From the director of 2021's above-average "Nobody" comes the equally above-average "Heads of State." It's got a high energy level, action scenes that look like they're happening in-front of the camera instead off from a computer, two terrific lead actors and a subject matter ripe for satire.
John Cena, finally finding a project worthy of his charisma, plays Will Derringer, a model turned actor turned president of the United States, and the film knows how silly it is when Hollywood enters politics. Much of the humor towards the parody president comes from Sam Clarke, played with laconic irony by the always wonderful Idris Elba, the UK Prime Minister. He bemoans the man, thinking of him as a joke and dreads the idea of having to share the stage when the two countries have to hold a press conference to discuss their alliance on some gobbledygook satellite system called "Echelon." The two come to quips, and in an attempt to get some positive publicity, Sam joins Will aboard Air Force One. The bickering continues at 30,000 feet.
The two, however, are soon attacked by an assassin disguised as a server, the plane begins to go down, but the duo are able to escape with the only two remaining parachutes. While very-much alive, the world thinks they're dead and the two try to head to a safe house in Poland. What they don't know is that Echelon has been compromised by a very bad man, Viktor Gradov (Paddy Considine). He's upset that his son was killed offscreen trying to make a nuclear reactor, and thanks to Echelon he now has access to all sorts of classified NATO secrets, which he leaks to try and disassemble the regional alliance. Or something; the plot in a movie like this is about as important as the calorie count on the big bucket of popcorn during a good summer blockbuster.
Along this very familiar turf, our familiar characters run into another familiar cliche, the former lover AND also-thought-to-be-deceased secret service agent Noel (Priyanka Chopra Jonas). Her and Sam "used to work together," and her team was killed in the film's opening, depicting how Viktor actually got his hands on Echelon, but what I was more fascinated about was the utter lack of chemistry she and Idris had. He is ten years older than her in real life and it shows, and I never believed for a second their prior romance. (Or their, gasp, potential rekindling?!) What's even more amusing is how the actress is actually married to Nick Jonas, who is ten years younger then her! Not that it matters, but it does go to show just how closely one needs to pay attention here, or how long it sticks around your dome once the credits roll.
But who cares when the action spans planes, trains and automobiles, the fights and shootouts showing who is throwing a punch, or who is taking the bullet, director Ilya Naishuller clearly knows how to handle material like this. And whether it's actual physical stunts or just really good CGI, I never got the impression that the pricey cast was just standing around a green screen reacting to things that'll be added in post-production, helping take me back to a time where every few weeks it felt like the theater or the local VHS store was littered with these kinds of dumb action movies.
I lamented the lack of logic in my review of Liam Neeson's recent "Ice Road: Vengeance," and while "Heads of State" is equally oblivious to how things in the real world actually function, it works this time around because it is 100% action comedy and zero percent thriller. Both parts to its genre whole breed beautifully in the outrageous and unbelievable, and this film has it in spades. How could I believe that a random Russian farmer would recognize Will from his movies when none of her boys did, especially since they're probably the target demographic? Why should I pretend to think that one of the leads actually died when a rocket is shot into the building they're standing in, with something like thirty minutes left on the runtime? In what world should I accept the lunacy that Viktor could somehow stage a surprise assault on a NATO summit, where security should be tighter than John Cena's bicep curl? The answer? Because it gives the filmmakers the opportunity to stage some impressive set pieces and actors to deliver a few amusing lines of dialogue.
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