Upamanyu Biswas
The action comedy ‘The Lost City‘ has its fair share of amusing gags to keep the light-hearted tone alive throughout the adventure story. The movie follows novelist Loretta Sage, who finds herself in the thick of an adventure, similar to one of her stories when a media mogul kidnaps her in the hopes of tracking down a valuable treasure. Fortunately, an unlikely rescuer shows up to extricate her from the plight of being a hostage, a dashing mercenary named Jack Trainer. The ex-Navy Seals operative single-handedly orchestrates Loretta’s release, only to come short in a shocking manner. Although the character has a scene-stealing presence for the brief period he shows up, his on-screen appearance is extended in the film’s mid-credits scene to more comical appeal. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Miraculous Survival of Jack Trainer
In the mid-credits scene, Loretta and Alan attend the meditation retreat that the latter kept talking about throughout the movie. Earlier in the story, Alan mentions that he met Jack during the retreat and also managed to get his hands on his contact details. His help becomes pivotal when Abigail Fairfax abducts Loretta. However, in the post-credits scene, Loretta and Alan are stunned to discover that Jack is attending the retreat with them and seems to be perfectly fine. It comes as a massive shock because the ex-military man died during the escape attempt when he helped Alan in rescuing Loretta. In fact, Jack was shot in the head, which makes his revival all the less likely. Still, the mid-credits scene offers evidence otherwise.
Naturally, both Loretta and Alan ask Jack the same question and wonder how he managed to survive. All they remember is how swiftly Fairfax’s henchmen disposed of him. Yet, before his apparent demise, the pair witnessed Jack’s impeccable martial skills in full flow as he dismantled the base of operations being run by Abigail Fairfax. He almost seemed indestructible owing to his impressive abilities and skill. Therefore, it was only plausible that if Jack were to perish, it had to be through an almost inescapable method of death, and a headshot qualifies in that sense. Loretta and Alan can only gasp in shock as they try to make sense of how Jack might have escaped what seemed like a certain death. However, like the movie, the explanation has to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Jack Trainer’s Nine Lives
When explaining the reasons behind his resuscitation, Jack tells both Loretta and Alan that the headshot he suffered damaged a small portion of his brain. The reasoning behind it is that he believes that human beings only use ten percent of their brain at a time. Thus, when he was shot, only ten percent of his brain died, and he was able to switch over to another ten percent to survive. The explanation seems extremely far-fetched and full of holes, but to some extent, it can be linked to the myth of a cat’s nine lives. His brain analogy is really another way of stating that there is a bit of mysticism surrounding Jack Trainer’s character. He may have died in a typical sense, but he himself is not a normal character – he is an exaggerated caricature in a comedic film.
Considering the tone of the action-adventure movie, it makes sense to think of Jack as a welcome side piece who adds to the numerous gags littered throughout the narrative. Everything about him is elevated to the highest degree, ranging from his dashing good looks to his incredible fighting skills. Therefore, it only falls to reason that the same dynamic would be reflected in his ability to survive the most fatal of injuries – a headshot. It’s not logical to assume that he would have survived in an ordinary capacity, but more so by viewing him through a heightened lens. There is also the added factor of gaining a few laughs by allowing him to show up after the credits when no one expects him to make it. In some ways, it is a clever way to subvert expectations and offer a unique and fun post-credits scene.
Read More: Where Was The Lost City Filmed?
