At some point, everyone has probably handled a Matchbox car. The toys have a range of options, truly offering something for everyone. And thinking about those different little cars, trucks, helicopters, and planes brings you back to a certain time in your life. But can that feeling be captured as an adult?

We’ve seen a lot of different classic toys brought to life in new ways. Transformers is a film franchise, as is G.I. Joe. The Barbie movie was not only beautifully rendered but was honored as one of the best films of the year. So, now Mattel is going back to the well with Matchbox cars. But how to bring it to life?

Matchbox the Movie, which streams on Apple TV this Friday, is that answer. It’s a big spectacle movie with a sprawling cast and some fun sequences. But does it capture that old Matchbox car magic?

The film kicks off in 1998 with a group of friends in a small town brought together by their love of Matchbox toys. They’re called the Matchbox gang. And it turns out the cars they were drawn to are a big piece of their personality. But one of the gang, Sean, must move away. His connection to the gang is severed, but he never forgets them.

Flash-forward 28 years, and Sean (John Cena) is a top agent for the CIA. We catch up with him as he’s driving cool cars, using gadgets, and accomplishing a big mission. After the mission, he’s told to lay low for a bit. He sees in the news that an old mentor (Bill Camp) in his former hometown has died. So, he heads back.

Returning offers a chance to re-connect with his four friends (Jessica Biel, Arturo Castro, Teyonah Parris, and Sam Richardson). But their reunion is quickly interrupted as they’re all drugged. The new CIA director (Corey Stoll) has some answers about a missing warhead he thinks Sean took. Sean then sets out, with his friends, to find the warhead, discover the truth, and clear all their names.

Some of these films adapted from toys have really leaned into the toy idea. That was certainly the case with Barbie. Others have kind of used them to try and incorporate a real-world story that fits with the toys. Matchbox the Movie seems to fit more with the latter. This is an action-comedy built around Cena that layers on Matchbox cars as a bit of an entry point.

That’s not a bad thing. No matter what the source material or inspiration, you need a movie to be good, to have an engaging story and characters, for it to work. I thought this was a solid approach to trying to bring the toy cars to life. The ways that premise is worked in don’t feel like a distraction as mostly you’re focused on this gang of friends and this mission.

Director Sam Hargrave, who helmed the Chris Hemsworth action films Extraction, does a nice job bringing some big set pieces to life. There are some good action sequences here that draw you in and really keep you hooked. That does add to the run time, as this movie runs two hours, but I liked the chases and the way it all comes together.

The win here, too, is finding a great way to maximize Cena in a lead role. We’ve seen him placed in a lot of different kind of roles, but this makes the most of his action skills and his comedy. He makes for an affable leading man, playing well off his friend group. You can’t help but root for them, which is part of what makes this a fun journey.

Matchbox the Movie seemed like a hard swing, but it turns out to be fun and delightful. It would have been great to see some of these action sequences on the big screen, but this will make for a nice streaming option this weekend. The film releases Friday on Apple TV.

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.