The Lost Citylooks to be a throwback to romance/action adventures of a bygone era, especiallyRobert Zemeckis’s 1984 benchmarkRomancing the Stone. Even the premise is promising: romance novelist Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) is abducted by billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), who seeks her help in finding the treasure of a lost civilization. It falls to Alan (Channing Tatum), the cover model for Loretta’s books, to rescue her.
Paramount Pictures has leaned on the “odd couple” pairing of Tatum and Bullock to push the movie, as well as the friction between their characters. Loretta is getting burned out with her romance novels, and Alan is less capable than the brawny hero he portrays on the cover of a book. But this isn’t the first action-adventure film to have an “odd couple” at its center. Here are nine films that paired together two protagonists of wildly different stripes — and wrung gold out of said pairings.
Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves inSpeed
The Lost Cityisn’t the first time Bullock has been part of an “odd couple” in an action film. She portrayed Annie Porter in the 1994 action hitSpeed, where mad bomber Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) has rigged a bus to explode if it drops below 50 miles an hour. It falls to SWAT officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) to try and save the bus' passengers before the bomb goes off.Speedis the definition of a “high octane thriller” - and a large part of what makes it an engaging watch is the chemistry between Bullock and Reeves. Annie remains extremely calm when taking over driving the bus — even as it crashes through various obstacles and collides with a plane. She also helps Traven as he attempts to stop the bus and save the passengers, which culminates in a kiss by movie’s end. Too bad that same spark wasn’t present inSpeed 2: Cruise Control.
Danny Glover and Mel Gibson inLethal Weapon
The true progenitor of the “odd couple” in action movies wasLethal Weapon. The film pairs loose cannon Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) with dedicated detective Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) as the duo attempts to solve a murder, which leads them into a web of conspiracy and crime. Both Riggs and Murtaugh couldn’t be more different; Murtaugh is days away from retirement and looking forward to resting easy while Riggs has grown suicidal following the death of his wife. The duo slowly learn to trust each other, and that trust is solidified by film’s end as Murtaugh invites Riggs over for Christmas dinner; Riggs, in turn, gifts Murtaugh with a bullet he had intended to commit suicide with. Gibson and Glover’s repartee led toLethal Weaponbecoming a franchise, with three more films highlighting the Riggs/Murtaugh partnership.
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones inMen in Black
IfLethal Weaponwas the origin of the “odd action couple”,Men in Blackperfected the formula by pittingWill Smith— whose career as a movie star was only taking off — with a veteran character actor inTommy Lee Jones. Jones' Agent K takes Smith’s Agent J under his wing, training him as an agent of the Men in Black and teaching him how to fight “the scum of the universe,” which includes the ravenous bug Edgar (Vincent D’Onofrio). Smith’s wisecracking nature pairs perfectly with Jones' deadpan delivery, leading to a dynamic that powers the movie - and a heartbreaking ending, as K chooses to return to a normal life. But given the box office success ofMen In Black, pretty soon J and K were reunited to continue fighting alien criminals. And try as they might,Chris HemsworthandTessa Thompsoncouldn’t replicate the same chemistry in the ill-fated spinoffMen in Black: International.
Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum inIndependence Day
Smith’s career truly took off once he landed the leading role inIndependence Day.There, his ace fighter pilot Steven Hiller joined forces with satellite technician David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) in order to save the world from an alien invasion. Much likeMen in BlackorLethal Weapon, Hiller and Levinson came from two different worlds — one was a gung-ho action hero and an expert pilot, while the other was a socially awkward genius. Yet their combined skills proved to be helpful in defeating the alien threat; Levinson coded a virus to take down their mothership while Hiller flew an alien spacecraft into — and out of — said mothership. Sadly, Smith did not return for the sequelIndependence Day: Resurgence,though given how that film turned out it’s probably for the best.
Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh inBlack Widow
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has played host to a variety of team-ups, but one of the most recent ones touched upon a founding Avenger’s family.Black Widowsends Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) on the run after the events ofCaptain America: Civil War. Romanoff’s life is only complicated when her adoptive sister Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) reaches out to her, seeking her help in freeing other Widows from the Red Room. The relationship between the two is fractured, as Yelena subtly resents Natasha for escaping while she was mind-controlled into servitude for the Red Room. But they soon manage to repair said relationship, and even start reconnecting with each other, Yelena makes fun of Natasha’s “posing” and Natasha takes Yelena’s vest with her as a reminder of her sister duringAvengers: Infinity War. This sisterhood even resonates throughHawkeye, as Yelena blames Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) for Natasha’s death.
Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer inFree Guy
The beauty ofFree Guyis how it manages to layer different genres within its story, including romance and action. Said romance blossoms between Guy (Ryan Reynolds), an NPC within the world ofFree City, and Molotovgirl (Jodie Comer), the avatar of programmer Millie Rusk. Guy starts to go “off-program” once he sees Millie, and even helps her in her quest to prove that the code for another game she created was stolen. Used to outright sociopathic behavior from other characters, Millie finds herself puzzled by Guy’s behavior - and slowly warms up to him, even sharing a kiss with him. It isn’t until later that she learns that Guy was essentially a love letter written to her by her friend and fellow programmer Keys (Joe Keery).
Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock inThe Heat
Sandra Bullock served as half of the oddest couple yet inThe Heat, where she played FBI Agent Sarah Ashburn. Ashburn is teamed with Boston detective Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) to take down drug lord Simon Larkin (Taran Killiam). The two women don’t get along; Ashburn is by the book and rigid in following protocol, while Mullins is rude, crude and willing to bend or break laws in order to get results. However, the two bond when Ashburn reveals that her life as a foster child shaped her outlook on life; Mullins writes a heartfelt message on her yearbook saying “now you have a sister.“Lethal Weapon’s fingerprints are all overThe Heat, but McCarthy and Bullock have the kind of chemistry that can’t be faked.
Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart inCentral Intelligence
Over the course of his career,Dwayne Johnsonhas played partner to multiple actors, including Ryan Reynolds inRed Noticeand Jason Statham inFast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw. But perhaps his most unorthodox partnership took place inCentral Intelligence, where he joined forces with none other thanKevin Hart. Central Intelligencefinds forensic accountant Calvin Joyner (Hart) being swept up in a CIA mission thanks to agent Bob Stone (Johnson). When they were in high school, Joyner saved Stone from a potentially embarrassing moment; Stone considers Joyner to be his only friend. But Joyner soon learns that Stone may have been hiding a few things from him — including the fact that he’s not entirely mentally stable. The hilarity of Johnson playing against type as an insecure wannabe action hero, and Hart as the responsible adult, makes for an interesting watch. And the duo are set to team up again inDC’s League of Superpets, with Johnson voicing Krypton the Super Dog and Hart voicing Ace the Bat Hound.
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in21 Jump Street
Chris LordandPhil Millerare known for playing around with genre, and their live action directorial debut21 Jump Streetis no exception. Based on the classic TV series, the film has police officers Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) going undercover to discover who is supplying a new drug to teenagers. The return to high school isn’t what they expected: Jenko, a former jock, is uncomfortable in a high-performing school while Schmidt takes to it like a duck to water. Tatum plays the role of “jock cop” with ease, which provides the perfect contrast to Hill’s more emotionally open performance as Schmidt. The two would even reunite with Lord and Miller for22 Jump StreetandThe Lego Movie; Tatum voices Superman and Hill voices Green Lantern in the latter.
