Though they had already been around for decades, Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars were a big part of my 1980s childhood. The miniature 1:64 scale die-cast metal toy vehicles were small enough to fit several in your pocket and affordable enough for parents to buy for their nagging kids (like I was). In truth, I was more of a Hot Wheels guy. But I had plenty of Matchbox mixed inside my many car cases and shoe boxes.

As proof that you can make a movie out of nearly anything these days, look no further than “Matchbox: The Movie”. This new action comedy is indeed based on the popular Mattel toy brand. But rather than driving the action, the movie uses Matchbox in a more endearing and sentimental way. And to be honest, it surprisingly works in some genuinely heartfelt ways. It’s in the other areas that the film’s inconsistencies show.

The movie is helmed by Sam Hargrave, an accomplished stunt coordinator who broke into directing with the gritty and thrilling 2020 action film “Extraction”. He didn’t miss a beat three years later with “Extraction 2”. Now he’s in the director’s chair for the third go, this time delivering a tamer, toned-down style of action, which is no surprise considering Mattel is attached. But to his credit, Hargrave puts together a few solid fight scenes and cool crash sequences which proves to be his specialty.

Written by David Coggeshall, the story follows five childhood friends whose reunion takes an unexpected and action-packed turn. The five grew up together in the small town of Cartersville, Ohio and called themselves the Matchbox Gang. As kids, their favorite hangout was in a backroom at a garage ran by a local mechanic and mentor named Cal (Bill Camp). That was 28 years ago. Now the gang reunites after Cal’s sudden death. But a lot has changed with the passing of time.

While Amy (Jessica Biel), Crosby (Sam Richardson), Charmaine (Teyonah Parris), and Ted (Arturo Castro) have remained fairly close, no one has seen Sean (John Cena) since his family moved away from Cartersville. Amy is now an EMT and aspiring NASCAR driver. Crosby is a construction supervisor. Charmaine is a television station helicopter pilot. And Ted (Arturo Castro) is a nerdy chemistry teacher. As for Sean, he works as a covert CIA agent which explains his long absence.

But by returning Sean unwittingly gets his friends entangled in a deadly global conspiracy involving a stolen nuclear warhead, rogue agents, deadly mercenaries, and more. With Sean back leading the way, it will be up to the Matchbox Gang to save the world from disaster by making sure the nuclear warhead doesn’t find its way into the wrong hands. A slew of fist fights, shootouts, and car chases ensue. Some stand out as exciting and inventive. Others can be too silly and outlandish to leave much of an impression.

While Hargrave ensures there is an abundance of action, the movie has no shortage of humor. I mean the very premise lends itself to being a comedy. Much like the action, some of the swings at humor connect for some good laughs. There are also times where the jokes simply don’t land or completely miss their mark. The cast is certainly all-in, with Richardson providing many of the funniest bits. But they’re also bound to some pretty ridiculous instances where the humor and the action don’t mix well at all.

I can see “Matchbox: The Movie” being a tough sell to some audiences. It’s hard to know how many people are hankering for an action-comedy based on a line of miniature toy vehicles. The movie certainly plays things safe (for obvious reasons) and it checks a lot of boxes which makes for a fairly generic and forgettable experience. Yet it has its surprises, namely a few cool set pieces and its big heart, which ultimately keeps this silly assembly-line adventure afloat.