Cameron Diaz has returned to the spotlight after a significant hiatus from acting, despite some criticism surrounding her comeback. Her last notable role was as Miss Hannigan in the 2014 musical “Annie” alongside Jamie Foxx, marking the end of her acting career for nearly a decade.
The film, shot in 2013 and released in 2014, led to Diaz announcing her retirement from the industry. However, after this 11-year break, she is set to reappear on screen with Foxx in the upcoming Netflix film “Back in Action” in 2022, expected to drop this week.
Despite her return at 52 years old, opinions on her new project are divided.
During her break, Diaz felt the need to step away from her demanding career to focus on her personal life. She explained to Variety that she needed to “reclaim [her] own life” after two decades of nonstop work. Once she decided to step back, she realized she wasn’t concerned about anything else except her personal well-being and family life.
Diaz expressed, “Nobody’s opinion, nobody’s success, no one’s offer, no one’s anything could change my mind about my decision of taking care of myself and building the life that I really wanted to have.” Her passion shifted towards building her family.
Her new film “Back in Action” on Netflix is garnering excitement among fans.
The film features Diaz as Emily and Foxx as Matt, two former elite spies who left the CIA 15 years ago for a quiet family life. Yet, their past catches up with them as their hidden identities are revealed.
The official plot summary states: “Former CIA spies Emily and Matt are pulled back into espionage after their secret identities are exposed.”
While fans are thrilled about Diaz’s return, critics were less impressed, giving the film a score of 24 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviews described the film as “mediocre,” stating it isn’t ambitious enough to be considered bad. Others noted, “Diaz and Foxx still got it, the film constantly screams. The evidence on display, however, suggests otherwise.”
Despite the criticism, fans are celebrating Diaz’s return. On Twitter, fans expressed their joy, with comments like, “Cameron Diaz does it again!! I missed her! So good to see her on my screen again!” and “Good to see Cameron Diaz back in acting. Lemme tune in.”
Another fan shared their enjoyment after watching the movie, praising Diaz and Foxx’s chemistry and expressing hope for a sequel, “Just watched #BackInAction @netflix Thoroughly enjoyed it! It’s so good to see Cameron Diaz back to kicking some bad guys ass!! Jamie was so damn funny & their chemistry worked like magic on screen! Glenn Close was a powerful cameo! Hoping for #BackInAction2.”