Lions, Tigers, & Bears! Oh my!
This is one of those “based on a true story” films. British explorer Col. Percival Fawcett was recruited to survey and map the Amazon river in the 1920’s. Promised that he would be well rewarded for his 2 year trek into the Amazon, he opted to leave his wife and child behind and venture into the unknown. On his voyage he encountered dangerous natives, wild animals, and a jungle riddled with disease.
A bit anti-climatic.
After watching Col. Percival Fawcett reach the “end” of the river I so quickly I was quite shocked. The movie was only half over, yet the main character had completed what he set out to do. As I watched further though, I was time jumped to a point where he was back home with his family and friends. The Colonel tells of his journey and the things he discovered, but his tales of civilized inhabitants lead people to ridicule him. Embarrassed and angry he accepts a challenge to once again venture into the jungle.
The film goes on, his family grows older, and he returns yet again empty handed. There are some brief war scenes followed by some time developing his character as a family man, but in the end he decides to return to his Amazon jungle a third time. This time is a bit different though as he decides to bring his eldest son with him. Together they hope to bring back proof of a once advanced civilization.
All’s well that ends well.
The Lost City of Z was quite a long movie. It came in at well over 2 hours and featured 3 trips into the same area of the world. Despite it being a bit repetitive, I actually found myself enjoying it. I haven’t seen many films like it, and the fact that it was inspired by a true story made it even more interesting.
I found parts of the film to be sad and other parts inspiring. The whole tale can be summed up by a mans obsession with chasing glory and fame. The Colonel devoted his entire life to exploring the Amazon in hopes of achieving greatness. He chased his dream of adventure, but it came with some very steep prices. I would recommend this movie as a rental or even a cheap purchase.
Starring:
Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller
Runtime:
2hrs 21min
Rated:
PG13
HFR Rating:
