Cameron Diaz’s 5 Action Movies, Ranked

Cameron Diaz has made her acting return in Back in Action, leading viewers to wonder what other fun action films they can find her own. After over a decade without an appearance in any movies or TV series, Diaz leads Back in Action’s cast alongside Jamie Foxx, delivering an action-comedy film combination that’s trending in the top 10 despite its poor reviews. It’s undoubtedly fun to see such an iconic star return to the scene after so many years away, but she’s had better and more successful work in the genre to explore after the new release.

Cameron Diaz’s best movies range from comedies like Bad Teacher to family movies like Shrek to critically acclaimed art films like Being John Malkovich. The 52-year-old actress isn’t explicitly known for appearing in action movies, unlike someone like Tom Cruise or Arnold Schwarzenegger, but she’s had a fair few in her stint as a movie star, ranging in box office success and acclaim. They may not be the best films in her career, but some stand out as being pretty enjoyable, including those with co-stars like Tom Cruise and Lucy Liu.

5

Back In Action

As Emily

Beginning with Cameron Diaz’s return to the limelight, Back in Action deserves to be celebrated and cherished for the return of a beloved actress, but it’s not on par with her previous work. Some of Netflix’s most viewed movies are poorly rated action comedy movies like Red Notice, so it’s no surprise that the film is doing well on the platform. Not to mention, marketable names like Jamie Foxx are always going to attract attention. A point of praise would be that he and Diaz are charismatic as the movie’s leads, but it falls short beyond that.

With exceptionally talented movie stars and a supporting cast that includes Kyle Chandler, Glenn Close, and Andrew Scott, it would be hard to call Back in Action a total disaster, and, as mentioned, its viewership and platform success has to count for something. In terms of critical acclaim and general movie quality, however, Back in Action’s 24% on Rotten Tomatoes and 6/10 on IMDb are representative of its reception. Occasionally, action movies like this will have much higher audience scores, but viewers weren’t impressed either, giving it a 61%.

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The problem with Back in Action isn’t that anyone is doing a particularly terrible job; it’s that it feels like a movie action/comedy fans will have seen dozens of times before. Practically every element, from its spy politics to its action sequences, has been done before and done better plenty of times. The movie has some charm in its numerous references to previous spy and action thrillers, but those primarily just serve as reminders of more impressive films that have come before. With Back in Action’s ending offering a cliffhanger, hopefully, its sequel comes with a bit more oomph.

4

The Green Hornet

As Lenore Case

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The Green Hornet is a superhero film directed by Michel Gondry, featuring Seth Rogen as Britt Reid, the wealthy heir who transforms into the vigilante known as the Green Hornet. With the help of his innovative sidekick Kato, played by Jay Chou, they embark on a mission to combat crime in Los Angeles. Christoph Waltz stars as the film’s antagonist, adding a blend of action and comedy to the narrative.

Release Date

January 14, 2011

Runtime

119 Minutes

The Green Hornet is a disappointing film to score so low, as it truly has all the makings to be a superhero comedy masterpiece. The pieces are all present, but it doesn’t come together. The film is adapted from previous iterations of the same title, including a 1960s TV series that featured Bruce Lee. The 2011 reboot is directed by Michel Gondry, a talented filmmaker who directed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and features a cast that includes Seth Rogen, Christoph Waltz, and more, alongside Cameron Diaz.

The movie feels like one that might have been more popular had it arrived ten years later. 2011 was early in the superhero boom, and while movies like Thor and Captain America were kicking off one of the biggest cultural waves to ever come from cinema, it might have been too early for such a subversive take on the genre. Consider the popularity of the TV series The Boys and how much it’s been praised for its inherent critique of superhero media. The Green Hornet might have performed better later on, with more growing tired of redundancy in superhero movies.

That’s not to say The Green Hornet was “ahead of its time.” The movie has plenty of flaws on its own that earned it its 45% score and an even lower audience rating. The movie has its laugh-out-loud moments, but it mainly suffers from its mediocrity. As a Cameron Diaz movie, she’s less engaging than she is in Back in Action, with the film primarily being focused around Seth Rogen. Altogether, it’s a slightly better movie, but it’s still far from being her best work or even her best action film.

3

Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle

As Natalie Cook

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Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle is a 2003 action comedy that acts as a sequel to the 2000 Charlie’s Angels film. Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu return as Natalie Cook, Dylan Sanders, and Alex Munday, along with director McG. Third and fourth films were planned after the release of Full Throttle but were canceled a year after this sequel’s release.

