The 2012 revisionist western, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, follows a slave named Django who’s determined to reunite with his wife after she was sold to the owner of the Candyland plantation. Django teams up with a bounty hunter as they set across the south to collect what’s theirs.
The film was stocked with an A-list cast, including Samuel L. Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, and Christoph Waltz.
Donald Bowers / Getty Images
Earlier this month, Jamie sat down with Vanity Fair for the latest episode of their popular series Scene Selection. The Oscar-winning actor took a trip down memory lane to share some fun tidbits and behind-the-scenes facts about some of his most memorable roles.
“The subject matter, the N-word specifically, Leo had a hard time saying the N-word,” Jamie told Vanity Fair. “We’re doing a read, and Leo says ‘nigger,’ and then he goes, ‘Hey man, hey guys, cut. I just can’t do this. This is not me.’”
“Samuel L. Jackson said, ‘Say that shit, motherfucker! [laughs] It’s just another Tuesday. Fuck ’em!’ And I told Leo, I said, ‘Leo, you know, in slavery days we would never talk to each other. So, I’m not your friend, I’m not Jamie Foxx. I’m Django.’”
“You won’t be able to play that character unless you really understand what slavery was about,” Jamie added. “It was tough. It was horrific. Ain’t no kiki-ing with the slaves.”
Samuel tried to help Leo feel more comfortable getting into character, but it was that last push from Jamie that really set the tone, because once he told Leo not to look at him as a friend, his whole demeanor changed on set.
“So, the next day, I see Leo. I said, ‘Leo, what’s up? L, L, what’s up?’” But Leo didn’t even acknowledge him. It was at that point that Jamie realized Leo took his advice into consideration.
Handout / Getty Images
“He [doesn’]t speak to me. He’s ready,” Jamie added. “[After that], everybody started, you know, digging in.”
Handout / Getty Images
The multi-hyphenate entertainer went on to praise his costars and director for bringing such talent to the set, particularly Samuel, who he believes was robbed of an Oscar nomination for his performance.
Donato Sardella / Getty Images for Giorgio Armani
The way Samuel could switch in and out of his character with such ease still amazes Jamie to this day.
To learn more about Jamie and his past roles, be sure to watch his full Vanity Fair interview below:
In a recent interview, Jamie Foxx revealed that Leonardo DiCaprio repeatedly stopped scenes where he had to use the N-word until Jamie told him to continue. Foxx explained that DiCaprio was uncomfortable with using the word, but Foxx encouraged him to fully embrace his character and the script.
Foxx commended DiCaprio for his dedication to his role and his willingness to push himself out of his comfort zone. This behind-the-scenes insight sheds light on the level of commitment and professionalism that both actors bring to their craft.
The dynamic between Foxx and DiCaprio on set ultimately led to a powerful and authentic portrayal in their film, showcasing the importance of trusting one another as actors and pushing boundaries to deliver a compelling performance.
Back in Action is headlined by Cameron Diaz’s comeback after 11 years away from acting, but Netflix’s most viewed weekend premiere in nearly three years is also Seth Gordon’s return to feature filmmaking.
Gordon — who’s most known as the director behind hit comedies such as Four Christmases (2008), Horrible Bosses (2011) and Identity Thief (2013) — hasn’t made a feature film since 2017’s Baywatch, and while his four films have averaged a box office gross of nearly $183 million each, his absence coincides with the comedy genre’s steady decline at the box office and widespread disappearance from major studio development slates. Gordon doesn’t have the definitive answer for why comedy is no longer the dominant force it once was at multiplexes, but he speculates that it could be a result of the hectic political climate that’s been in effect since 2017.
“[2017] was the time when comedy started to die down. I don’t know if there’s any relationship with that [administration] at all, but the mood of the country certainly shifted around then before Covid took it a step further,” Gordon tells The Hollywood Reporter. “So there’s a lot of us that are hoping for the pendulum to swing the other way. I’m holding my breath for that, certainly. We could use some stuff to laugh at, and it’s been a lot of superheroes and not enough comedy.”
Both before and after Baywatch, Gordon has quietly been a prolific pilot director and executive producer on a variety of notable television shows including The Goldbergs, Atypical, The Good Doctor, For All Mankind and The Night Agent. The success of Netflix’s Atypical and The Night Agent likely put the Chicago-area native in a favorable position to sell Back in Action, a spy action-comedy that was born out of Gordon’s original premise of how children would impact the espionage careers of Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Gordon soon attached one of his Horrible Bosses stars, Jamie Foxx, in the role of Matt, a retired CIA operative turned family man. Foxx then took the initiative in order to cast the role of Emily, Matt’s partner in life and spycraft, by making the case to his former Annie (2014) co-star, Diaz, who retired following their 2014 collaboration to focus on motherhood.
