Kenneth Branagh is a standout in “Mayday,” now streaming on Apple TV. (photo courtesy of Apple TV)

There’s a pattern here. Apple TV can generate a halfway decent film (“Killers of the Flower Moon,” “F1,” “The Tragedy of Macbeth”), but it can’t deliver quality lighter films. Those “Family Plan” flicks shoot for family fun to no avail. “Ghosted” somehow made Chris Evans and Ana de Armas feel like emotionless twigs on screen. And “Fountain of Youth” imagined if Indiana Jones was annoying and bland at once.

What do these films all have in common? Skydance. Of the eight films on Apple’s streaming platform, “Mayday,” starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh in a Cold War comedy thriller, is easily the best. That’s a shallow victory for a company that seeks to dump its midrange options online.

Then again, the production company’s big screen successes are limited to “Top Gun: Maverick,” growing involvement with “Mission: Impossible” films and a few others. This is not a time-tested creative company, even if it now shares part of its name with a top-five media conglomerate.

“Mayday” is very aware of “Skydance’s” limited footprint. After a Navy pilot (Ryan Reynolds) ejects over Soviet Russia, his quirky savior (Kenneth Branagh) loves American pop culture, especially that Tom Cruise feature. The references, actual clips and even some memorabilia flow, even if they don’t actually evoke sincere laughter.

At least the story moves briskly enough as the pair try to escape the country before secret operatives capture them. Seems like a fun enough premise, and it can be. But “Mayday” visually feels too similar to other Skydance films that grace the streamer.

This is odd for a film set nearly 40 years ago. Nothing in the visual production, aesthetic choices, dialogue or costuming supports this setting. Not a single haircut or cut of a short screams ‘80s.

Reynolds, as chatty Navy pilot Troy Kelly, looks and performs as expected, with no semblance of range required. His character reacts to his surroundings like someone born in the ‘80s more than someone portraying it with any attempt at authenticity – which need not be a requirement for any film – or personality – which is sinful considering all that the ‘80s gave us.

Meanwhile, Reynolds’ straight man must endure this peculiar local named Nikolai (Branagh), including his many Western references and mysterious past that might just help the pair survive. Pause and bask in Branagh – the Belfast-born, Shakespeare-grade actor who dips into directing films of various budgets and scales – as a good Russian for once, as opposed to the villainous Eastern Europeans of former films.

Perhaps the most confounding part of these films is their budget. “Mayday” cost $150 million. If this one reached theaters, it wouldn’t stand a chance of recouping that high cost. That’s an insane amount for a buddy action film. The effects and some sets are grand, but the entire vibe screams VOD. This is the definition of a steaming film in quality and look. It’s inoffensive, ignorable, inessential – viewed and forgotten.

It has the cultural impact of Google Glass and also came with a hefty price tag to develop. It would be easy to blame Apple. That’s what happens when a computer and phone company branches out, right?

But this isn’t a major problem with TV series. “Severance,” “The Studio,” “Ted Lasso,” “Widow’s Bay,” “Shrinking” – Apple is fine. For that matter, Skydance enjoys solid TV production rep. But those films are a dilemma. If this is the best Skydance can do for Apple with a superhero-sized film budget, then maybe just stick to television and skip features, at least with this DOA duo.

Things are especially tragic for the writer-director team, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Their previous film, “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” – praised by critics and D&D diehards, but a box office misfire – brimmed with personality, clever scenarios and engaging world-building. “Mayday” is the opposite – a safe film designed for all, which normally means it never satisfies any. The gutsier directors on display with “Honor” seem subdued here.

“Mayday” is easy. Reynolds delivers his standard performance, while Branagh proves he’s too big for this film. (Then again, he’s too big for some of the films he himself directed.) People will watch, and that’s a win for Apple and Skydance, who seem fine generating entertainment best enjoyed while vacuuming.

Kenneth Branagh and Ryan Reynolds keep things light and fun in “Mayday.” (photo courtesy of Apple TV)