I can still vividly recall watching the 2000 Charlie's Angels film for the first time. I couldn't have been more than 16 years old, and I was so in awe of this badass trio of detectives. I knew each of them had their strengths, but I was mostly drawn to the group's de facto leader, Natalie Cook—played brilliantly by Cameron Diaz. She brought so much playfulness and charm to the role, proving that whip-smart, martial-arts-trained PI's can also be goofy and fun. And now, 25 years later, I can see bits of Natalie in Diaz's latest Netflix film, Back in Action.
In case you've yet to see the action-packed movie, which is now the #1 movie on Netflix's top ten list, it revolves around Matt (Jamie Foxx) and Emily (Diaz), two former CIA spies who've left the world of espionage to create new identities and focus their family. Unfortunately, 15 years later, they're all forced to go on the run when old enemies track them down through a viral video.
This marks Diaz's return to acting for the first time since 2014, but if I didn't know any better, I'd have thought she never left. As much as I do appreciate Foxx's comedic timing, it's Diaz who steals the show.
