KyleChandler – Credits Rolling

Once upon a time, Emily (Cameron Diaz) and Matt (Jamie Foxx) were spies. They gave it all up to settle down and start a family. Fast forward fifteen years, they’re living a life of lies in suburbia with their children Alice (McKenna Roberts) and Leo (Rylan Jackson). When someone from their past shows up on their doorstep, they are forced to go on the run to try and clear their name.

Diaz’s last role was in 2014. She is finally back on our screens and I couldn’t be happier. She’s always been up there as one of my favorite actors of all time – I didn’t realize how much I missed her until now. She and Foxx shined as our leading characters. Having starred together in projects before, you know that they have a good camaraderie and can make any film entertaining.

In addition we had Glenn Close as Ginny, Emily’s mother and Jamie Demetriou as Nigel, Ginny’s much younger boyfriend. These two stole the show. With Ginny as a former MI6 agent and Nigel providing the comic relief, they were another duo I didn’t know I needed. Kyle Chandler and Andrew Scott also made appearances as important figures in Emily and Matt’s past.

Where the film excelled was in its comedy. There was a steady stream of laughs throughout and I kind of wish they’d leaned into the humour more instead of taking themselves too seriously. On the action side of things, it isn’t anything we haven’t seen before. From the get go, I felt like I was watching 2023’s The Family Plan. While I did like that one as well, I wouldn’t have minded a little bit more originality.

Overall, Back In Action is an enjoyable enough action flick that’s perfect for a Saturday night. Complete with a sparkling cast and some zany adventures, I had a good enough time with it.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

For as long as she’s been alive, it was Nemo (Marlow Barkley) and her father Peter (Kyle Chandler) against the world. Living in a lighthouse on a little island, they didn’t need anyone else but each other. So when Peter is lost at sea one night after a horrific storm, Nemo’s life is turned upside down. Having to leave behind the only home she’s ever known, she goes to live with her uncle Phillip (Chris O’Dowd) in the big city. Adjusting to her new normal is no easy feat; all she wants is to be reunited with her dad. That dream becomes a reality when, at night, she finds herself in Slumberland, a magical place where anything is possible.

I was originally going to give this film a miss, simply because when it came out, I had four other movies I needed to watch. But then I found myself with nothing to do this weekend, I figured why not check it out after all? The premise sounded interesting enough, it was filmed in Toronto and Jason Momoa was in it. That seemed like more than enough reasons for me.

The cinematography was stunning. The various locations that Nemo visited on her dream quest were ever-changing. They always offered something new and exciting and I’d find myself wondering where we would be transported to next. Larger than life outlaw Flip (Momoa) not only served as a guide to Nemo, but also helmed a colorful cast of characters.

What I thought would be an average run of the mill movie about a girl on an adventure soon turned into something else entirely. Yes, a large part of the film is just that, but there was more to it too. At the end of the day, Slumberland is about loss and how we deal with it. As a child, it’s difficult enough formulating thoughts and feelings, but learning how to deal when someone we love is no longer with us is a completely different matter. Unfortunately I could relate to Nemo all too well as I also lost a parent when I was young. Perhaps if a movie like Slumberland had been around for me at the time, it would have helped me.

Rating: ♥♥♥.5