Back in Actionis one of Netflix’s most exciting action movies of 2024, and here are all eight of the film’s fight scenes, ranked.Back in Actionsees Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx reuniteonce again, with them now starring in an action-packed comedy that is full of fight scenes and stunts. ThroughoutBack in Action, eight exciting action scenes are figured, with these ranging from fist fights to shootouts to car chases to plane crashes. There is a ton of fun to be had with the different action scenes inBack in Action, and here are all of them ranked.
Back in Actionfollows Cameron Diaz’s Emily and Jamie Foxx’s Matt, a married couple who both happen to be retired spies for the CIA. However, after accidentally having their identities unleashed when a video of a fight goes viral, many of their past enemies come back for revenge. This leads the duo and their kids to go on an international mission in order to escape their enemies, forcing them to work together with some unlikely allies.Back in Actionfeatures as many action scenes as it does jokes, and here is which scene is the best.
8The Fight At The Club
The Most Generic Fight In The Film
Unfortunately, the least interesting action scene in Netflix’sBack in Actionis also one of the most important ones to the story. Early in the film, Emily and Matt discover that their daughter is at a club, causing them to go rescue her. While at the club, a couple of large men begin to harass them, leading to a fight.Emily and Matt get to show off their CIA trainingin this scene, with them easily dispatching of the bullies and even throwing one of them over the railing. As it turns out, someone was recording this fight, with this being the video that allows Chuck and the enemies to learn where they are.
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The club fight scene inBack in Actionis pretty small-scale,with the characters staying in one location, throwing a few punches, and wrapping things up. While this makes sense for the story, as the fight is some random bullies fighting two highly-trained spies, that isn’t an excuse for it not to be interesting. The club fight isn’t as flashy as some ofBack in Action’s other action scenes, and the lack of an interesting music choice makes it stand out from its contemporaries in an unfortunate way.
7The Raid On Ginny’s House
It Leaves A Bit To Be Desired
Near the end of the second act ofBack in Action, Emily, Matt, and their two kids are at Ginny’s house, with Ginny’s boyfriend Nigel also being there. While everyone is there, a group of armed enemies prepares to raid the house, hopefully getting the jump on the spies. While this seems to be setting up an epic raid scene, this doesn’t actually end up happening. Instead, the film follows Emily and Matt as they are exploring away from the house, with them returning to see that their family has been detained. They are then captured as well and interrogated by Chuck.
For what could have been a major action scene,the raid on Ginny’s house just doesn’t have that much action in it. The scene does have some fun beats, but it leaves a lot to be desired. This is especially noticeable when comparing this action scene to the raid on Emily and Matt’s house from earlier in the film, which was not only much more dynamic, but also had a lot more action.
6The Fight During The Auction
Setting The Stage For The Final Action Scene
Just before the climax ofBack in Action, there is one more action scene. While in London, Emily and Matt need to make their way up to Chuck in order to stop him from selling Baltahzar Gor’s key. However, they realize things won’t be easy when they see the amount of men they are going to have to fight through. The dangerous guards are tough opponents for Emily and Matt, but they eventually fight their way through the men and make their way up to Chuck’s room.
This scene feels a bit like a classic hallway fight scene, with it being far superior to the similar fight scene at the club. There are a lot of fun beats, such as when Emily and Matt use purple rods from some kind of art display as weapons. On top of that,Back in Action’s soundtrack improves this scene, with the fight scene being scored by James Brown’s hit classic “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.”
5The Escape From Balthazar Gor’s Party
They Can’t Lose The Key
Back in Action’s opening action scene may not be the most important one in the film, but it is one of the more fun ones.Back in Actionopens 15 years before the events of the rest of the film, with Emily and Matt being tasked with infiltrating a party that is being thrown by a dangerous criminal known as Balthazar Gor. Their mission is to make it to a room on a higher floor, break into a safe, andsteal Balthazar’s mysterious and powerful key. While the duo does get the key, they are caught, meaning that they have to fight their way out of the party.