“I was told that she wasn’t to be considered: ‘She’s fully retired. Don’t even think about it.’ But Jamie, who is friends with [Diaz] and has known her forever, had the first inkling of a possibility or an openness to reading something,” Gordon says. “They also share a manager, and the two of them got the script to her.”
Co-written by Gordon and Brendan O’Brien, Back in Action’s premise happened to overlap with Diaz’s 11-year hiatus from the screen, as Matt and Emily left the spy game once Emily discovered she was pregnant mid-mission. 15 years later, they’re drawn back in after utilizing their past skills to defend their daughter in what became a viral moment.
“It’s a really unexpected coincidence that the title and some of the themes and her character’s situation [as a retired spy turned mom] lined up with real life,” Gordon admits. “It’s almost as if Back in Action was meant to coax her out of retirement, but I swear it wasn’t. It’s just extraordinary timing and really good fortune and Jamie’s access, frankly.”
In April 2023, with two weeks remaining on the filming schedule, Gordon and co. had to shut down production due to a then-undefined emergency involving Foxx. The multi-talented performer publicly pulled back the curtain in last month’s stand-up special, What Happened Was…, revealing that he endured “a brain bleed that led to a stroke.” But at the time, Gordon only knew what the public knew, which was virtually nothing.
“They were, understandably, really private about whatever was going on. Of course, we guessed what was happening, but we were in the dark like everyone else,” Gordon shares. “There were a lot of crazy hypotheses floating around as you probably remember. So I tried to shut that out and just wait and not assume anything until I heard from his team and from Jamie himself.”
By the time Foxx recovered, the industry was in the midst of a double strike, and so Gordon had to wait patiently for the ability to reunite with Foxx and complete a critical section of the film’s first act in the suburbs.
“If we owed scattered little bits all over the film, I don’t know how that would’ve played out,” Gordon says. “But this was a missing 15-minute chunk, and we really needed it to even preview or screen the film properly. So we had to go back and do that, and hope that everything was going to be okay. And thank God it was.”
Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Gordon also discusses when he first knew that Diaz was “so back,” before looking ahead to his upcoming documentary about one of the four remaining pairs of ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz.
***
The title, Back in Action, applies to Cameron’s career and the two main characters’ return to spycraft, but it’s also your first feature since 2017. Granted, there were two lost years in this industry, but were you just focused on launching show after show? I didn’t even realize how many notable shows you’ve helped launch (The Goldbergs, The Good Doctor, For All Mankind, The Night Agent).
Yeah, there was definitely a stretch there where I was focused on pilots, and the business has been reeling for a while, especially on the comedy side. People have run away from comedy a little bit. Really great scripts then came around in TV, so I’d try to sell shows. But I’m always responding to interests and natural curiosity, and films take a long time to make. They just do.
Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz and Director Seth Gordon on the set of Back in Action
John Wilson/Netflix
Streamers like Netflix have helped pick up the slack with regard to comedy, but overall, why do you think the genre is not as dominant as it once was theatrically?
God, you’d be able to answer that as well as I could. I don’t know if I should be on the record with this or not, but I feel like it coincided with Trump’s first time in the White House. [2017] was the time when comedy started to die down. I don’t know if there’s any relationship with that [administration] at all, but the mood of the country certainly shifted around then before Covid took it a step further. So there’s a lot of us that are hoping for the pendulum to swing the other way. I’m holding my breath for that, certainly. We could use some stuff to laugh at, and it’s been a lot of superheroes and not enough comedy.
Part of me can’t believe that we’re discussing Cameron Diaz’s comeback vehicle. I distinctly remember when she was introduced in The Mask, and the entire theater reacted as if she was already a movie star. So, how did you help convince her to end her extended sabbatical?
I was told that she wasn’t to be considered: “She’s fully retired. Don’t even think about it.” But Jamie, who is friends with her and has known her forever, had the first inkling of a possibility or an openness to reading something. So he was working behind the scenes a little bit, and he didn’t want to get anybody’s hopes up or make promises for something that might not come through. They also share a manager, and the two of them got the script to her. Then we met and really hit it off. So it’s a really unexpected coincidence that the title and some of the themes and her character’s situation [as a retired spy turned mom] lined up with real life. It’s almost as if Back in Action was meant to coax her out of retirement, but I swear it wasn’t. It’s just extraordinary timing and really good fortune and Jamie’s access, frankly.
