Back in Action

In recent years we have seen lots of actresses come back to acting after long hiatus’. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lindsay Lohan and now Cameron Diaz. Formerly known for romantic comedies and for being one of the members of the newer Charlie’s Angels, Cameron Diaz has been out of the spotlight for about a decade. So it is fitting that her return to the screen is in a Netflix film titled Back in Action. Now Cameron Diaz was never known for being an exceptionally good actress and her films were never exactly award winning, so I am not expecting much from her newest endeavor. That said, I love it when actresses choose their projects based on having fun.

Oh they're spies. I see. The title is a bit on the nose all around then, but sure. AH ANDREW SCOTT. This movie automatically gets an extra 30 points for having Andrew Scott in it.

Then we flash forward. I think perhaps the back in action concept would have been more impactful if we had started here and then this happy family gets pulled back into the espionage world.

Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz are a truly great pair. They are both really great comedic actors. The dialogue is extremely well written, super funny. And these two deliver it so well.

I love the story. The fact that their teenage daughter doesn’t believe anything they say because they are truly so bad at hiding who they are is a great add. She ends up being just as sneaky as her parents. She realizes that their passports have fake names.

The fact that they have to take the kids on the run adds to a fun family dynamic. Then they have to go visit her mother to get the key back adding some more layers to how the family works.

The action sequences are pretty cool. Neither of these actors are new to action movies and you can tell that they both had the experience to pull it off. I love the music choices.

I love the fact that Andrew Scott is the one after them, 1) because of the key but 2) mostly because he is in love with Cameron Diaz and I love that energy.

GREAT twist in the story. Was it maybe a little predictable? Sure, but it was actually really good. It was well written and well delivered. The action sequence to follow with grandma coming in was probably the best one of the movie.

It's got great pacing. I really don’t think spy action films or comedies should be longer than an hour and a half. So it had a perfect run time and it moved through its act structure really well. We know that I love a clear act structure.

I think this was a great come back to the screen for Cameron Diaz. It was funny, it was fun. She got to literally jump back into the action. Comedy is also kind of her sweet spot as an actress. Partnering her with Jamie Foxx was a great casting choice. And honestly the action sequences were pretty good. I did not expect a lot from this movie so it definitely exceeded my expectations. It was definitely a fun watch and if you are looking for a pure entertainment watch that is actually good then this is a good place to start. Back in Action earns a nice solid 7/10. It knew exactly what kind of movie it was and it did it well, not trying to be any more serious or sincere then it was meant to be.