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For an opening fight scene, the escape from Balthazar Gor’s party perfectly sets the tone ofBack in Action. The scene not only contains some great stunts,but it is also scored by “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole, establishing a musical pattern that will recur for the rest of the film. OpeningBack in Actionby showing a fight scene where Emily and Matt are in their prime was a perfect choice before jumping to their retirement, with this scene setting up the rest of the film’s story.
4The Motorcycle & Boat Chase
The Final Action Scene In Back In Action
Immediately after Emily and Matt fight their way up to Chuck’s bidding room,Back in Actionbegins its final action scene.This scene is a motorcycle chase that turns into a boat chase, with Emily and Matt attempting to rescue their kids and apprehend Chuck. The scene is set against the ticking clock of London being flooded, with Chuck having used the key to lower a blockade. Luckily, Emily and Matt are able to pull their mission off successfully, with them raising the dam just in time for Chuck to crash his boat into it.
This chase scene is one of the more dynamic action scenes inBack in Action, with it never staying static. The characters and momentum of the scene are constantly moving forward, with the switch from being on motorcycles to being in boats making thisBack in Actionscene feel like none of the others in the film.
3The Gas Station Fight
The Setting Makes This Fight Incredible
Although it is a smaller fight, one of the most creative action scenes inBack in Actionis the one at the gas station. After fleeing the United States, Emily, Matt, and their kids fly overseas and find themselves on the way to London. They briefly stop at a gas station late at night, with the kids going inside to get food while Emily and Matt fill up their car. At this moment, some of the enemies locate Emily and Matt, with them having to fight off their assailants while keeping their kids safe.
The main gimmick of thisBack in Actionsequence is the mechanics of the gas station. Throughout the scene,Emily and Matt utilize the gas pumps and fire to create makeshift blowtorches, giving them an edge over their enemies. This is an incredibly unique way to utilize the character’s surroundings during the fight sequence, with this being what makes this fight scene stand out from the others.
2The Assault On Emily & Matt’s House
It Kicks Everything Off
One of the biggest action scenes inBack in Actionoccurs incredibly early in the film, with it being the assault on Emily and Matt’s house. Soon after having their fight recorded at the club,Matt and Emily are shocked to see that Chuck has arrived at their door. Although Chuck warns them that their identities have been compromised, Chuck is shot, revealing that their enemies are already there. Emily and Matt must find a way to escape their house and evade their assailants, leading to several incredibly cool action beats.
Starting off this sequence with what seems to bethe death of Chuckis one of the best parts of the scene, as it seemingly comes out of nowhere. Moments like Emily and Matt rigging a car as a distraction and Matt’s plan to use the soda bottle as a weapon are unique and can’t be found in other movies. On top of that, these beats build Emily and Matt’s characters, showing how resourceful their years on the mission field has made them.
1The Plane Crash
The Most Exciting Action Scene
While there are a lot of great action scenes inBack in Action, the best one is easily the plane crash. After escaping Balthazar Gor’s party,the young Emily and Matthave to fly away, with them getting on a plane that was sent to pick them up. This is when Emily announces that she is pregnant, causing the couple to decide to retire. There isn’t much time to celebrate, however, as they soon learn that the plane is a trap. Emily and Matt have to fend off the enemies on their plane while the plane crashes, with the massive action scene having everything that viewers could want.
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Not only is this scene a fight scene, but it also features the dangers of a crashing plane, making things even more tense. This epic action is underscored by the emotional beat of Emily’s pregnancy, lending a lot of heart to the sequence. This is also integral to the story, as it allows Emily and Matt to go into hiding while also setting up Chuck’s downfall, with every element of this being reincorporated later inBack in Action.
Back in Action
Cast
Back in Action follows former CIA operatives Emily and Matt, who are thrust back into espionage years after retiring to raise a family. Released on August 18, 2025, the film unravels their return to the clandestine world when their identities are exposed.