Director Seth Gordon and Cameron Diaz on the set of Back in Action
John Wilson/Netflix
Yeah, the movie’s storyline parallels Cameron’s maternal-related retirement and comeback 11 years later. Two married spies retire to raise their family, only to be pulled back in 15 years later. Did rewrites of the script lean into that meta quality?
Not really. It was born out of a couple things. I went to a Dodgers game with my friend [and producer] Beau Bauman. I actually call it a Cubs game because that’s how I saw it [as a native of Evanston, Illinois]. I was riffing about this notion that came out of nowhere: “What if Jason Bourne had a kid? What would happen in his life?” And Beau was like, “Did that just occur to you right now? I think that’s a movie.” And then we were like, “What if it wasn’t Jason Bourne? What if it’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith and they had kids?” So we kept going back and forth about it, and it just felt like a really promising premise. Then Covid hit, and Beau knew that I always wanted to write something from scratch. I’d done some rewrites on things, but I wanted to create something from the ground up. So we worked on the outline a little bit, and it was partly an expression of being on ice as we all were during Covid. We wanted to get back on set and have this period of Covid come to an end, and some of that DNA is in the concept too. So we realized that there could be a meta quality to it, but we didn’t feel like we needed to lean any harder into it. It was already there. And how often do you hear that about development? It’s pretty rare.
Did Cameron hit the ground running once she got to set? Or did she need a minute to find her sea legs?
Well, before she was even on set, she started training for the stunt sequences. So, in a way, she was already cruising, and one of the first scenes that was scheduled for her was that dramatic scene with Glenn Close in the kitchen. Mother and daughter go at each other, and she completely brought it. That’s really challenging material to do early in the schedule, and it was obvious that she’s a hundred percent still there. She’s still got it. We all looked at each other and were like, “Holy shit, she’s so good.” So we’re all just so glad she’s back.
Glenn Close, as Cameron’s character’s mother, was perfect casting. Did she join right after Cameron’s commitment?
Yeah, it was pretty soon after. It was a scheduling dance above everything. She was one of the first, if not the first, person we went to; she’s perfect for it, obviously. We talked on Zoom and connected really well, but then it just became about scheduling because she had a pretty full schedule. We had to start by December 2022 in order for her to be able to do it, and we had to find that location [in London], so there was typical production mayhem. But she entered pretty early in the process, and just knowing that it might be her helped me clarify and solidify stuff. That’s what also led to creating the Nigel character. He was a very late addition to the script, and he was conceived completely for Jamie Demetriou. I loved him in Fleabag, and I don’t know what we would’ve done if we didn’t get him for something that was created with him in mind.
Apparently, Jamie Foxx was caught off guard by Cameron’s enthusiasm to do stunts. If she was participating, it meant that he couldn’t sit them out. Is that true?
(Laughs.) That sounds like him, and yeah, there’s some truth to that. She brought so much intensity, and she always wanted to be the one who did it, not the stunt person. Of course, there were certain situations where we couldn’t let her do something, but she learned the choreography really well. Sometimes, when you’re cutting stuff together, you need to hide the actor and use the stunt person more, but the opposite was true here. So it put a little bit of pressure on Jamie. She’d done her homework and she was killing it, so he had to step it up too.
Jamie had quite a health scare during the filming of this movie, and thankfully, his recovery went so well that it’s now the subject of a stand-up special on Netflix. How far along were you when it happened?
It landed really late in our schedule after we had shot everything in London already. We had come to Atlanta to do three weeks of work, and a week in is when it happened. So we owed seven or eight days at that point, and it was just scary as hell. As he indicates in the special, they didn’t know exactly what happened. It’s a bit of a mystery what triggers those things, and while we know some of the symptoms, what really happens in there is not fully solved. So we were holding our breath for a long time, and by the time he was better, both strikes were happening. So it was a crazy process, and there were a lot of obstacles along the way.
But you ended up reconvening for some form of additional photography?
We shot the days that we hadn’t finished originally. The suburbs stuff is the one area of the movie that got interrupted, so we just went back and finished all of that. If we owed scattered little bits all over the film, I don’t know how that would’ve played out. But this was a missing 15-minute chunk, and we really needed it to even preview or screen the film properly. So we had to go back and do that, and hope that everything was going to be okay. And thank God it was.
