The unlikely action-comedy duo of Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh are an entertaining pair in Apple TV’s Mayday, an enjoyable if sometimes clumsy Cold War riff inspired by the likes of the first Top Gun movie (but Mayday is not nearly as vapid).
Reynolds is Troy Kelly, aka Assassin, a Navy fighter pilot in 1986 (the year Top Gun was released) who quite suddenly finds himself flying an espionage mission over Russia. He’s promptly shot down and rescued by Nikolai, a former KGB agent who is obsessed with American culture—specifically Top Gun. (He has a bootleg VHS.)
With many bumps in the road involving trust and duty to one’s country, the two embark on a mission to get Troy out of Russia—and perhaps take Nikolai with him. Written and directed by Josh Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Game Night), the film has a fun, ’80s buddy-comedy vibe as well as a heartwarming, serious side.
As for the action, Branagh astounds and steals the scenes in which he’s battling many adversaries in hand-to-hand combat. Yes, he had some stunt doubles for some of the more dangerous stuff, but during many of the fight scenes, that’s him doing the choreography. Credit to Reynolds for allowing Branagh to outshine him in this respect. They do a great job of balancing their parts in the film, to the extent that they are equally enjoyable.
Some of the tech points and action scenes involving planes are a bit dodgy and startlingly inaccurate, but it’s forgivable, given the fun the movie is providing. Most of the film takes place on the ground, with Reynolds and Branagh doing everything to make the experience memorable.
The film ends with a visit to an American institution as the camera journeys up into outer space. This shot is great—the sort of thing our filmgoing faces take for granted these days.
As it ends, you may realize that you don’t want to leave these characters, so maybe they will find a way to bring them back for Mayday 2. One thing is for sure: I want to see more movies where 65-year-old Branagh is kicking ass.
Mayday is now streaming on Apple TV.