Lieutenant Troy Brennan’s reconnaissance mission over Soviet territory goes awry, forcing him to crash-land and survive in Russian wilderness while evading capture or rescue.
Chuck says:
With the exception of 1988’s “Red Heat,” I’d be hard-pressed to name a Cold War buddy movie. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein set out to double the total of this subgenre with “Mayday,” a surprisingly entertaining piece of ridiculousness. Smart, funny and driven by as an unlikely duo of actors this side of the Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe pairing in “The Prince and the Showgirl,” the movie is a breezy, silly affair that gets by on sheer charm. To be sure, the less you think about the logistics or viability of the plot, the more likely you are to have a good time.
The time is 1987 and recruitment in the Air Force is still soaring thanks to the popularity of “Top Gun.” Hotshot Lieutenant Troy “Assassin” Kelly (Ryan Reynolds) seems intent on modeling himself after Tom Cruise, much to the dismay of his superiors. However, his acts of mid-air derring-do get the attention of someone high in the chain of command, and before he knows it, Kelly is working for the CIA. He’s assigned to fly deep into Soviet territory to take pictures of a base where they’re developing a high-tech jet fighter. It’s supposed to be an in-and-out mission.
Of course, if that were the case, this would be a 20-minute movie. Things go awry when Kelly is shot down, landing deep in enemy territory. Little does he know that he happens to have landed in the most advantageous spot in the Russian wilderness he could ask for. Luckily, he’s found by Nikolia Ustinov (Kenneth Brannagh), who just happens to be enamored by all the United States has to offer. His cabin is festooned with, among other things, a “Top Gun” movie poster, “I Love NY” bumper stickers and a map of the USA. His goal “is to drive from sea to shining sea in a recreational vehicle.” Needless to say, he starts peppering Kelly with questions as soon as he regains consciousness.
Having the desire to get to the good ole USA in common, the mismatched pair set out to Moscow to get to the United States Embassy. Kelly assures his friend-of-convenience he can get him granted asylum. However, Ustinov wants more than that, as he needs to get his estranged daughter (Maria Bakalova) out of the country as well.
With a villain out of central casting (Marcin Dorocinski) in pursuit, the story sports little in the way of surprises. Yet, the chemistry between the two stars makes it all worthwhile, their interactions generating one humorous moment after another. Reynolds, when he abandons his smart-aleck persona, can be an effective performer. Thankfully, he realizes he doesn’t have to shoulder the load alone here. Wisely, he shares the spotlight and the results are fantastic. The give-and-take he and Branagh establish elevate the material, the Shakesperean actor obviously having fun as the wily ex-KGB officer who’s bought into the most egregious examples of United States pop propaganda.
The action sequences are well-choregraphed and filmed in such a way as to clarify and accentuate the movement. Branagh puts himself through his paces in an elaborate hand-to-hand fight in which Ustinov takes on three adversaries. The scene benefits from a lack of judicious cutting. Equally impressive is a set piece that finds our heroes finding refuge in an apartment building in an attempt to outrun a bevy of bad guys. The directors’ camera snakes down the hallways, following Kelly and Ustinov as they burrow through the ceiling of one apartment to drop down into another, where they desperately try to find a way out.
This exemplifies the sense of fun that separates this from so many other genre exercises. To be sure, the story has its heavy-handed elements to it. Kelly comes to see that Russians aren’t all bad, Ustinov learns how to communicate with his daughter and the third-act ends with a rather standard action scene. But in the end, it doesn’t matter. With Reynolds and Branagh involved, “Mayday” is in good hands.
3 Stars
