Mayday Review: Kenneth Branagh's charm Saves This Middling Cold War Buddy Action-Comedy
Rating: 2.5/5 Suyog Zore
'Mayday' has all the ingredients required to make an entertaining, fun buddy action-comedy: a talented cast including Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh, who have both proved their comedic timing; co-writer and director John Francis Daley, who showed his talent with Game Night (2018) and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023); and a thrill-inducing premise where an ex-KGB agent tries to help an injured U.S. Navy pilot return home during cold war. Yet despite having all these right ingredients, the final dish is not as satisfying as expected. Of course, the film does deliver plenty of funny banter that will make you laugh, alongside a clever commentary on how little difference there was between the U.S. and the USSR, showing how both governments brainshwashed their soldiers during the Cold War, yet the final product remains a campy, middle-of-the-road entry. It is a mildly enjoyable watch, but it ultimately fails to reach its full potential.
Set in 1987 at the height of the Cold War, 'Mayday' follows hotshot U.S. pilot Lieutenant Travis Caley, who is shot down and stranded in enemy territory during a top-secret Russian mission. He is rescued by Nikolai Ustonov, a former KGB operative with an endearing obsession with American pop culture. Eager to visit the United States, Nikolai forms an unlikely alliance with Travis, risking execution to help the injured pilot escape before the KGB tracks them down.
The narrative is straightforward, attempting to touch upon various themes while keeping audiences wondering how the main duo will eventually escape the KGB. The film establishes a fun tone right from the opening scenes with well-timed jokes. In fact, the first 40 minutes of the movie are genuinely well-written. Even after Nikolai saves his life, Travis remains deeply suspicious of him. Despite being badly hurt, Travis attempts to run away multiple times, only for Nikolai to repeatedly catch him and patiently assure the pilot that he only wants to help him get back to America safely.
However, the film clearly loses its grip once the duo officially starts their escape journey. From this point on, the story relies far too much on predictable tricks and old formulas that we have seen in countless buddy action-comedies before. Instead of raising the danger or making the relationship between the characters deeper, this middle portion falls into a repetitive cycle. It fails to create genuine tension or deliver enough good jokes to keep the story moving forward. Because of this, what should have been the most thrilling and action-packed part of the movie ends up feeling flat and boring.
This major flaw becomes very obvious during a key scene set on a train, where the duo is spotted by the Russian military. What ought to have been a tense, heart-pounding moment fails to give the adrenaline rush or high energy you expect from a movie like this, playing out with almost no real suspense. Even so, the fight scenes themselves are done well, particularly the ones featuring Kenneth Branagh. He brings a sharp, focused strength to his action moments, moving with a disciplined style that genuinely makes you believe he was a real military soldier in the past.
The movie also misses a big opportunity with its main antagonist. Marcin Dorociński plays the KGB Army Chief, Alexander Volkov, but the role feels completely underutilized. Dorociński certainly has the strong presence needed to play a scary bad guy, but the script gives him almost nothing to do. If the writers had made Volkov a much more dangerous, scary threat constantly chasing the heroes, it would have made the stakes much higher and given their escape a real sense of urgency.
The core strength of the film lies in Kenneth Branagh’s standout performance. He completely commits to the role convincingly playing an affectionate, hopeful man whose love for American culture feels sweet rather than silly. Branagh gives Nikolai a genuine warmth and kindness that makes it very easy for the audience to root for him. On the other hand, Ryan Reynolds simply plays the exact same character he has been playing since Deadpool—the guy who constantly cracks jokes even when they aren't needed. While it is a very familiar style for Reynolds, he uses his natural charm to deliver a decent, watchable performance.
In the end, 'Mayday' plays it safe and stays in a comfortable, predictable space. It never quite reaches the crazy, high-energy fun of director John Francis Daley's earlier films, but it offers just enough funny back-and-forth talking and star power to make sure you don't not get bored.
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh
Writers: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Director: John Francis Daley
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