by Charles Kirkland, Jr.
Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz are a husband and wife pulled back into the world of espionage with their unwitting children in tow in Back In Action.
During their last mission, Emily (Cameron Diaz) discovers that she is pregnant with her co-worker, Matt’s baby. When the mission fails and turns deadly, Matt (Jamie Foxx) and Emily take the opportunity to fake their death and “retire” from spywork. Sixteen years later, after an incident with their rebellious daughter, the formerly dead CIA spies find themselves square in the sights of enemies and friends searching for the object of their last job. To protect their children, Matt and Emily go on the run, off the grid, to complete the work of their last unfinished mission. How far off the grid can they go with two incredulous children in tow?
Netflix’s action-comedy Back In Action is written by Seth Gordon and Brendan O’Brien. The movie stars Foxx and Diaz along with McKenna Roberts, Rylan Jackson, Jamie Demetriou, Kyle Chandler, and Glenn Close. Seth Gordon (Identity Thief, Horrible Bosses) also directs the film.
First, the elephant in the room. Jamie Foxx was filming this movie when he suffered a severe brain bleed that led to a catastrophic stroke in April 2023. He left while filming was incomplete. It was unclear whether this film would ever be completed. Despite all odds, though, Foxx made a complete recovery and returned to complete the film in 2024. As far as can be seen, there is no ability to tell which scenes were filmed before the stroke and which ones were filmed after. If by no other metric, this film is fantastic, a terrific miracle to the power of dedication and hard work.
The second elephant is the return of Cameron Diaz to acting after a long hiatus. In March 2018, after completing the film Annie (also with Jamie Foxx), Diaz announced that she was retiring from acting. Many actors say that they are retiring, but it appeared that Diaz did. For six years, Diaz was absent from the public eye. In 2022, Diaz showed up as a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Shortly after her reappearance, Cameron announced that she would be returning to acting with her friend Jamie Foxx. The Netflix project, Back In Action, was born.
A combination of Spy Kids and True Lies, Back In Action is a spy comedy that poses the question, “Can a spy ever be done with being a spy?” The action comedy is smart and fun, but mostly predictable. Diaz and Foxx have really good chemistry together. Believe it or not, in light of all the elephants in the background, the movie is a celebration of the power of cinema and good actors.
Speaking of which, Glenn Close is excellent in this film as the mother of Emily and grandmother to her children. Close’s Ginny is appropriately aloof and unaffected as the former spy trainer who seems to always know more than everyone for her reasons. Close has been particularly terrific in vehicles that would seem to beneath her (see The Deliverance and Hillbilly Elegy). This film is no different. Ginny is sexy, smart, and badass. Close pulls it off wonderfully.
The themes of the movie are special and communicate well to families. Honesty is the main focus, but the stereotypical mother-daughter coming-of-age conflicts are well-fleshed out and completely relatable to those who have experienced them in real life. Gordon and O’Brien inject an important intergenerational factor to be addressed that is sometimes forgotten. The film could serve as a fun icebreaker for those who are willing to be honest in their discussions over the topic, if they can get their daughters’ focus away from their phones. If they do, the reality that is portrayed will easily capture them.
Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some suggestive references, strong language, and brief teen partying, Back In Action is a playful and fun movie that families will enjoy. Not the best theater, but it’s great for a snowy, family movie night.
Back In Action can be seen on Netflix starting January 17, 2025.
Grade: C+
