BACK IN ACTION (2024)

Thinking back, I didn’t watch Back in Action hoping or expecting to see perfection. What I wanted was a fun romp with our trusty Cameron Diaz and Jamie Fox to lighten up my day with some laughs and a little heart if it had the time. And the premise was promising. Much like the (far superior) Spy (2015) movie that spoofs the genre with star Melissa McCarthy, an unglamorous wallflower, throwing herself into spy life and every situation is mined for laughs, Back in Action has two glamorous spies throwing themselves into parenthood. Okay, what might that look like? Do they become any less glamorous and let themselves go with hilarity? No. Do they use their spy skills for a very unethical (yet enviable) parenting approach? No. Are they at all rusty in their moves or have any old-timey skills that prove to be out-of-date or refreshingly usable when the moment for the kill shot arrives? No. Instead, a very attractive couple with very little (if any) heat between them, get along, respectfully parent and do just about everything right throughout the entire movie. I’m now left thinking, who wants to see that? 

WATCH OR NOT: NOT

Additional musings: Cameron Diaz is still a delightful entertainer and to her credit, does what’s asked of her here. I hope this outing doesn’t dissuade her from staying out of retirement. On the other hand, this Jamie Fox clone isn’t working for me, we’ll see about the next model.