It’s been a while since we’ve seen Cameron Diaz lead a film. A decade ago, she launched three films in the same year—Sex Tape, The Other Woman, and Annie. That was back in 2014. Since then, we haven’t seen her.
But with the new Netflix action comedy Back in Action, Diaz is again back in front of audiences. The film finds her paired with Jamie Foxx as spies forced out of retirement to save themselves and their family. It feels like a fitting return to the screen for Diaz and makes for a fun weekend stream.
The film picks up with Emily (Diaz) and Matt (Foxx) as spies at the top of their game on a deadly mission. They’ve also become a couple and Emily has learned she’s pregnant. After completing and surviving a dangerous mission, Emily tells Matt about the child. They agree they want to keep it and stay together. Soon, they’re attacked on the flight home.
Emily and Matt survive but the plane crashes. Knowing they’ll be presumed dead; they take it as a chance to escape a dangerous life and think about their family. So, they disappear.
Flash forward 15 years, and Emily and Matt are living a normal, domestic life. They have two kids and they’re happily out of the game. When an incident rescuing their daughter lands them on Social Media, their old life catches up with them. That forces Emily and Matt to come clean to their kids about a lot of things and head on the run.
Now in England, they’re forced to finish what they started in order to keep their family safe.
This film has a solid premise and a solid cast. In addition to Diaz and Foxx the cast includes Kyle Chandler, Andrew Scott and Glenn Close in fun roles. It comes from director Seth Gordon, who worked on small screen hits like For All Mankind and The Night Agent. He knows his way around an action sequence, which works well for this film.
Diaz and Foxx have a breezy chemistry that works well here. It’s been a decade since we’ve seen her on screen, but Diaz looks comfortable in the role. She delivers a fun performance in a film that balances action and comedy with an easy-to-digest story.
This isn’t an incredible film, but it’s the kind of fun streaming action film that you like for a long holiday weekend. It should do well for those looking for a lighter offering that will be a bit of action and a bit of fun. I enjoyed this film for what it is, which is a high-octane ride with some laughs.
Back in Action is now streaming on Netflix.
Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.





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