Jamie Foxx and Director Seth Gordon on the set of Back in Action
John Wilson/Netflix
As you said, there was a period of uncertainty. During the early days of the initial assembly, were you pretty anxious that you might be looking at, God forbid, Jamie’s final performance?
I didn’t really let myself go there. I was hoping for the best, and I really had no information. We knew something was up, but they were, understandably, really private about whatever was going on. Of course, we guessed what was happening, but we were in the dark like everyone else. There were a lot of crazy hypotheses floating around as you probably remember. So I tried to shut that out and just wait and not assume anything until I heard from his team and from Jamie himself.
Cancelling the New York premiere was the right call given the harrowing circumstances in L.A. right now, but I’m glad you guys still got to walk down a carpet in Berlin last night. It would’ve been pretty disappointing if Cameron and Jamie didn’t get to mark the occasion after her break and his scare.
Yeah, that’s true, although that’s as much for pictures as anything else. They’ve both done that so many times. It’s just part of the perception.
It’s the mountaintop for the entire experience.
Yeah, you gotta do it.
Emily (Diaz) and Matt (Foxx) struggle to connect with their kids, and I read that you wrote this movie for your son. Were you feeling like these characters? Was this movie a means of connection for the two of you?
Actually, not really. He was a part of the process as I was creating the story, and I would run things by him, so we were connected through it. The disconnect in the family was based on witnessing my sister and my parents fight when I was kid. That’s what informed the conflict, and that’s why the central story arc is daughter-mother-grandmother. Those intergenerational misunderstandings felt like the right way to go. It was an organic and dynamic process as we were working on the script, and that’s just where it headed. But it would be misleading for me to say it was about me and my son.
There was a recent kerfuffle online as a bunch of creatives shot down a report that Netflix has writers write overly descriptive dialogue in case viewers are watching something passively (e.g. folding laundry, checking email). They all said they’ve never received such a note from Netflix. Is that foreign to you as well?
I wasn’t told that. But there was actually a really cool part of the process where the filmmaker is invited to get really specific, if they want to, about what’s going to appear in the subtitles or not. It can be an automated process, but there are certain things that fall between the cracks, so you may want to call attention to stuff that plays visually. A really important part of modern filmmaking is thinking about that element because so many people watch that way. Last night in Berlin, we watched the English version with German subtitles, and because I’ve memorized the movie at this point, seeing what unexpected details they chose to call attention to and not was fascinating. So it’s an additional storytelling tool that you have to take advantage of at this point.
In a perfect world, what would you do next?
Boy, I am deep in on a documentary that I’ve been working on for 15 years, so that partly answers your “where the hell have you been” question. (Laughs.) But it’s been completely fascinating, and I’ll be finishing that up. It’s about [The Wizard of Oz’s] ruby slippers. I know the guy that owned [one of the four remaining pairs worn by Judy Garland], and he toured around the country with them. Then they got stolen, and they were presumed gone for ten years until an FBI sting. It turned out these mafia guys were the ones that stole the ruby slippers because they’re worth so much, but then they couldn’t sell them. They couldn’t move the stolen product, and it’s just an amazing story. A couple weeks ago, they sold at an auction for $28 million. So this [former] struggling actor [Michael Shaw], who’s now in his eighties, has closure to this huge saga in his life as a result of how unexpectedly this all played out. So I think it’s going to make for a captivating doc.
*** Back in Action is now streaming on Netflix.
Seth Gordon, the director of the upcoming film “Cameron Diaz Comeback” and “Jamie Foxx Scare,” has been making waves in Hollywood with his latest projects. In a recent interview, Gordon discussed working with Cameron Diaz on her highly anticipated comeback to the big screen.
Gordon praised Diaz for her incredible talent and dedication to her craft, stating that she brought a level of depth and emotion to her role that truly impressed him. He also revealed that Diaz’s performance in the film is sure to leave audiences in awe and solidify her status as one of Hollywood’s most versatile actresses.
But that’s not all – Gordon also shared some exciting news about his collaboration with Jamie Foxx on the thrilling new project “Jamie Foxx Scare.” According to Gordon, Foxx’s performance in the film is nothing short of electrifying, and fans can expect to see a side of the actor they’ve never seen before.
With two powerhouse projects in the pipeline, it’s clear that Seth Gordon is a force to be reckoned with in the world of filmmaking. Keep an eye out for “Cameron Diaz Comeback” and “Jamie Foxx Scare” – these are two films you won’t want to miss.
