MAYDAY (2026) – A lightweight Cold War comedy that belongs to Kenneth Branagh
Rating: ⭐⭐
Mayday is a lightweight action comedy set in the late 1980s, during the tail end of the Cold War between the United States and Russia. The premise is deliberately far-fetched: Ryan Reynolds plays an American fighter pilot whose mission to take spy photographs goes badly wrong, leaving him stranded deep inside Russia. He is eventually rescued by a Russian ex-KGB agent, played by Kenneth Branagh, who happens to live alone in the wilderness and, rather conveniently, has a great affection for all things American.
The unlikely pair then find themselves on the run, trying to escape Russia while gradually forming an unexpected bond along the way. It is essentially a buddy movie wrapped inside a Cold War adventure, and the entire film depends heavily on the chemistry between its two leads.
Fortunately, the comedy isn’t quite as aggressively forced as one might expect. That said, Ryan Reynolds is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from the character he seems to play in almost every movie these days. He is never particularly serious, constantly cracking jokes even when the situation calls for something more dramatic, and always seems to have another wisecrack ready. His particular brand of humour has become rather predictable, and frankly, it is beginning to feel a little old.
His character here consequently becomes more annoying than amusing at times. The problem isn’t necessarily Reynolds himself, but rather the feeling that we have seen this same performance too many times before. Whether he is in mortal danger or simply having a conversation, the character behaves as though he is permanently auditioning for a stand-up comedy routine.
Fortunately, we have Kenneth Branagh.
It has been some time since we have seen Branagh in a major mainstream movie role, and he brings a much-needed dose of personality to Mayday. His character — a Russian ex-KGB agent who is inexplicably obsessed with America and particularly Top Gun — isn’t remotely believable, but Branagh somehow manages to make the absurdity work.
What makes his humour more effective is that it feels natural to the character. His fascination with everything American is so sincere that even the ridiculous moments seem to arise organically from his personality rather than being inserted simply for the sake of getting a laugh. Branagh also gets many of the film’s best moments, repeatedly rescuing Reynolds from seemingly impossible situations through increasingly inventive and often hilarious means.
There are also some entertaining action sequences, involving fights, chases and narrow escapes. Unfortunately, these moments often feel heavily staged, with the CGI making it difficult to become genuinely invested in the danger. The film never really attempts to convince us that what we are watching could happen, and perhaps that is intentional. Mayday is simply not a movie that should be taken too seriously.
For me, though, Kenneth Branagh is the main reason the film remains watchable. Without him, the constant Ryan Reynolds wisecracks and increasingly artificial action sequences would probably have made Mayday quite a difficult sit. Branagh clearly knows how to have fun with the material, and his performance gives the film considerably more charm than it deserves. I just find myself hoping that the next time we see Kenneth Branagh in a major role, it will be in something more befitting his considerable class and talent.
