‘Mayday’ film review: Kenneth Branagh plays ‘a good Russian’ for a change as a former KGB officer who loves Top Gun and fights like Liam Neeson
A film about a downed U.S. Navy pilot and a former KGB officer who become friends while trying to escape the Soviet Union in 1987 is now streaming on Apple TV. Shakespearean actor Kenneth Branagh once again plays a Soviet citizen — hardly new territory in his career — while Ryan Reynolds sticks to his familiar persona. The film was commissioned by Skydance Media, a studio that reportedly has…
In 1987, a U.S. Navy pilot named Troy Kelly is sent on a secret CIA mission to the Arkhangelsk region of the Soviet Union to investigate the construction of missile silos. However, his plane is shot down, and he is forced to parachute into the snowy taiga. Saved by a former KGB officer, Nikolai Ustinov, who harbors anti-Soviet sentiments and is a fan of the action movie Top Gun, Kelly seeks assistance in escaping the Soviet Union.
Joined by the ruthless head of internal security, Alexander Volkov, the trio embarks on a thrilling adventure across 1980s Russia, filled with political satire and action-packed sequences. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, "Mayday" features the actor in a role as a former KGB officer, a departure from his usual Shakespearean roles. Sporting a convincing impression of Liam Neeson in action scenes, Branagh brings an added level of intensity to the film.
While Reynolds continues to play his familiar wisecracking roles, the film showcases strong chemistry between the two lead actors. With a talented ensemble and witty direction, "Mayday" stands out as a campy, cliché-ridden comedy that offers a fresh take on Soviet caricatures from the Reagan era, providing a politically charged viewing experience that lingers in the viewer's memory.
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