The last time we saw Cameron Diaz on screen, it was way back in 2014. The star, who had been such a magnetic force in Being John Malkovich, My Best Friend’s Wedding and There’s Something About Mary, had checked out with a trio of pale production line films that represented what we’d grimly come to expect at that stage of her career. Diaz had once easily moved between dark and light as well as large and small, had smoothed out any of her more interesting edges to become one of the industry’s highest-paid yet most boringly unchallenged stars. That year saw her lost in the juvenile comedies The Other Woman and Sex Tape before being horrendously miscast in a dud remake of Annie and not long after, she chose to retire, perhaps feeling as glum over the quality of her films as those of us stuck watching them.
News of her re-emergence, after a decade of focusing on family and an organic wine brand, came at an opportune time, as the industry still struggles to find newer and younger yet equally luminous movie stars to take over from those that came before. Many from that era have found success on Netflix, from Adam Sandler and Jennifer Lopez to Jessica Alba, and so it seemed like the smoothest way for Diaz to re-engage with her fans, partnering with her Annie co-star Jamie Foxx for a broadly appealing action comedy. It’s an easy way back in, a low-effort comeback vehicle quite literally called Back in Action, but the film is only a half-victory at best. While it might prove that Diaz still possesses that same particular magic, it also shows that she should be far more discerning with how she chooses to share it.
She’s far from alone in thinking that action comedy is the best way, though. Recent star pairings like Chris Evans and Ana de Armas, Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling, John Cena and Alison Brie, Kaley Cuoco and David Oyelowo, Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg and then Michelle Monaghan and Mark Wahlberg have all also seen the appeal, even if critics have struggled to agree (only Gosling and Blunt achieved a fresh rating with The Fall Guy). The formula – quip, shoot, kiss, repeat – has become rather exasperating for those of us still awake and paying attention with the choice to coast on the surface pleasures of attractive stars allowing for everything around them to suffer. If only a fraction of the big star salaries had been siphoned off for a script doctor then maybe we could have had some real fun here …
As it stands, the mostly rather rote Back in Action is best seen as just an excuse to watch Diaz act again, and she’s as charming as she always has been, especially alongside Foxx, with whom she shares a comfortable chemistry. They’re playing a couple who give up their exciting lives as spies for the safe predictability of suburbia when they become pregnant. But they get sucked back in when their cover is blown and this time, their kids are coming along for the ride.
Director Seth Gordon is no stranger to middling, lose-lose action comedies, having been involved in the writing of The Lost City while directing both Identity Thief and Baywatch and as in those films, there’s no elegance to how the two genres are clumsily smashed together. Watching a couple and then a family limply banter about screen-time or school pick-up while involved in a car chase or shoot-out isn’t enough to tick both boxes. The majority of the dutifully choreographed action sequences are also soundtracked by discordant, wink-wink love songs, like Etta James’s At Last or Nat King Cole’s L-O-V-E, in such a smug and familiar way that it all starts to feel a little like parody, as if we’re watching Action Comedy Movie. The action here is slightly more serviceable (if never remotely exciting) than the comedy, with a script from the Gordon and Neighbours co-writer Brendan O’Brien that settles for tired family sitcom shtick – lazy, exclamation point-heavy one-liners missing all targets entirely, no matter how hard the two stars might try.
While Diaz and Foxx might acquit themselves without any real shame, their supporting cast aren’t quite as lucky. Andrew Scott comes off lightest, just seeming a tad lost as the underwritten big bad, but Glenn Close, as Diaz’s British mother, and her love interest, played bizarrely by Jamie Demetriou, are not quite as lucky, both going super size with go-for-broke pantomime performances, aiming to steal scenes but leaving us with only secondhand embarrassment.
One hopes this is just what Diaz needed to get warmed up again and her next, a role alongside Keanu Reeves in the dark Hollywood-set comedy Outcome should be more rewarding. Back in Action takes her back in time.
and Jamie Foxx, two powerhouse actors in Hollywood, have teamed up for the new Netflix comedy “Back in Action.” The film follows the story of two former partners in crime who reunite for one last heist.
While the premise of the film sounds promising, the execution falls flat. Diaz and Foxx seem to be going through the motions in their roles, lacking the chemistry and energy that made them such beloved actors in the past. The jokes feel forced and the plot is predictable, leaving the audience feeling underwhelmed.
Despite the lackluster performances, there are some redeeming qualities to “Back in Action.” The action sequences are well done and the film has a stylish aesthetic. However, these moments are not enough to save the overall film from being forgettable.
In conclusion, “Back in Action” is a disappointing effort from two talented actors. While it has its moments, the lack of chemistry between Diaz and Foxx, as well as a weak script, make this a film that is best left unwatched.
