Streaming on Amazon Prime
As I may have mentioned a few times before on this blog, I am a sucker for cheesy schlocky action films, especially when there's genuine effort put into making said film as fun and tangable as possible. Because there are plenty of dumb, dime-a-dozen, and even despicable "C" grade action films that overcrowd the market and drown out the real gems, it becomes all too easy to dismiss the entire subgenre, which, if you ask me, is entirely unfair! Sometimes, finding the right kind of action schlock means taking a risk, which can mean ignoring a silly title, accepting the presence of an action star you may not entirely like, or suspending your disbelief just a tad more than usual.
While today's movie, Heads of State, definitely asks you to suspend your disbelief more than some might consider reasonable (just enough), the title is clever, and the action stars present are entirely likable. Oh, and the movie itself is an absolute blast, so that's a nice bonus. 😂
The story follows Britain's Prime Minister, Sam Clarke (Idris Elba), and the newly elected President of the United States, Will Derringer (John Cena), as they meet for a NATO summit to forge and maintain alliances. The timing could not have been more off since they're both having to deal with the fallout of a botched secret mission: a joint effort between the CIA and MI6 to bring down a notorious arms dealer, resulting in the deaths of all agents involved. As the Prime Minister and the President are on their way to the summit on board Air Force One, it is taken down by terrorists, forcing the two survivors to make their way to the summit on foot while trying to determine who among their teams is involved with the bad guys. As the Prime Minister and the President have to try and work together, many hijinks ensue along with some good old-fashioned buddy-cop style antics, and it is all as hilariously enjoyable as it sounds!
As of this writing, I have watched the film twice now, and it was more enjoyable the second time than the first. This insane and wacky action film has it all: chases, gun fights, fist fights, witty banter, and the occasional weird camera shot that doesn't really have much of a purpose, but it's amazingly dumb in the best possible way. Much of the film's power stems from the natural charisma and believable chemistry between the two leads; John Cena and Idris Elba bounce off each other so incredibly well and are the glue that holds the movie together.
The action scenes are especially noteworthy. In an era of aggressive shaky-cam and hyperactive editing, this film opts for steady camera movement, coherent editing, and needle drops that fit the scene's tone seamlessly. Not to mention many set pieces that showcase the cleverness and effort that went into their conception, including one very brief but excellent bit toward the end of the film that had me in stitches.
The MVP award goes to Priyanka Chopra Jonas, whom I haven't mentioned in this review yet, but I promise, plays a vital role in the story and provides an enjoyable demonstration of what a "girl boss" is really like, nay, supposed to be!
If you need a piece of good brainless fun for a few hours, you can't go wrong with Heads of State. It may lose a few points for some crass bits of humor that I preferred had been cut or executed differently, but they are few and far between enough not to detract from the overall insanely fun experience. This is one movie that deserves your vote!
Check it out.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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