Warning: Major spoilers for Back in Action below!Netflix’s latest action comedyBack in Actionis loaded with callbacks and easter eggs to other spy films and shows.Back in Actionmarks Cameron Diaz’s acting comebackafter a decade-long hiatus, which is bringing a lot of attention to the slick action caper.Reviews forBack in Actionhave been somewhat tepid so far, though the combination of Diaz, Jamie Foxx and the rest of the cast makes it destined to be a streaming hit for Netflix.
While technically an original work, the movie does borrow heavily from other espionage movies before it. Some of these references are blindingly obvious - including multiple nods to a certain British spy - while others are a little more obscure. Regardless,spotting these references will add to the fun ofBack in Actionfor genre fans.
13Jason Bourne
At least Emily and Matt remember their pasts
Once Emily (Cameron Diaz) and Matt’s (Jamie Foxx) children finally learn their parents were badass spies, they have a million questions. They ask if they were spies in the same vein as Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne, to which Foxx’s Matt states they were, but they can both remember their pasts.
A newJason Bournemovie is said to be in development with Edward Berger currently attached as director.
It’s also nice that almost a decade on from the last sequel,Jason Bourne, teenagers are still thinking of the character as one of the ultimate spies.
12Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Both the Mr. & Mrs. Smith movie and TV show see a married couple struggling with their suburban lives
Back in Actioncan be broadly compared to both theMr. & Mrs. SmithmovieandTV series, though it draws more inspiration from the former. They all involve spies/assassins trying to maintain a normal, “boring” suburban existence while tampering down their natural impulses for action.In contrast toMr. & Mrs. Smith,Back in Action’scharacters are happy with their family lifeuntil adventure comes calling. All three projects also feature the family home being torn apart by gunfire, shattering the facade of normalcy the couple has erected.
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Back in Action’s MacGuffin shares something in common with 24
The deviceBack in Action’svillains seek is called the ICS master key, which can override power plants, dams, nuclear reactors, and so on.The way the ICS can hack into a country’s infrastructure bears a resemblance to the CIP device from24season 7 too.
Where Was Back In Action Filmed? All Shooting Locations Explained
Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz went around the world in Back in Action, and the movie actually had a surprisingly varied list of filming locations.
This nasty module could also hack into America’s critical infrastructure, with terrorists using it to crash a plane and target a chemical plant.
10Andrew Scott
Scott is best known as Moriarty from BBC’s Sherlock
Back in ActioncastAndrew Scott as Baron, a former love interest of Emily’s. Scott plays the stern MI6 agent chasing after “The Bakers,” with the movie framing him as a potential villain. This is largely down to the actor’s previous roles, like C inJames BondadventureSpectreor Moriarty inSherlock. In a surprise move,Baron is revealed to be totally on the level, with Scott’s casting intended to misdirect audiences.
9True Lies
Both Harry and Matt know how to turn up the heat
True Liesis comparable toBack in Actionin a couple of ways. This includes the domesticated spy angle, though the difference there is that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Harry is an active spy keeping his double life a secret from his family. One setpiece in this 1994 James Cameron blockbuster seesHarry make a flamethrower out of a petrol pump, while Foxx’s Matt does the same when he and his family are ambushed by mercenaries.
8Kingsman: The Secret Service
This spy action franchise gets a fun shoutout
While hanging around with their grandmother Ginny (Glenn Close), Matt and Emily’s children meet her eccentric boyfriend, Nigel (Jamie Demetriou). Nigel is trying to become a spy, and in addition to his throwing stars and other gear, he mentions having a bulletproof umbrella. This is an easter egg nod to theKingsmanfranchise, whereColin Firth’s Harry is often seen wielding a bulletproof umbrella.
7James Bond
The 007 saga gets multiple shoutouts
It’s impossible for any espionage movie or series not to referenceJames Bondin some way, andBack in Actionis no different. On that score,the Netflix blockbuster features a veryBond-like pre-title action sequence involving a plane, Nigel makes mention of a laser watch and Matt dons a tuxedoin the finale; he even has his own special drink order. Glenn Close plays the M-like former head of MI6 and gadget master Q also gets mentioned.
6Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Neither Back in Action nor Fallout take the time to appreciate the art though
A decent chunk ofBack in Actiontakes place in London, though it largely avoids visiting landmarks. A key exception is the finale, where Matt and Emily head to famed art gallery the Tate Modern to stop the sale of the ICS key to international buyers.
… Back in Action makes better use of the Tate Modern as a setting than Fallout.
This mirrors a key scene fromMission: Impossible - Fallout, where Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt runs (what else?) to the gallery to stop a mole from escaping. Given that it stages an actual fight inside the gallery,Back in Actionmakes better use of the Tate Modern as a setting thanFallout.
5Spectre
Both spy movies climax with a speedboat chase on the River Thames
Aside from Andrew Scott, another linkBack in Actionmakes toSpectreis the finale. InSpectre, Bond (Daniel Craig) chases after Blofeld’s (Christoph Waltz) helicopter in a speedboat.Somehow, 007 is able to shoot the chopper down with his Walter PPKfrom a long distance.Back in Actionalso features a speed boat chase, with the heroes chasing down the fleeing bad guy.
4Die Hard
Nigel pulls an Argyle in Back in Action’s finale
While limo driver Argyle (De’voreaux White) doesn’t get much action inDie Hard, he helps foil the heist in the finale. This sees him ram his limo into a fake ambulance, which the thieves intended to use as their escape vehicle; Argyle also punches out the driver, tech expert Theo (Clarence Gilyard).Back in Actiongives Nigel his own Argyle moment, where he rams the van of the hacker who possesses the ICS key, saving the day in the process.
