Apple TV’s Mayday puts Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh in playful Cold War bromance

📺 The tense US-Soviet Cold War dynamic gets a bromance spin in Apple TV’s new action-comedy film Mayday. Starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh and directed by filmmaking duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the movie brings charismatic, silly lead performances, skillful fight sequences, and a little cheesy heart to a familiar but classic genre blueprint.

The plot: Reynolds plays Troy Kelly, a US Navy fighter pilot during the Cold War-soaked 80s and a cool, talented rule-breaker. His skills land him on a spy mission over Soviet territory, which ends with a narrowly survived plane crash deep in a snowy forest. He wakes up in the log cabin of Nikolai Ustinov, aka Nick (Branagh). Nick is an American-culture fanatic obsessed with the fighter-jet classic Top Gun and an ex-KGB officer. Kelly, wanted by the KGB and supposed to keep a low profile during his spy mission, finds an unlikely ally in Nick, who agrees to help him escape in exchange for asylum in the US for himself and his daughter. The rest of the movie follows the pair on a risky journey across Soviet territory, where they form an unexpected friendship.

Our thoughts: The movie is a light, entertaining watch thanks to plenty of well-executed action scenes, top-tier cinematography, and, above all, Reynolds’ signature jocular humor and Branagh’s lively Russian impression. That said, the movie does feel a little too predictable at times, with some action choices seeming a little ludicrous. Some of the dialogue and character beats are cheesy from time to time. The political angle — a spy from the US facing off against a stereotypical Russian enemy — feels superficial, relying a little on familiar caricatures. While the message of empathy and “don’t judge a book by its cover” comes through clearly, the overall premise can feel a little too dumbed down for audiences. But that’s just our inner critic speaking.

The verdict: Mayday is the kind of movie you put on for a fun, stimulating watch and get rewarded with humor, feel-good vibes, and classic action. It’s not an entirely fresh or groundbreaking story, but it has all the makings of a classic and makes for a perfectly enjoyable two-hour blockbuster.

WHERE TO WATCH- Mayday is streaming on Apple TV. You can check out the trailer on YouTube (watch, runtime: 2:50).