‘Matchbox: The Movie’ Crashes Into Rotten Tomatoes as Critics Say John Cena Can’t Save Apple’s Toy Actioner

Toy-inspired blockbusters have become a Hollywood obsession, and Apple has now taken its turn with ‘Matchbox: The Movie‘. The globe-trotting action film, starring John Cena and directed by Sam Hargrave, landed on Apple TV today after a splashy promotional run. The first reviews, though, suggest the ride has been bumpier than the studio hoped.

The film arrived after a Comic-Con trailer and a string of star-studded premieres, but the critical response has been far more reserved.

On Rotten Tomatoes, ‘Matchbox: The Movie’ currently sits at 23% on the Tomatometer, based on 22 reviews. The Popcornmeter has no score yet, with fewer than 50 ratings. The PG-13 film runs 2 hours and 6 minutes and is listed as an action, adventure, mystery and thriller.

That is a clearly rotten result, and it has moved only slightly since the embargo lifted. Reports show the film starting at 20% from 10 reviews and creeping up as more critics weighed in.

The numbers look especially rough next to other toy and car-themed movies. One report noted that the score is below that of the weakest ‘Fast & Furious’ film, which sits at 29%, while ‘Barbie’, the other Mattel adaptation, has 88%.

Those comparisons stung because the film was an action-packed, globetrotting adventure for a streaming service. Critics, however, found it closer to a generic streaming actioner.

The most common complaint is that the toy connection barely matters. Reviewers say the miniature cars play a small role and that the plot is generic, with one critic calling it a tired copy of the ‘Fast & Furious’ formula. The New York Times argued that adapting a brand with no identity of its own was doomed from the start.

JoBlo, which gave the film an average score of 6 out of 10, said the Matchbox connections feel forced and tangential and compared the result to a two-hour commercial. Even so, the reviewer found the movie more enjoyable than expected, praising its chase sequences and Cena’s restrained performance.

Not every verdict is harsh. TheWrap‘s William Bibbiani called the film a “genial time-waster” and said the cast works harder than the material demands. He highlighted Sam Richardson’s reaction shots and Jessica Biel’s grounded take on her character’s grief, and praised a spectacular car crash and the climactic chase.

Some reviewers also noted that Hargrave lacks the ecstatic energy of his ‘Extraction’ films, and that the jokey tone undercuts the danger of the action. In other words, the cast and a few set pieces are doing the heavy lifting.

The story follows Sean, a CIA operative played by Cena, who returns to his small hometown for the funeral of a friend’s uncle. He reunites with a group of childhood friends, played by Biel, Richardson, Arturo Castro and Teyonah Parris, only for them all to be drugged and framed for the theft of a nuclear warhead. Sean must then protect a group of reluctant civilians while racing across the world to clear their names.

Danai Gurira, Corey Stoll and Bill Camp also appear. David Coggeshall wrote the script, while David Ellison and Dana Goldberg produced.

Sam Hargrave and the Matchbox team needed 9 car barrel rolls to break the Guinness World Record. They performed 14. #MatchboxTheMovie — October 9 https://t.co/tJ0aIfLtNv

— Apple TV (@AppleTV) October 6, 2026

The release also marks Biel’s first film in nine years, which made her press tour appearances a major talking point. Cena, Biel and the rest of the ensemble promoted the movie at premieres in New York and London in the days before its debut.

For Hargrave, the action pedigree of ‘Extraction’ set a high bar, and reviewers have clearly measured the new film against it.

The movie is streaming on Apple TV starting today and is included at no extra cost for subscribers. Its San Diego Comic-Con trailer reportedly drew over 4 million views in 24 hours, which shows the curiosity was there even if the reviews are not.

Because it is a streaming release, its fate depends more on viewership than on the reviews. If audiences connect with its easygoing tone and action, the critics’ verdict may matter far less.

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