“Heads of State” Review
Director: Ilya Naishuller Screenwriter: Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Harrison Query Cast: John Cena, Idris Elba, Priyanka Chopra, Carla Gugino, Jack Quaid, Stephen Root, Paddy Considine Distributor: Amazon MGM Studios Running Time: 113 min. MPAA: PG-13
John Cena and Idris Elba showcased great comedic chemistry in The Suicide Squad, and some of that energy carries into Heads of State, a good-but-not-great action vehicle. The duo is tossed into a buddy comedy where they play key political figures caught in a terrorist plot, built more for explosive chases and fight scenes than anything that is politically compelling. It’s all very fine, but much like accomplished action director Ilya Naishuller (Hardcore Henry, Nobody), you know this pair can do better than this, becoming entertaining not so much because of the script but despite it.
The film portrays Cena as the US President Will Derringer (a beautifully absurd name) and Elba as UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke. With Will being a former action movie actor and Sam being a single guy, there’s plenty to work with before some Russian terrorists are thrown into the mix. Will is a perfect fit for Cena, playing a man who is out of his depth when real guns are fired, despite being able to throw and take a punch. Sam is a more no-nonsense guy, with military experience, and not keen on jokes. Will has a family worth fighting for, and Sam has a love interest in an MI6 agent, Noel (Priyanka Chopra Jonas). The way all three of them eventually play off each other works rather well, despite the lukewarm script they’ve been given.
The character dynamic has to do some heavy-lifting in a rather forgettable plot of dismantling NATO with Russian mercenaries involved, the cohorts including a stock-vicious Russian weapons dealer Victor (Paddy Considine) and a mildly bumbling hacker Arthur (Stephen Root), with Jack Quaid thrown in for some expected comic relief. It’s a routine script that serves for some decent action sequences, including an explosive battle aboard an airplane and a daring car chase through city streets with plenty of guns and rocket launchers. The action is serviceable, but compared to the director’s previous works, few moments stick out for the way they’re shot, making it hard to appreciate the incredible effort that went into the choreography. I especially enjoyed Cena and Elba getting in a fist fight with Polish punks, where they seem to almost stumble into the most brutal of bashing, ranging from punching out teeth to accidentally setting people on fire. That fight was a delight compared to the expected showdown at the NATO summit.
Heads of State is a rusty action vehicle, but it occasionally works well with Cena and Elba in the driver’s seat. This film is so frustrating because I kept waiting for the chemistry to bubble to something more hilarious than passive punchlines worthy of smirks more than laughter. Yet it never came, remaining in this safe middle ground of no misfiring lines, but no moments of great comedy either. This type of film needs that energetic backup to prop up a film destined to become a forgettable feature. The energy is there, and some cleverness pops up in the many moments of predictable action, but it still might not be enough to be memorable, sure to be cited as “that Cena/Elba action movie that wasn’t The Suicide Squad.”
