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.

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.

A couple are convinced to come out of retirement, after their new life and cover is blown.

It's teetering on being one of those movies that's so bad, it happens to be fun. It's nonsense, sheer, total and utter nonsense, but I watched it from start to finish, and didn't get bored.

Everything was over the top, the fact that the couple didn't age at all after fifteen years, the shoot out scenes, the annoying children.

There was a hint of Johnny English about it, nonsensical sci fi, gadgets and gizmos, ridiculous shoot em up scenes, it did make me laugh a couple of times, the stereotypes were pretty funny.

You go for two wonderfully over the top English characters, and neither are English, that made me laugh, and think of Murder, she wrote, Glenn Close and Andrew Scott doing wonderfully, plummy English accents.

I rather liked Nigel, a bumbling British agent, who could have been lifted out of a spoof from the early 2000's, Jamie Demetriou was amusing.

One issue though, Americans poking fun at British food.....hand me the sugar, colourings and trans fats.

Fun, nonsense.

6/10.

This movie wasn't completely bad. Of course it's one of those predictable movies but that's what makes it watchable. It's good for when you want to watch something quick and easy but doesn't take too much of a toll on you mentally. It has the action, comedy, and family oriented plot. This will easily become a comfort movie. I enjoyed watching Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx as parents. I do wish the acting was a little bit better for the other cast members such as the extras and the people who were supposedly on the bad side. There were some parts that were cringe but that's to be expected in a movie such as this one. But I would recommend the movie if you want something cute, quick, and doesn't require too much concentration.

Jamie Fox and Cameron Dias have an unexpected chemistry in this movie and carried it hard. On the other hand the script is quite simple, predictable, and with no great flow. The base script has potential to build something special, unseen before, but it does not. Maybe the fast pace, the lack of fully building the children's characters and the family relationships. Also, I don't think that changing the geographical place of events helped a lot on the above observations. Connection is purely represented between protagonists and the enemy, as well as the enemies's intentions. However, the movie is watchable and entertaining for what it is, but don't have any expectations.