IR HE Review: MATCHBOX - THE MOVIE [Apple TV]
The aspect of this movie and its title are a little misleading in a way since “Matchbox The Movie” is a pretty big action film that simply uses the periphery of this small gang of kids that played with Matchbox cars as kids growing up and using it to build into a spy thriller. That said, the film, which is not in theaters despite what looks like an enormous price tag financed by Skydance, is a fun action movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously but also maybe is not quite ready for prime time. The same aspect was true of "May Day", another good Apple TV straight-to- streaming film in most respects but with just enough of an eccentric story that it probably would not have connected in theaters. As an exclusive to Apple TV, it avoids that criticism while still retaining cache since Apple makes good movies even if they are not quite water cooler for the populace. "Matchbox" has some fantastic action sequences (it was directed by Extraction’s Stephen Graves) including one on an open highway (i think that part was shot in Slovakia). There is even a very direct "Indiana Jonas and The Last Crusade" reference that one can see a mile away. It is good but doesn’t have the emotional weight of that previous movie. The lead here is John Cena who plays Sean who leaves his small town and becomes a globe trotting killer of sorts.
Despite that intro, it is not really dark at all and even though there is stakes in a nuclear weapon making the rounds and a lot of cracked bones....but that said, it is all handled very lightly. Jessica Biel plays his live interest/foil Aimee who stays in the same small town but can still push his buttons. She is not trying to be a bad ass (or a romantic lead -- though she could be). The character, which is good for the movie, is just trying to have fun and be with her friends who are all middle aged now. It is very children accessible in that way. This team all gets drawn into the international conspiracy that Sean is embroiled with. Arturo Castro of "Narcos" as Ted and Sam Richardson who recently did "By Any Means" are interesting choices as some of the friends along with Teyonnah Paris because they don’t act like action heroes. But one way or another they get the job done. Golshifteh Farahani though is a stand out as the arms dealer Robbie because she really has a sexy countenance and holds her own in different ways with both Cena and Biel which doesn’t happen with just any one. A movie just on her would be a lot of fun. Daniel Bernhardt who is a great stuntman in his own right and has been in "Atomic Blonde" and the first "John Wick" plays the mano-a-mano for Sean as the cars keep piling up.
All the gang gets their own requisite car heading into the finale that fits their personality courtesy of Robbie. The ending feels like something that could have been pulled from "XXX" with Vin Diesel 20 years ago. Cena is an alright action star but doesn’t really have that marquee value but Dwayne Johnson doesn’t either any more. It is just the state of movies. But the good thing is that despite Cena as Sean being the catalyst, the film works because of the gang dynamic and the humor. The stunt work is well done and hard hitting. "Matchbox: The Movie" knows enough of what it is and what it isn’t to get the tone of what it is doing right but just maybe. If "Hot Wheels" was made, it would need to be attached to a different sort of story in this way but connected to the nostalgia to make it work peripherially, That said, Matchbox Cars like Hoy Wheels are really more yesteryear. It is just the time it harks too. That said, "Matchbox The Movie" is formulaic in many ways but also bombastic and just cheesy good in others without losing too much of its heart. And that makes it alright. 84%/B
By Tim Wassberg
