Over the years, there have been numerous hilarious and daring romantic action comedies that combine multiple genres to create what some would describe as the perfect date movie. And, while we don’t see this as much as we used to, sometimes a movie in that category comes around and takes the world by storm. This happened in March 2022 when The Lost City, a globetrotting adventure starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, became a box office champ and critical hit. 

If you were one of the millions of people who have seen the throwback adventure flick and want more, you have come to the right place, because we have put together a list of 10 movies like The Lost City that will certainly scratch an itch, make you laugh, or fall in love all over again. 

By Philip Sledge

Romance writer Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) finds herself in an adventure like one of her novels when she has to head into the Colombian jungle to save her sister before she is killed by a group of men seeking a priceless treasure and the map to find its location.

You can see the influence from Robert Zemeckis’ Romancing the Stone throughout The Lost City, from its story about a writer having the skills to find a missing treasure, to its over-the-top villains and dashing mercenary played by Michael Douglas. It should come as no surprise that there is boundless action, comedy, and romance throughout this classic.

Upon learning of a mythical tree that supposedly has the ability to heal injuries, cure sicknesses, and more, Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) hires steamboat captain Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) to take her into the heart of the Amazon jungle in hopes of using it to revolutionize medicine. But, she isn’t the only one searching for the Lágrimas de Cristal Tree and its boundless power.

Like The Lost City, the star-studded Disney adventure, Jungle Cruise, which is based on the popular amusement park ride of the same name, has elements of comedy, action, and romance sprinkled throughout, creating a fast-paced and enjoyable adventure. But, the jury is still out on who is the more sinister villain: Jesse Plemons’ Prince Joachim or Daniel Radcliffe’s Abigail Fairfax.

Together with his trusty young sidekick and a not-about-this-life singer, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) sets off into rural India to locate a missing stone. Upon reaching the heart of the jungle, though, the daring archeologist encounters a mysterious cult whose leader has a habit of pulling out people’s hearts.

The second installment in the franchise, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is the rare entry where Indy doesn’t face off with power-hungry and occult-obsessed Nazis, but instead a more mysterious (and powerful) enemy. Though without as much romance as in The Lost City, this 1984 classic has plenty of witty banter to hold you over.

Three millennia after being cursed to damnation in ancient Egypt, High Priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) is brought back from the dead, unleashing a series of curses on those who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In addition to having a fun story that combines humor and action, The Mummy is anchored by dashing soldier Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and dedicated Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz), who are about as opposite as can be, but still eventually make romance work.

After magically becoming trapped in an old video game, four high school students are transformed into the game’s characters whose appearances and skill-sets are far different than their normal selves. In order to escape the game and make it back home, the teenagers have to put their differences aside and work together.

The well-received Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle feels like both a sequel and a reboot of the Robin Williams-led 1995 action-adventure classic, and manages to capture the thrills, chills, heart, and soul that made the original so much fun. If you love adventures through the jungle, look no further.

When her brother dies at the hands of the German army while on a spiritual mission in Africa during the height of World War I, Rose Sayer (Katharine Hepburn) has to find a way to escape a similar fate, even if it means teaming up with drunk boat captain Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart). 

One of the best romantic comedies of all time, The African Queen laid the groundwork for movies like The Lost City and other similar action films. You have two main characters who go from bitter enemies to close companions, mystery, and danger around every corner and river bend.

Since his wife died, detective Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) has been living a dangerous life of undercover investigations and a generally reckless lifestyle. But, that all changes when he is partnered up with the more strait-laced Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), who lacks the younger cop’s tenacious sensibilities. Together the unlikely pair set out to stop a massive drug operation, but only if they survive each other first.

Okay, Riggs and Murtaugh don’t fall in love with each other in the third act, but Lethal Weapon is one of the best examples of a great buddy cop action film and is considered an all-time classic at this point. And, even though the movie is set in Los Angeles and not the jungle, the “City of Angels” is technically a concrete jungle, right?

Due to a glitch in the system, Guy (Ryan Reynolds), goes from a pre-programmed bank teller in the popular video game, Free City, to a sentient character who gains the ability to do things only the most advanced (and richest) of gamers can pull off. But upon looking into his situation, Guy learns something else is going on entirely.

Like Channing Tatum’s Alan Caprison in The Lost City, Guy becomes the most unlikely of heroes by the time his journey wraps up in Free Guy. Add in a dash of romance and some of the most intense action sequences of 2021, and you have yourself one of the best ways to spend a couple of hours. And, come on, there’s no such thing as too much Ryan Reynolds.

When Beck (Dwayne Johnson), a hardened bounty hunter, is sent deep into the Amazon jungle to locate and retrieve his employer’s missing son (Seann Willam Scott), he soon finds out this isn’t going to be a simple job. Instead, Beck lands in the middle of bitter conflict that could not only put his mission in jeopardy, but also his life.

Whenever the topic of the best Dwayne Johnson movies comes up, you rarely see The Rundown, which is a shame. One of his first movies (and most forgotten performances), this 2003 buddy adventure film is a ton of fun and shows off the wrestler-turned-actor’s unmatched charm in action. This is definitely a must watch. 

Upon thwarting the plan hatched by a skilled bomber to secure a $3 million ransom, Los Angeles police officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) finds himself in the madman’s crosshairs. Instead of bringing harm to the hotshot cop, the bomber plants a device on a city bus that will explode if the speed drops below 50 miles per hour.

In addition to being one of the best Keanu Reeves movies, Speed also features the breakout role of Sandra Bullock, who plays Annie Porter, one of the passengers who becomes the driver of the explosive-riddled deathtrap. This iconic action thriller has since become one of the most iconic movies of the 1990s and also one of the most balanced.

Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) are two police officers who couldn’t be any more unlike each other if they tried. Despite this, they become fast friends at the academy and serve as each other’s support system in a variety of ways. But that friendship is put to the test when the pair are assigned an undercover gig at a local high school that has become ground zero of a deadly drug epidemic.

Based on the 1980s crime series of the same name, 21 Jump Street is one of those movies that proved that Channing Tatum is more than just a hunk made in a lab for Nicholas Sparks movies. This movie just works, and features a nearly endless line of great performances from the likes of Brie Larson, Dave Franco, and Ice Cube.