THE STORY – When the UK Prime Minister and US President become the targets of a foreign adversary, they’re forced to rely on one another to thwart a global conspiracy.
THE CAST – John Cena, Idris Elba, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Paddy Considine, Carla Gugino, Stephen Root, Jack Quaid, Sarah Niles & Richard Coyle
THE TEAM – Ilya Naishuller (Director), Josh Applebaum, André Nemec & Harrison Querry (Writers)
THE RUNNING TIME – 113 Minutes
It’s not that Ilya Naishuller is some auteur pushing the boundaries of modern action filmmaking. Still, there’s an effort consistently present within his films, even if it leads to something as gimmicky (yet weirdly prophetic in this era of video game adaptations) as “Hardcore Henry.” “Nobody,” which felt like a necessary course correction in his style, also remains one of the few “John Wick” knock-offs to come across as its own thing. Naishuller’s efforts paid off with “Nobody,” to the extent that a sequel is set to release later this year. Shockingly, Naishuller is absent from the continuation of the franchise he helped create. Instead, he’s going bigger, bolder, and, in this specific case, departing from the one thing that always makes action films better: the theatrical experience.
After starting with an unimaginative opening action sequence set against the backdrop of the Spanish festival La Tomatina, “Heads of State” introduces audiences to the vastly different personalities who are in charge of two of the world’s most powerful nations. In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) is an old-school leader who prioritizes delivering results for his constituents over being beloved by them. He’s a bachelor who is rough around the edges, unlike the overly friendly president of the United States, Will Derringer (played by John Cena). President Derringer is still enjoying the honeymoon phase of his presidency, constantly adored by millions of voters not because of years of service to the American people but because he spent decades entertaining them as one of Hollywood’s biggest actors. So, naturally, it makes sense that these two individuals would not be fans of one another, even if they are smiling in front of the cameras to promote an upcoming initiative that their two nations are jointly spearheading. What helps give this film any worthwhile energy is how much Cena and Elba are able to bring a jovial presence to familiar archetypes.
Naishuller has been open about how the bombastic nature of the American action films he grew up watching inspired “Heads of State.” It makes immediate sense when viewers watch two of the biggest action stars in Hollywood parachuting out of a fiery Air Force One. What then proceeds almost feels monotonous at this point, as two bickering leaders are forced to rely on one another to survive as they’re thrust amid a conspiracy involving an array of mercenaries at the behest of Paddy Considine’s war criminal, Viktor Gradov, and the nefarious plan to sew distrust among the world’s most powerful nations.
“Heads of State” falls into a category that many of these Amazon Prime Video action films fall into, which is, unsurprisingly, an unenjoyable time. Naishuller’s action direction isn’t helped much by a screenplay that is as trite as this one. It’s a rinse-and-repeat buddy comedy that manages to squeeze out some fun moments, mainly toward the film’s final act. Every other word uttered by any of these characters is either some form of exposition or a throwaway joke that can’t make an impact. It’s hard to give any time or investment to these two characters when their destination is more than spelled out for them. Naishuller doesn’t bother with bringing anything reinvigorating to this film, as it seems everything he did right with “Nobody” is absent here.
The action comes as a regression for Naishuller. While it sometimes infuses some solid comedic beats, it’s conceptually uninventive. There’s a fun sequence involving a fanboy intelligence agent played by Jack Quaid, who is seen blasting goons away with an automatic shotgun through the walls. Minus that and some sections of an overlong final car chase, there is nothing worthwhile. Characters ask a million questions before being caught up in an action scene that lacks momentum, a process repeated for two hours.
It’s also wild to see the amount of talent that appears throughout “Heads of State,” whether it’s Carla Gugino as the Vice President, a morally confused hacker played by Steven Root, or Noel Bisset, played by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, an MI6 agent with a romantic history with the Prime Minister. All the money streaming could offer, yet it’s wasted in an action film that looks and plays as sterile as this. Back in the day, a slew of this type of action would be released theatrically. It’s not that seeing a movie like “Heads of State” in a theater would make it a better time, but at least it would play to the scale or charm it wishes to achieve. Now, it’s just one of many lost in the streaming shuffle that will be missed by many.
