Viewed – 03 August 2022 online rental

A popular romance fiction writer who has lost the passion for her work (Sandra Bullock) finds herself whisked away on an adventure when a wealthy tycoon (Danielle Radcliffe) believes her fantasy adventure books hold the secret to finding a lost treasure. However her good-looking but dim witted cover model (Channing Tatum) sees an opportunity to prove himself a real hero.

Some movies are easy prospects. You’ll know exactly what you’re getting, and can sit back and simply enjoy the ride. This is one such movie. I’ve always liked Sandra Bullock and she’s perfectly fine here, delivering a likeable lead and once again proving her comedy chops. Same goes for Tatum, perfectly cast due to his Hollywood good looks and proves a likeable co-star. Radcliffe surprises in the villain role and is again fine. That’s the perfect word for this move – fine. It doesn’t do anything surprising, is funny enough and had a few fun action bits, and the exotic locations are nice enough to look at (even if they’re probably neatly all green screen).

Yet its also very throwaway. Bullock & Tatum’s parring is enjoyable but also very cheesy. An appearance from Brad Pitt is memorable. But with a clear influence from Romancing the Stone (a better movie) this just feels too safe and familiar to be anything more than ‘see if if there’s nothing better and you like the cast’.

Verdict: Good