Release Date

June 27, 2003

Runtime

106 Minutes

Cast

Drew Barrymore
, Cameron Diaz
, Lucy Liu
, Bernie Mac
, Crispin Glover
, Justin Theroux
, Demi Moore
, Robert Patrick
, Matt LeBlanc
, Shia LaBeouf
, Rodrigo Santoro
, Luke Wilson
, John Cleese
, Ja’net DuBois

Outside the Shrek franchise, Cameron Diaz’s career has mostly been in standalone film projects. If Back in Action ends up having a sequel, it will be just the second one for a franchise she leads, with the first being Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. The early 2000s Charlie’s Angels reboot has some character, with an exciting cast led by Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu. It’s a stellar combination, and like with Back in Action, it’s hard to go too wrong when the lead actors are as talented and charismatic as they are.

Despite McG returning to direct the sequel and actors like Justin Theroux and recent Golden Globe-winner Demi Moore joining the cast, Full Throttle wasn’t as well received as the previous rendition. The movie has a 41% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 40% audience score, marking a notable drop-off from the first installment. It’s yet another film where the main critique was that the entire movie felt unoriginal, with the added redundancy of it being a sequel to a reboot. That being said, there are still some elements to love that earn the movie its place.

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Demi Moore is a ton of fun in the movie, even being nominated for an MTV Award for Best Villain. The actress, who’s recently seen a career resurgence following The Substance, gives a terrifically evil performance that offers a fun contrast to Cameron Diaz and the other angels. With the focus being on Diaz, it’s also worth mentioning that she and her co-protagonists still give it their all and are fantastic in the sequel. Though the action doesn’t look phenomenal from a modern standpoint, it’s still a fun movie in a nostalgic way with some great movie star performances.

2

Knight And Day

As June Havens

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Written by Patrick O’Neill and directed by James Mangold, Knight and Day is an Action and Comedy that satirizes secret agent-style films. The premise follows Tom Cruise as an agent on the run from the CIA who ends up protecting a woman who is mistaken for his associate.

Release Date

June 23, 2010

Runtime

109 Minutes

2010’s Knight and Day is one of those Tom Cruise movies that probably deserves a little bit more attention than it’s received, but the fact that it’s not called Mission: Impossible, Jack Ryan or another franchise name has lessened its relevance. After all, Tom Cruise is more or less playing the same character in all three titles. Though it doesn’t have that IP title to boost its box office credibility, Knight and Day does have a stellar filmmaker at the helm, with James Mangold (Logan, A Complete Unknown) directing Cruise and Cameron Diaz.

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz paired before in Vanilla Sky, adding a layer of excitement to their return in Knight and Day, an action movie that also serves as a comedic parody of action films like it. In terms of a Cameron Diaz action movie, this is possibly the one where she’s best utilized, having fun on-screen chemistry with Cruise and having the added element of being a fish out of water, with her character not being much of an action hero. This allows her to be witty and exciting in a really enjoyable way.

That being said, Knight and Day isn’t the most astounding success in either of its stars’ careers. The film was a box office let-down for Tom Cruise, only grossing $261 million despite the star duo. Critical reception was fairly mixed, with the film scoring a 51% on Rotten Tomatoes, another low for both actors. It’s not an exceptional action movie, but Cruise and Cameron Diaz make it worthwhile to watch, especially for anyone who enjoyed her in Back in Action, as it’s arguably the most similar film available.

1

Charlie’s Angels

As Natalie Cook

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Charlie’s Angels is the first movie in the Charlie’s Angels franchise that began in 1976. The film was released in 2000 and starred Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as the titular “Charlie’s Angels.” The film received a sequel in 2003 titled Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. Charlie’s Angels was a box office success and received mixed to positive reviews upon release.

Release Date

November 3, 2000

Runtime

98 Minutes

Cast

Drew Barrymore
, Cameron Diaz
, Lucy Liu
, Bill Murray
, Sam Rockwell
, Kelly Lynch
, LL Cool J
, Matt LeBlanc
, Tim Curry
, Crispin Glover
, Luke Wilson
, Tom Green

Charlie’s Angels is Cameron Diaz’s best action movie, and it’s not a close comparison. This is one of her most iconic movie star performances, and though she’s paired with Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore, Diaz is the highlight, with her character Natalie being the most interesting and engaging of the trio. While the movie’s reviews aren’t outstanding, a 68% score for an action movie is fairly reasonable, with many other popular films in the genre receiving similar results on Rotten Tomatoes, like The Fast and the Furious, as an example.

While the movie’s action hasn’t aged perfectly, fans of movies from this era will likely still enjoy the zany wire-fu combat and ridiculous stunts. The late 1990s and early 2000s were Cameron Diaz’s prime as a popular movie star, and though she’s not best known for her roles in action movies, her sense of humor and badass demeanor might make its audience forget that matter. She shares the screen with two other iconic stars, and the fact that she stands out so much shows just how talented she really is.

No one is going to say that Charlie’s Angels is one of the greatest movies of all time. However, for someone looking for a film like Back in Action, look no further. The 2000 reboot offers a fun mix of action, comedy, and easy-to-consume storytelling that’s the perfect example of what her most recent movie is trying to be.