Archive · 6 Sep 2026
Mayday Review Finds Comradeship Amid a Cold War Action Adventure
Mayday is an action-comedy movie about an American pilot named Troy.
His plane is shot down near the end of the Cold War.
He lands in the Soviet Union and is taken prisoner.
His captor is Nikolai, a former Soviet spy who likes American culture.
Instead of hurting Troy, Nikolai decides to help him.
Together, they face dangerous escapes, trains and a nuclear missile.
The review says the movie is exciting but sometimes gives Russia a very simple, unrealistic look.
Its main lesson is that friendship and peace can be stronger than hatred between countries.
Ryan Reynolds plays US Navy pilot Troy Kelly, whose jet is shot down during a covert Cold War mission.
Troy crash-lands in the Soviet Union and is captured by Nikolai Ustinov, a former KGB officer who admires America.
Kenneth Branagh’s Ustinov becomes Troy’s unlikely ally, leading him through escapes, train action and a nuclear-missile chase.
The review praises the film’s action and central message while criticizing its broad depiction of Russia and weaker side plots.
Mayday presents comradeship and peace as forms of patriotism, arguing that standing up to one’s country can serve it.
- Who
- US Navy pilot Troy Kelly, played by Ryan Reynolds, and former KGB officer Nikolai Ustinov, played by Kenneth Branagh.
- What
- A downed American pilot finds an unlikely ally in the Soviet Union during a Cold War action-comedy adventure.
- When
- At the end of the Cold War; the story also refers to the 1999 Kargil War as a contrasting narrative premise.
- Where
- The pilot crash-lands in the Soviet Union.
- Why
- Troy’s jet is shot down during the covert Blackbird mission, forcing him to rely on a former KGB officer for help.
Film’s Strengths
Film’s Weaknesses
Action and entertainment
Film’s Strengths
The moving-train sequence, captivity escape and nuclear-missile chase provide energetic, familiar Ryan Reynolds action-comedy set pieces.
Film’s Weaknesses
The action follows a predictable gauntlet structure resembling the directors’ earlier work, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
Political message
Film’s Strengths
The film’s emphasis on comradeship, peace and standing up to one’s own country gives the action story a meaningful takeaway.
Film’s Weaknesses
Some dialogue about Americans and Russians not all being bad is described as overly obvious, while the American perspective remains dominant.
Character and setting
Film’s Strengths
Kenneth Branagh’s Nikolai gives Troy a compelling and unexpected ally, and the Soviet setting supports the film’s fantasy-like adventure.
Film’s Weaknesses
Russia is portrayed in broad, fantastical strokes, and the subplots involving Troy’s ill father and Nikolai’s estranged daughter are considered forgettable.
- Film
- Mayday
- Genre
- Action comedy
- Lead actors
- Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh
- Directors
- John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein
- Central conflict
- An American pilot is stranded in the Soviet Union after his jet is shot down.
- Key message
- Comradeship and peace can challenge distrust between rival nations.