Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh make a great pairing in this action buddy-comedy throwback that shows the 80s had that formula down pat. Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein Mayday is vastly entertaining.
Reynolds, when he wants, can do a lot more than the one-note sarcastic charming guy, but that seems to work, for the most part, in this role, where he’s a bit of a Top Gun. He’s Troy Brennan, a Naval Aviator, the year is 1987, the Cold War is at its height, and he’s about to go on a black ops mission aboard an SR-71.
I don’t think I’ve ever written a more 80s sentence. If only I’d found a way to get a synth score under it.
Unfortunately, he gets shot down over Russian airspace. He’s injured, and behind enemy lines. But he’s not alone. He’s rescued by Nikolai Ustinov (Branagh), a former KGB agent who is living in a remote part of the USSR.
The pair are immediately thrown together as the KGB begins a search for Brennan, and the chemistry between the pair is undeniable as they find themselves on the run to find a way back to the States.
Nik loves the idea of America, he loves what he’s seen in the pop culture, but even Brennan will admit, after he’s seen some of Russia, that the States isn’t all its advertised and thought to be. But it’s still better than communist Russia.
Packed with an 80s soundtrack, with lots of Springsteen, the movie rockets along and the duo directors balance the action and the comedy wonderfully. There are some big set pieces, and a number of them while not out and out homages feels like a true 80s throwback where the action just got big, loud and nigh impossible.
There’s some nice moments woven into the film, especially as Nik’s character gets developed and we learn about his daughter, Anna (Maria Bakalova). Anna in turn is created against type in this 80s throwback. If this was the 80s, no matter who Anna was, she and Brennan would begin to have a little romance on the road to adventure. Instead, Anna is handled differently and it works to the benefit of the film, and the characters.
The visual effects are solid, and the action is big and loud, Branagh looks like he’s going full John Wick, doing a lot of the physical action and fight sequences himself. The stuntwork is exceptional, combining actors with stunt doubles smoothly.
The opening sequence is intentionally designed to feel very Top Gun to put us in the right headspace for the film, and when it becomes a buddy comedy, you are in for the ride. Branagh is absolutely delightful playing opposite Reynolds, and this one ended up being a lot of fun.
