The Lost City – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

The Lost City

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2022Action, Adventure

61%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum do Romancing the Stone lite—fun jungle romp with PG-13 spice that's perfectly fine but won't change your life.

6.1/10

78%

83%

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The Lost City

movie

PG-13, 2022, Action, Adventure

61%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum do Romancing the Stone lite—fun jungle romp with PG-13 spice that's perfectly fine but won't change your life.

6.1

78%

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6.1/10

78%

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Screenwise Verdict

The Lost City is exactly what it looks like: a competent, breezy action rom-com that borrows heavily from better movies (Romancing the Stone, basically) but executes well enough to be enjoyable.

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum have solid chemistry, the jungle settings are pretty, and there are enough laughs to keep it moving. It's not going to win awards or stick in anyone's memory, but for a family movie night with teens, it's a safe bet—assuming you're okay with PG-13 content (some violence, romantic situations, innuendo).

The 78% critic score and 83% audience score tell the story: it's likable and fun without being remarkable. Your 13-year-old will probably enjoy it, your 16-year-old might find it a bit silly, and you'll spend two hours entertained without learning anything or feeling particularly moved.

It's fine. Totally fine. And sometimes fine is exactly what you need.

Age Fit

Best for ages 13+ who can handle PG-13 action and romantic content. Younger tweens might enjoy it with parents, but the innuendo and violence make it iffy for under-12. Teens and adults will find it a pleasant, forgettable popcorn flick.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Action-adventure rom-com with positive themes of courage and partnership. Models cooperation between the leads as they navigate danger together. The tone is light and humorous rather than mean-spirited, though there's romantic tension and some objectification humor (cover model premise). Pacing is energetic but not chaotically overwhelming. Some adult humor and situations keep it from scoring higher.

Imaginative

Jungle adventure setting offers visual variety and classic treasure-hunt tropes, but the premise is fairly derivative (Romancing the Stone meets The Proposal). It's more about executing familiar beats competently than breaking new ground. The meta-commentary on romance novels adds a slight creative layer, but overall this is standard Hollywood adventure-comedy territory without much to inspire creative thinking or exploration.

Safe

Common Sense Media rates it 13+, suggesting moderate content concerns. As a PG-13 action-comedy, expect some violence (jungle peril, gunfire, fight sequences), sexual innuendo and romantic situations, likely some mild profanity, and the cover model premise involves objectification humor. No extreme gore or graphic content, but definitely not appropriate for young kids to stumble upon. The action violence is stylized rather than realistic, keeping it from being truly frightening, but kidnapping and peril are central plot points.

Enriching

Light entertainment with minimal educational or developmental value. There's some fish-out-of-water character growth as a sheltered novelist discovers her own capability, and themes about not judging people by appearances. The romance novel meta-angle could spark interest in storytelling, but this is primarily popcorn entertainment. Audience scores (83% RT, 6.1 IMDb) suggest it's fun and watchable but not particularly memorable or thought-provoking. Delivers entertainment without much substance.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Solid escapist entertainment with charismatic leads and decent comedy timing
Shows a capable woman discovering her own strength outside her comfort zone
Light enough to enjoy without heavy themes, but engaging enough to hold attention
Could spark conversations about romance novel tropes and storytelling conventions
Good chemistry between leads models partnership and mutual respect (eventually)

⚠

What to Watch For

Action violence including kidnapping, gunfire, jungle peril, and fight scenes
Romantic and sexual innuendo throughout—it's a rom-com with PG-13 heat
Some objectification humor around the cover model character
Likely mild profanity and adult situations that younger kids won't get but teens will
Formulaic plot means it's predictable—fine for background viewing but not must-see cinema

Conversation Starters

"Do you think the author's books prepared her for real adventure, or was she totally unprepared?"
"What would you do if you got kidnapped and dragged into a jungle treasure hunt?"
"Why do you think people enjoy romance novels and adventure stories—what makes them fun to read or watch?"
"Did the cover model character surprise you? How do people judge others by their looks or jobs?"

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