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Back in Action review, Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx, Netflix comedy, Cameron Diaz movie, Jamie Foxx film, comedy movie review, Back in Action 2022, Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz Netflix film, Jamie Foxx comedy, Cameron Diaz comedy film.
In “Back in Action,” a domestic spy caper as generic as its title, Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, as CIA operatives who’ve become a romantic couple, attend a kids’ birthday party thrown by a cyberterrorist from Belarus whose safe they’re planning to break into. But their identities are unmasked in about five minutes. They have to fight their way out of the criminal’s mansion, which they do in an extended sequence of bone-breaking face-offs, all accompanied by Frank Sinatra singing “L.O.V.E.” (“L…is for the way you look… at me…”). The song, as it’s used here, lays on the ironic jauntiness with a trowel. It’s the film’s way of saying: Nothing’s at stake, don’t take it seriously, turn off your brain and sink into the warm bath of this Netflix product-of the-week (because that’s all it’s here for).
Seth Gordon, the director of “Back in Action,” thinks in cartoon-reality terms. He thinks that’s his job, and setting ultraviolent action sequences to old standards is just about the only playbook “Back in Action” has. Our heroes are on an MI6 plane when they’re ambushed by the flight attendants, whom they proceed to lay waste to as Sinatra sings “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” (haha). The pilot gets shot, the plane is going down, but there’s Frank, bopping away. Later, Foxx and Diaz use gas-station hoses as flamethrowers to incinerate some thug attackers; the images of people burning alive are accompanied by Etta James singing “At Last” (“At last, my love has come along…”). They win the fight, but make no mistake: This is the entertainment strategy of a misanthropic hack.
After that plane crashes, Matt (Foxx) and Emily (Diaz), who is pregnant, seize the opportunity to fake their own deaths and begin a normal life. The film then cuts to the present day, where they’re suburban parents, with two kids, 14-year-old Alice (McKenna Roberts) and 12-year-old Leo (Rylan Jackson). But they’re drawn back into the fray after they tail Alice to a nightclub, where she’s in the company of some older dudes. They take her out of the club by beating up a couple of the other partiers — a flagrantly implausible scenario, though it’s necessary so that a cell-phone video of it can go viral and out them as former spies.
With their kids now along for the ride, the family flies to London, where Matt has stashed the ICS key, the film’s super-dull MacGuffin. If they retrieve it and return it to the CIA, they can use it for leverage to gain immunity. But the key is the thing everyone wants, including their old terrorist foes…
Watching “Back in Action,” it feels like some producer took the original, overblown, raucous-with-gunfire-and-highway-crashes 2005 movie version of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” the one that wasted Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and said, “Bring me something just like this — except don’t make it so goddamn intellectual! I want it dumber, louder, without all that wimpy dialogue.” There isn’t much of an espionage plot to “Back in Action.” Basically, the movie consists of Foxx and Diaz beating the living shit out of people — and, in between, acting as breezy and clueless and innocuous as if they were playing the parents in a reboot of “Family Ties.”
The two actors are appealing; they’ve got marriage-as-domestic-fight-club chemistry. And when Glenn Close shows up as Emily’s British mother, a former superspy herself, the film calms down for a bit — and perks up. Close’s Ginny has an assistant, Nigel (Jamie Demetriou), who is a spy-in-training and also her lover, even though he’s at least 40 years her junior. And Nigel, it turns out, does not know what he’s doing. This produces a funny sequence, where he has to save London by tapping the right things into a laptap, and he reacts exactly as most of us do when confronted with the infuriating digital-logistical hoop-to-jump-through-of-the-week. But the real reason Nigel’s unsureness is such a balm is that everyone else in “Back in Action” (heroes, villains, kids) is so cocksure at every moment that the film leaves no room for any comic-thriller ingredient beyond boring one-dimensional badass certitude.
Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz are set to star in an upcoming generic spy caper film that promises to be action-packed and full of humor. The dynamic duo will team up to take down an international crime syndicate in this thrilling adventure.
Foxx, known for his roles in films like “Django Unchained” and “Ray,” will bring his signature charm and wit to the role of a suave secret agent. Meanwhile, Diaz, best known for her roles in “There’s Something About Mary” and “Charlie’s Angels,” will play a talented and fearless spy who is not afraid to get her hands dirty.
The film is sure to be a rollercoaster ride of twists and turns as Foxx and Diaz navigate through a web of lies, deception, and danger. With their undeniable chemistry and star power, this dynamic duo is sure to captivate audiences and deliver a memorable cinematic experience.
Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting project as it develops!
“The last time we saw Cameron Diaz on screen, it was way back in 2014,” said Benjamin Lee in The Guardian.
“That year saw her lost in the juvenile comedies ‘The Other Woman’ and ‘Sex Tape’, before being horrendously miscast in a dud remake of ‘Annie’; and, not long after, she chose to retire, perhaps feeling as glum over the quality of her films as those of us stuck watching them.” Now, however, she has returned in the Netflix action-comedy “Back in Action”, in which she and Jamie Foxx play a couple who have given up their exciting lives as spies to raise a family in the suburbs – only to be “sucked back in” when their cover is blown.
‘Comfortable chemistry’
The film is pretty formulaic, and it does make you wish that a fraction of its stars’ salaries “had been siphoned off for a script doctor”, but Diaz is as charming as ever, and she shares “a comfortable chemistry” with Foxx, her old friend.
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This is a three-star film “made for those times at which only a three-star film will do”, said Robbie Collin in The Telegraph: “vivaciously, even triumphantly, OK”, it is “ideal entertainment for an afternoon or evening when the eyes and ears say ‘yes’ and the brain says ‘thanks, but I’ll probably just leave you guys to it’”.
‘Wasted in insubstantial roles’
Though it does feel “highly processed”, you may feel, as you watch Diaz and Foxx “do their thing”, a bit sad “that Hollywood ever gave up” on easy-to-please movies like this.
You’ll see the “third-act ‘twist’ coming a mile off”, said Ben Travis in Empire, and Andrew Scott and Kyle Chandler are “wasted in insubstantial roles”. But Back in Action is a fun, “fizzily watchable” treat. A word to Diaz: “Next time don’t leave it so long, eh?”
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Get ready for some high-octane excitement because Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx are teaming up for a new action film titled “Back in Action.” This dynamic duo is sure to bring the heat as they take on a dangerous mission that will push them to their limits.
The film promises to be a thrill ride from start to finish, with Diaz and Foxx showcasing their incredible chemistry and impressive action skills. From intense fight scenes to heart-pounding car chases, “Back in Action” is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.
But what sets this film apart from other action movies is its unique twist – the entire story takes place in a highly processed, hyper-realistic world where nothing is as it seems. With mind-bending visuals and unexpected plot twists, “Back in Action” will keep you guessing until the very end.
So buckle up and get ready for the ride of a lifetime with Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx in “Back in Action.” This is one action film you definitely don’t want to miss.
The film industry has always had a soft spot for reunions, and Back in Action is no exception, reuniting Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz in a bid to recapture their past glories. However, this film feels more like an easy, breezy ride down memory lane rather than a memorable cinematic experience.
Back in Action stars Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx in lead roles.
In this latest offering, Emily (Diaz) and Matt (Foxx) are former intelligence agents now grappling with the mundane yet chaotic life of suburban parenting. Their characters, portrayed with an endearing chemistry by Foxx and Diaz, hark back to their action-packed days with a longing that feels both genuine and humorous.
From the outset, the film establishes its comedic tone, which, surprisingly, delivers some unexpected laughs. Foxx and Diaz, despite initial doubts about their on-screen rapport, manage to create a fun and natural dynamic that carries the film through its more predictable moments. Their performances are the highlights, showing that both actors still have the charisma and talent to make even the most familiar tropes enjoyable. Diaz, in particular, proves that her magic on screen has not diminished, even if the script she’s given does little to challenge or showcase her full capabilities.
The plot revolves around the couple’s past catching up with them when their identities are compromised, forcing them back into the world of espionage, this time with their children in tow. This premise sets up a series of action sequences that, while not particularly thrilling or innovative, are competently handled. The action is underscored by a soundtrack that feels both nostalgic and slightly mocking of the genre’s clichés, with songs like Etta James’s At Last playing during less-than-glorious moments, adding a layer of irony that sometimes works and at other times feels forced.
However, the film’s attempt to blend family dynamics with high-octane action falls flat. The dialogue, meant to be witty, often resorts to tired sitcom clichés, missing the mark for both humour and depth. The screenplay by Brendan O’Brien lacks the sharpness needed to elevate the material beyond the ordinary, leaving much of the comedic heavy lifting to the stars themselves.
Supporting performances vary in impact. Andrew Scott, as the antagonist, seems somewhat misplaced, while Glenn Close and Jamie Demetriou venture into over-the-top territory, their efforts more cringe-inducing than captivating. Their attempts at scene-stealing are more about volume than substance, which unfortunately detracts from the film’s overall enjoyment.
