Even if there wasn’t so much story behind the scenes of Back in Action, it would still be worth talking about this romantic spy comedy whose formula has worked for decades: “spies with family” or “spies falling in love”. It doesn’t matter; you know what will happen, including explosions, confrontations, laughter, and romance. Warm up the popcorn because it’s time to switch off!

The film that was almost “the last” of Jamie Foxx – who had a stroke during filming and nearly died – is most talked about because it marks the return to action of actress Cameron Diaz, whose retirement since 2014 has never been so felt when we find ourselves dying of longing for her with every fight scene in the Netflix film. Few actresses navigate comedy, action, and drama (which is minimal here) as well as she does, and even fewer manage to ALWAYS have chemistry with their partners. If you want proof, Back in Action is the most-watched film of the weekend and she also revived the similar Knight and Day, from 2010, alongside Tom Cruise, which was among the five most (re)watched films in the wake of the new production. That, my friends, is the power of the star that Cameron still is.

The premise of Back in Action is like all films of the genre: simple. Although they like to say that the premise is “What if Jason Bourne had a family?” it seemed more like “let’s watch The Incredibles in live-action without the powers”. Whatever your choice, and thanks to Foxx, Diaz, and a great cast (which includes Glenn Close and Andrew Scott in minor roles), all the clichés work without the slightest shame. A Sunday movie, a movie to watch with the kids, a movie that works.

Elite CIA agents Matt (Foxx) and Emily (Diaz) take advantage of the disaster of a mission they were working on together to pretend to be dead and – under new identities – start a new life as a family. Fifteen years later, they are forced to return to the world of espionage when their disguises are revealed and their children are put at risk.

From this fragment of a story that we have already seen told before, the couple who were the best team in the CIA in years confirms why they are so feared: they fight, flee, decipher secrets, and deal with the past as if they had never been apart.

Critics in general are massacring Back in Action for its lack of originality, but, like me, giving it a pass because I miss Cameron. This narrative depends on what you can still expect from the espionage and comedy genre. Admit it: how original can it really be? There will always be a villain wanting a chip or app to take over the world, there will always be a greedy traitor, cities will explode, glamorous parties will be the scene of shootouts… and yet we still like it, don’t we? For those who follow Mission: Impossible, 007, Bourne, or any other, whether laughing or “posing seriously”, the proposal is not innovative, but it still delights us if the stars are aligned.

Without avoiding cliché, Back in Action leaves the door open for a sequel, but it will depend on whether Cameron, who claimed to have grown tired of how Hollywood works, really wants to “return” for good. It could have been a flirtation. Expectations are higher for the film that is just finishing shooting, Outcome, which stars Keanu Reeves and is directed by Jonah Hill.

Regarding Back in Action, let’s be blunt: not all films need to be brilliant, innovative, or provocative. When they bet on the usual, they need to make us smile, laugh, and root for the good guys. Cameron Diaz didn’t retire because she wanted serious roles, she said she got tired of being in a shallow fishbowl and wanted to have something more “normal” than being a star in Hollywood. Eleven years later, she wants to be where she always stands out – action comedies – and have fun. As a fan, I can only thank her. May she have fun for longer! The winners are us.

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