Cameron Diaz’s return after a long hiatus was worth it as she teams up with Jamie Foxx in Netflix’s newest action-comedy, Back in Action.

As the film’s title implies, Emily (Cameron Diaz) and Matt (Jamie Foxx) gave up their life of espionage so they could start a family. It would not be an espionage film if their cover didn’t get blown. As a result, they find themselves back in the game.

Not taking the Spy Kids franchise into account, most spies in films of late do not have a family. The origins of this film goes back to the question of what would happen if a spy were to settle down and start a family. Would they be completely out of the game or would they feel the need to scratch the itch? Old habits die hard, even after 15 years away from the game. But even then, neither Emily nor Matt have lost their rhythm. They’re still kicking ass after all this time! It’s no surprise that they’re still trying to protect their children, Alice (McKenna Roberts) and Leo (Rylan Jackson), from who they really are. But at some point, they have to come clean. In any event, they head to London and hide out at the estate of Alice’s mom, Ginny (Glenn Close).

This is a film about family in as much as it is about espionage. We see how all Emily wants to be is a good mother to her children. But you know what they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Is her relationship with Ginny any better than it is with Alice? That’s something I’ll let you figure out for yourself.

What is up with films going straight to Netflix when they’re more deserving of theatrical play? This happened last month with Carry-On and now it’s happening again. While it can be nice sometimes to watch something from the comfort of my bed, it can be even better sharing the laughter in a shared communal setting. There are moments in this film that would draw plenty of laughs and cheers in the shared setting. But in a solo setting, it’s not the same. There are some films that are powerful enough to overcome the flaws in the watching experience. Unfortunately, this doesn’t rise to that particular level. It’s not a bad movie at all but when it comes to me, I really value the shared communal environment. I came up through improv and sketch comedy so it’s natural that I would prefer watching comedies, even an action-comedy, in such an environment.

I cannot stress just how important comedies are right now, especially after the start to 2025. But between Jamie Foxx and the return of Cameron Diaz, there is more than enough here to pique my interest. This is their third film together and they have brilliant chemistry to show for it. They do their own stunts, too! Well, most of them, anyway. In all honesty, it’s just a rocking good time as far as action-comedies go and this is the sort of film that I want to watch right now. Behind the camera, David Gordon is no stranger to action-comedies–it’s better that we don’t talk about it, trust me–and he’s got a very good grasp on things here with some big action stunts, one of which involves the Thames.

Back in Action is not only an action-comedy thrill ride but it’s a film that’s fun for the whole family.

DIRECTOR: Seth Gordon
SCREENWRITERS: Seth Gordon & Brendan O’Brien
CAST: Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Andrew Scott, Jamie Demetriou, with Kyle Chandler and Glenn Close, McKenna Roberts, Rylan Jackson

Netflix releases Back in Action on January 17, 2025. Grade: 4/5

Please subscribe to Solzy on Buttondown and visit Dugout Dirt.