Back in Action welcomes Cameron Diaz back to the screener after a hefty 9 year hiatus from Hollywood. Now, paired once more with Jamie Foxx she returns to her Charlie’s Angels days in an action comedy that’s a little light on the comedy and a little tedious with the action. 

 

There’s plenty of action to go around in Back in Action, the issue isn’t with the action itself but more so the way it detaches itself from the stars of the film. Cutting dramatically every time the stars swap with their doubles, spoiled by the Keanu Reeves and Tom Cruise stunt work of recent years. This detachment makes the action, while plentiful, choppy to watch as well as dull. Apart from a scene at a gas station utilizing the gas pump to their advantage, none of the scenes stood out as anything worthy of Diaz’ return. 

 

Now when it comes to the comedy - it’s a family affair and it is light on the laughs. After “dying” in a plane crash, Emily (Diaz) and Matt (Foxx) start a life for themselves off the grid and out of the game. Unluckily for them after an incident is recorded trying to parent their daughter, their past comes to haunt them. Where the comedy may be a tad dry and scarce throughout, Diaz and Foxx are wonderful together, truly showcasing some chemistry that’s easy to be engrossed by. 

 

It's with the kids the trouble lies, building upon cliche and cliche to make for some of the most annoying kids in recent memory. I’m not a parent but just thinking a kid being that ungrateful and disrespectful 24/7 is unimaginable. Glenn Close plays a pivotal part in the film as an ex-operative that is forced into fighting back when she gets a surprise visit from her fugitive daughter. A majority of the laughter comes when Close’s Ginny and her romantic partner Nigel (Jamie Demetriou), it’s unfortunate that the most chuckles come through the side characters. 

 

Every once and a while, Andrew Scott appears in a less than up to standards film: Victor Frankenstein, Alice Through the Looking Glass and now this… I suppose it’s difficult to garner a 100% success rating in one’s filmography. Scott is sadly wasted, used in a predictable manner that feels unremarkable compared to the level of talent the man possesses. Kyle Chandler’s Chuck is the eyes of the operation during Matt and Emily’s time as agents, and similarly is dispersed in a predictable fashion - if you have a feeling about Chandler or Scott, you’re probably spot on about one. 

 

Seth Gordon directed one of my favorite comedies of all time: Horrible Bosses and also one of my least favorites in recent years: Baywatch. Baywatch was a horrid example of combining the comedy and action genres, Back in Action is a slight improvement due to the leads. Unfortunately, Gordon is knocked down again at two attempts in executing an action-comedy to even its most average of potential. Diaz left Hollywood on The Counselor, Annie and The Other Woman - a disastrous exit, so it’s sad to report that her return is yet another DOA feature that begs the question: She came back for this?