While Back in Action serves as a delightful reminder of why we love Foxx and Diaz, the film itself doesn’t offer much to remember. It’s a light, breezy watch that won’t linger long in one’s memory but provides enough entertainment for a pleasant evening. It’s a testament to the stars’ enduring appeal rather than a landmark in action-comedy filmmaking. In essence, it is an easy, low-effort comeback vehicle that proves Diaz’s charm is intact, though she might want to choose her next projects more judiciously to truly shine once more.
Get ready for some high-octane thrills and lackluster humor, because Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz are back on the big screen in their latest action flick, “Back in Action.”
In this subpar movie, Foxx and Diaz play a pair of charming yet cliched characters who are thrown into a series of predictable and unexciting action sequences. From car chases to fight scenes, there’s nothing in this film that hasn’t been done a thousand times before.
Despite their best efforts, Foxx and Diaz struggle to breathe life into their flat characters, relying on tired jokes and over-the-top performances to try and salvage the lackluster script. It’s a shame to see such talented actors wasted on a film that feels like a cheap knockoff of better action movies.
Overall, “Back in Action” is a forgettable and uninspired film that fails to deliver on its promises of excitement and humor. Save your money and skip this one at the box office.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Back in Action Director Seth Gordon says the duo supported each other throughout filming — when Diaz, 52, marked her return to acting with her first movie in over a decade and Foxx, 57, had a medical emergency during production in April 2023.
“They took turns in a really deep way supporting each other,” the filmmaker, 48, says of Diaz and Foxx.
“Anyone who was on set will tell you [Jamie] was the biggest cheerleader and hype man for [Diaz], and really for everybody involved, but especially for her,” he continues. “So she got to return the favor in that way spiritually.”
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Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz in ‘Back in Action.’.
John Wilson/Netflix
Back in Action stars Foxx and Diaz as former CIA spies Matt and Emily, “Years after giving up life as CIA spies to start a family, Emily and Matt find themselves dragged back into the world of espionage when their cover is blown,” an official Netflix synopsis explains.
Foxx and Diaz previously starred together in 2014’s Annie — the actress’ last film before Back in Action — and they first shared the screen in 1999’s Any Given Sunday.
According to Gordon, getting to collaborate with Foxx and Diaz was an experience like no other. He describes the first time he met with the duo as a “holy s— moment.”
“[They were] totally finishing each other’s sentences … and seeing their chemistry and that energy together was really inspiring,” Gordon says.
Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz in December 2014.
David M. Benett/WireImage
Foxx and Diaz’s close friendship, Gordon tells PEOPLE, even inspired him to put more comedy into the Netflix project.
“It made me want a little less action and a little more hanging out, so that they could play,” he explains. “Because whenever we got to do those scenes, it just breathed life into me and the crew.”
“When you see people just crushing it, it’s inspiring for everybody, right? … So I tried to do that as much as possible, keeping in mind that the word ‘action’ is in the damn title, so we can’t remove too much stuff,” Gordon continues. “But they’re amazing together.”
Back in Action is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz have always had each other’s backs, both on and off screen. In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, the pair opened up about their close friendship and how they have “taken turns” supporting each other throughout their careers.
Foxx and Diaz first worked together on the 2010 film “Annie,” where they played the roles of Will Stacks and Miss Hannigan, respectively. Since then, they have remained close friends and have continued to support each other in their respective projects.
“We have always had each other’s backs,” Foxx said. “Whether it’s promoting each other’s films or just being there for moral support, we have always been there for each other.”
Diaz echoed Foxx’s sentiments, adding that they have a special bond that goes beyond just being co-stars. “Jamie is like a brother to me,” she said. “We have been through so much together and I know that I can always count on him for anything.”
The pair also revealed that they have “taken turns” supporting each other throughout their careers, with Foxx helping Diaz with her music career and Diaz helping Foxx with his acting projects.
“We have always been there for each other, no matter what,” Foxx said. “It’s just the kind of friendship we have.”
Fans can expect to see more of Foxx and Diaz’s friendship in the future, as they are currently working on a new project together. While they remained tight-lipped about the details, they promised that it would be something special.
“We can’t wait for everyone to see what we have in store,” Diaz said. “It’s going to be something really special and we are so excited to share it with the world.”
Stay tuned for more updates on Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz’s upcoming project, and be sure to catch them in “Annie” for a dose of their on-screen chemistry.
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