{
  "id": 5120948,
  "title": "Movie Review: Kenneth Branagh and Ryan Reynolds star in irreverent Cold War action-comedy ‘Mayday’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/movie-review-kenneth-branagh-and-ryan-reynolds-star-in-irreverent",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-02T16:08:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/2026/09/02/movie-review-kenneth-branagh-and-ryan-reynolds-star-in-irreverent-cold-war-action-comedy-mayday"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sir Kenneth Branagh has developed a talent for portraying Russians, as seen in \"Tenet\" and \"Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.\" However, \"Mayday\" marks the first film where he plays a character with comedy in mind. The ex-KGB agent, Nikolai Ustinov, is a U.S.-loving individual who has been living in the woods since the 1980s. When a U.S. Navy pilot crash-lands near his home, Nikolai decides to help the pilot, Lieutenant Troy \"Assassin\" Kelly, escape from Russia. Ryan Reynolds stars as the snarky and sarcastic Troy, who is sure he's the best pilot. The film, directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, combines action comedy with a self-aware tone. Despite the odd timing of its release, \"Mayday\" is entertaining and doesn't take itself too seriously.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Kenneth Branagh plays Nikolai Ustinov, a comedy-driven ex-KGB agent",
    "Ryan Reynolds stars as snarky Lieutenant Troy Assassin Kelly",
    "Self-aware action-comedy released despite odd timing"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Associated Press",
        "title": "Movie Review: Kenneth Branagh and Ryan Reynolds star in irreverent Cold War action-comedy ‘Mayday’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/movie-review-kenneth-branagh-and-ryan-reynolds-star-in-irreverent-5128067",
        "published": "2026-09-02T16:23:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}