Back in Action

It's hard not to be a little insulted by Netflix sometimes. They seem to have a very specific type of movie they like to put out time and again and it really is aimed at the lowest level of movie-viewer. This tacky, predictable and safe movie template that they have down and throw out a dozen times a year is just awful to watch and 'Back in Action' is just another one to throw on the trash heap.

It was nice to see Cameron Diaz again after 11 years. I always enjoyed her charisma and sass that she was able to bring to a role. Here though she was not her usual self. Whether that was the script or her being a bit rusty I'm not sure. She didn't have any chemistry with Jamie Foxx though whatsoever.

Those are two fine actors and they both felt wooden the entire film. Foxx did have some health problems during filming though it is worth noting, so I'm happy to give him a pass. The fact that he completed the film at all is commendable.

Also I could've done without the bratty kid characters. Did anyone consider making them likable so that we might care about their fate a little more?

Sometimes you can say, turn your brain off and you'll have a good time. With this movie you need to turn your brain off to avoid the frustration of the absurdly stupid script and story, but you're still not going to have a good time if you do. Things like a plane crashing into the side of a mountain and then characters just walking away without a scratch are just the tip of the iceberg. The fun element was severely lacking in this movie.

I tried so hard to get into this movie and enjoy the ride but I just couldn't. Mostly I was just bored. A generous 4/10.

15 years after leaving behind their careers as superspies by faking their deaths, Emily (Cameron Diaz) and Matt (Jamie Foxx) have started a family and now live a quiet suburban life with their teenage daughter Alice (McKenna Roberts) and young son Leo (Rylan Jackson) while dealing with parental challenges like teenage rebellion and screentime. After following their daughter to a late night rendezvous at a night club where they use their martial arts training against some aggressive young men, the two are visited by their former handler Chuck (Kyle Chandler) who warns them the video of their fight has gone viral and that both the CIA and arms dealer Gor (Robert Besta) will likely track them down in the hopes of acquiring the ICS, a digital weapon that Matt hid unbeknownst to Emily if in case they ever needed leverage and to keep it from falling in the wrong hands. After Chuck is killed the two flee with their children while dodging assassins and mercenaries as they head to England where the ICS is hidden with Emily's estranged mother Ginny (Glenn Close).

Back in Action is the latest star studded genre film from Netflix and comes to us from writers Seth Gordon and Brendan O'Brien the former of whom also directs. The film marks Foxx's fourth collaboration with the streamer following works like Project Power, Day Shift and they very enjoyable They Cloned Tyrone and also marks the first role for Cameron Diaz since 2014's Annie after the actress took a hiatus due to the travel demands of acting. Back in Action doesn't break any new ground when it comes to this kind of high concept action-comedy film, but despite being pure formula it is elevated by the strong chemistry and comedic timing of Foxx and Diaz.

Back in Action follows a similar framework you've seen with this type of format which can be traced back to things like True Lies from the 90s or Romancing the Stone and its various immitators of the 80s (like American Dreamer for instance). This kind of format has been used time and time again (This Means War, Killers, The Spy Who Dumped Me, Ghosted, etc.) and if you're familiar with the formula it's very much in play here. The opening sequence involving Emily and Matt infiltrating Gor's mansion to obtain the ICS is actually quite well done and features some good choreography even if the plane crash sequence maybe is a tad overdone. It helps that Diaz and Foxx do have really good chemistry with each other and it's a marked improvement from last year's Argylle that had terrible chemistry between its leads and an overly bloated runtime. The first act after the opening sequence is probably the weakest part of the film with some very on the nose "generation gap" humor with Alice and Leo two-dimensional Gen Z and Gen Alpha archetypes whose position is really only to react to the reveal of their parents superspy past without really being fully fleshed characters themselves and it's the kind of thing that feels very "sitcom" in its usage of awkward humor. Once the family is forced on the run it adheres pretty closely to the patterns of this kind of formula action comedy but there are some amusing moments especially with Glenn Close as Emily's mother and some good against type stunt casting where the prior roles associated with two actors help make a pretty obvious twist have more weight than you'd expect.

Back in Action is not a great movie but it's a decent rental especially when you consider prior spy films from last year like Canary Black and Argylle that didn't work at all. If this were a theatrical film, I'd say it's something you can rent and be reasonably entertained. Take that for what you will.

It's a predictable, bad and a boring movie.

I've just wasted my time with another boring Netflix movie.

I love Cameron Diaz but it still is not enough to like this movie.

What's this obsession with secret agent married couples with children running away from the bad guys? It's all the same!

I don't even remember the last time Hollywood made a proper comedy or action movie. I keep watching movies from the 80s, 90s and 2000s.

Please Netflix no more so called "action-comedy"!

I am this close to cancel my subscription.

Maybe it's not just Netflix, the problem with Hollywood as a whole. Hollywood is on a big decline.

Diaz and Fox together with Glenn Close as Diaz's English mom, certainly make for a star studies cast, but that's prob where most people's reviews will stop. The film is not to be taken seriously and it's not going to win any awards, but it's a family, light hearted spy film that doesn't actually try to take itself seriously. The dialogue is corny at times and the acting is straight out of low budget action movies as is the plot, but if you want something to watch where you won't have to use any brain power whatsoever it's not that bad. There is enough action and stunts to keep the interest of most action movie officianardos, with Diaz and Fox playing two spies and obviously having martial arts skills. It does drop off a little around 3/4 the way through but picks up again towards the end. Decent enough watch.

Netflix delivers yet another star-studded cast: Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz are reason enough to hit play, and Andrew Scott, though appearing briefly, adds a touch of charm to the mix. However, even the brightest cast can't save a film when the script falls short - and here, it certainly does.

After watching, I was left with a strange sense of something missing. There's too little of everything: not enough jokes to make you laugh out loud, not enough action to keep you on the edge of your seat, and not enough intrigue to maintain interest. Netflix, which has recently been surprising us with quality projects like Carry On, seems to have taken a step back this time.

Is Back in Action the perfect choice for a cozy evening on the couch with some snacks? Absolutely. But will it be something you'll remember or want to revisit in the future? Definitely not. It's the kind of movie made to entertain you once - and that's it.

Verdict: If you're looking for a light film that doesn't demand much from you, Back in Action is a solid choice. But if you want something more memorable, you might want to check out a different title. Enjoy the show!