seeing her back in the genre. She proves she’s still the queen of the smart-beautiful-yet-somewhat-­awkward-love-interest role.