Ryan Reynolds plays a Navy pilot whose reconnaissance flight crashes in Soviet territory (it’s a riveting sequence). He’s rescued by a Russian man (Kenneth Branagh), who happens to be a fan of the US and wants to help him return home. While Reynolds uses his affable charm to nail those sly comic asides, Branagh creates a credible character and lands some impressively-staged fight scenes. Their repartee is enjoyable, but it’s the action encounters that are the most fun. This is popcorn entertainment, but with sufficient cleverly-written lines and great action that make it solid “escapist” entertainment. NOTE: Sit thru the early credits for the visual punchline to a funny story. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars
