Review by Jon Donnis
Mayday has a lot going for it. It has Ryan Reynolds. It has Kenneth Branagh. It has Cold War espionage, aerial dogfights, KGB agents, stolen military hardware and a reluctant friendship forged while two very different men try to survive behind enemy lines.
What it does not have is much of a surprise.
John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein's action comedy is polished, energetic and frequently entertaining, but it is also remarkably content to follow the well-worn path laid out by countless buddy movies before it. Fortunately, when you put Reynolds and Branagh together and give them plenty of opportunities to bicker, argue and reluctantly save one another, there is enough personality to keep the formula moving.
Set in 1987, Mayday opens with US Navy Lieutenant Troy "Assassin" Kelly rescuing his wingman before being sent on a top-secret mission aboard an SR-71 Blackbird with US Air Force pilot Major Sanders. The mission goes badly when they are intercepted by a MiG, leaving Sanders dead and Kelly stranded in Russian territory.
His situation looks bleak until he is discovered by Nikolai Ustinov, a former KGB officer who has grown disillusioned with his past and harbours an affection for American culture.
Naturally, Kelly does not immediately trust the man who has just rescued him.
That distrust forms the basis of the film's strongest element. Reynolds and Branagh have excellent chemistry, and their relationship develops in a way that feels considerably more entertaining than the increasingly predictable plot surrounding them. Kelly wants to get home. Ustinov wants a new life. Neither man quite knows what to make of the other, and their constant friction gives the film much of its personality.
Branagh, in particular, is terrific.
Ustinov is easily the most enjoyable character in the film, and Branagh steals practically every scene he is in. There is a wonderfully eccentric quality to his performance, but he also gives the character genuine warmth. Ustinov could easily have been reduced to a collection of stereotypical Soviet traits, yet Branagh finds enough humanity beneath the gruff exterior to make his predicament matter.
It is arguably Branagh at his most effortlessly entertaining.
Reynolds is equally assured, although Mayday does not exactly ask him to venture into unfamiliar territory. Troy Kelly is another cocky, sarcastic protagonist who can throw out a one-liner while surrounded by danger, and Reynolds has played variations of this character many times before.
The difference here is that Reynolds works particularly well opposite Branagh. Rather than competing for attention, the two complement each other. Reynolds provides the familiar wisecracking action hero while Branagh gets to play the more unusual and unpredictable character.
The result is a convincing odd-couple pairing.
The action also gives Mayday enough momentum to compensate for some of its weaker storytelling. The opening sequence immediately establishes the scale of the film, while the subsequent pursuit provides plenty of opportunities for the two leads to become increasingly entangled in situations that neither anticipated.
A train escape, a desperate journey towards Moscow, an attack on Ustinov's daughter's apartment and the theft of a mobile nuclear launcher all contribute to a story that becomes increasingly ridiculous as it progresses.
Thankfully, the film mostly understands that ridiculousness is part of the appeal.
There are some excellent action sequences here, and the film looks and feels suitably polished. It is the kind of production that is easy to sit back and watch. There is always another chase, confrontation or escape around the corner, and the pacing rarely becomes completely stagnant.
Unfortunately, the comedy is much less consistent.
Some jokes work because they come naturally from the relationship between Kelly and Ustinov. Others feel considerably more forced, and there are several moments where the film seems to assume that a particular joke will land simply because the characters are in an absurd situation.
It does not always work.
Some of the humour also feels dated, which is particularly noticeable in a film that otherwise seems determined to keep its action and presentation modern. When the comedy succeeds, it is usually because Reynolds and Branagh are allowed to bounce off one another. When the script starts reaching for obvious gags, the results are considerably less impressive.
That points towards Mayday's biggest weakness, the screenplay.
There is nothing fundamentally wrong with a formulaic action comedy, particularly when it is this watchable, but Mayday rarely attempts to escape its formula. The major beats are easy to anticipate, the character dynamics are familiar and the eventual developments do not carry much in the way of surprise.
Even the more outrageous elements feel strangely safe.
The story moves from espionage thriller to buddy adventure to increasingly broad action comedy, but the transitions never quite produce the sense of unpredictability that the premise promises. Instead, Mayday often feels like a collection of familiar ideas arranged around two very charismatic actors.
The film could also have benefited from a sharper edit.
At around 105 minutes, Mayday is hardly overlong, yet it feels about 15 minutes too long. By the latter stages, the central premise has already delivered most of its entertainment value, and some of the remaining material feels like it is simply ticking off the final requirements of the story.
The film's conclusion is perfectly serviceable, but the journey there could have been considerably tighter.
The supporting cast do solid work, with Marcin Dorociński providing a suitably threatening presence as Alexander Volkov, while Maria Bakalova adds another layer to Ustinov's personal story. David Morse and Clark Johnson also contribute effectively, although this is very much Reynolds and Branagh's film.
And that is ultimately both Mayday's greatest strength and its biggest limitation.
The film does not have a particularly compelling reason to exist beyond putting these two actors together.
Fortunately, that is a pretty good reason.
Branagh and Reynolds are entertaining enough to carry a familiar script, and their chemistry makes the increasingly improbable journey across Russia considerably more enjoyable than it has any right to be. There is a genuine sense of fun whenever they are sharing the screen, and Branagh's performance alone gives the film an identity it would otherwise lack.
But there is a nagging feeling throughout Mayday that something better was possible.
The ingredients are all there. The Cold War setting, the spy thriller framework, the action, the comedy and two enormously recognisable leading men should have produced something sharper and more memorable. Instead, the film settles for being good enough.
And, to its credit, good enough is often enough here.
Mayday is a polished, enjoyable action comedy with two excellent leads, some genuinely entertaining action and enough laughs to make the journey worthwhile. It is also predictable, occasionally sluggish and saddled with a screenplay that rarely takes the opportunities presented by its premise.
For fans of Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh, there is plenty to enjoy. Branagh in particular makes the film worth watching, delivering a performance that is easily the highlight.
But once the credits roll, Mayday is unlikely to demand much further thought.
It is a perfectly decent evening's entertainment, rather than a film that will be remembered.
I score Mayday a solid 7.5 out of 10.
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