Cameron Diaz
is making an industry “comeback” with Netflix
action comedy Back in Action
, but the movie, which also stars Jamie Foxx
, is proving to be anything other than comeback material with its Rotten Tomatoes reviews. The film, which had several setbacks during its production, arrives on the streaming platform today, and tellingly, the reviews from critics were held back until the last minute. Now, everyone can see why.
Netflix’s new action comedy has been in the headlines for many reasons over the last couple of years. As the movie Diaz chose to bring her back to screens for the first time in a decade, the film was always going to get attention. That was not the biggest headline grabber though, as that title goes to the mystery illness that saw Jamie Foxx rushed to hospital and the production shut down. However, there is only so much benefit that can come from such headlines, and none of it makes a jot of difference to how critics react to the final product.
In this case, it has not been a favorable outcome, as despite its marketing as a movie with great chemistry between its stars, brilliant action sequences, and a classic story of two spies who no one knows are spies being dragged back into a world they left behind, Back in Action seems to be landing as more “Out of Order” with critics.
What are Critics Saying About ‘Back in Action’?
When using several old and well-worn tropes in a movie, there needs to be something exceptional behind it to elevate the material beyond the “been there, done that” feel that many genre movies get lost in. Back in Action seemingly doesn’t manage that, and that is greatly reflected in the 25% Tomatometer score that the film is currently packing on Rotten Tomatoes after its first wave of 16 reviews.
FandomWire’s Manuel Sao Bento sets the tone for many of the reviews by hoping that the disappointment of Diaz and Foxx’s offering is not a sign of what is to come for Netflix in the rest of 2025. He said:
“Back in Action would have been more appropriately titled Out of Action. For the start of a new cinematic year, this is a misstep I sincerely hope doesn’t set the tone for what’s to come.”
For Collider’s Taylor Gates, the pull of the movie’s star attractions will be reason enough for their fans to tune in, but that seems to be the only reason. She said, “Most people are likely clicking on this film for Foxx & Diaz, and they do their best with what they’re given, but the dull, exposition-heavy script never gives them the chance to flex their dramatic muscles, and they rarely get to be truly funny either.”
Related
‘Back in Action’ Review: It Is What It Is
Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz come out of spy retirement and take their kids with them.
Although the film’s more positive reviews all note the chemistry between Diaz and Foxx – which is interesting considering the constant reports of issues on set during filming – they also concede that Back in Action is the kind of movie that has been made to feel like many that have gone before it in the hope that it will feel like a comfortable and unchallenging fit. In that respect at least, it seems to have succeeded…which means we can expect to see it topping the Netflix chart in the coming days.
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