I grew up watching John Cena in the wrestling ring and have seen him transition to the big screen for several years.
Over the years, I’ve found that I like his comedic roles best and can wholeheartedly say that ‘Heads of State’ is one of his better films despite the corny dialogue.
Though it also helps that the filming locations are rather scenic and beautifully shot, too.
And while the overall film is fairly nonsensical, I did spend more time laughing than trying to pick the flimsy plot apart – so that counts as a win, right?
It also kind of reminded me of every other buddy cop movie in the genre that flirted with high octane humor, but fell short in achieving something noteworthy.
Prime Video’s ‘Heads of State’ is an American action comedy film directed by Ilya Naishuller.
It stars John Cena, Idris Elba, Priyanka Chopra, Jack Quaid, Paddy Considine, Stephen Root, Richard Coyle, Sarah Niles, Alexander Kuznetsov, Katrina Durden, and Carla Gugino.
Clocking in at 113 minutes long, the film is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence/action, language and some smoking.
A joint team of MI6 agents and CIA officers, led by senior agent Noelle Bisset (Chopra) are in Spain chasing Russian arms dealer Viktor Gradov (Considine).
Gradov outsmarts them, and his men kill Bisset's team and acquire a link to ECHELON, the global surveillance program used by the Anglosphere intelligence alliance Five Eyes.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister of Britain Sam Clarke (Elba) receives a state visit from the newly elected United States President Will Derringer (Cena), a former action movie star.
The two men do not get along, and a public argument breaks out in front of the press, after which their respective aides Quincy (Coyle) and Bradshaw (Niles) suggest that they fly to the upcoming NATO summit in Trieste together aboard Air Force One to present a united front to the world.
Clarke and Derringer reluctantly agree to the plan.
However, during the flight, Air Force One is attacked by Gradov's terrorists, who shoot down the plane.
Clarke and Derringer manage to escape using two parachutes, but are left stranded in Belarus and presumed dead by the rest of the world.
Realizing that someone in their inner circles has betrayed them to Gradov, the two heads of state manage to hitch a ride to Poland with a friendly Belarusian lady, and seek shelter with CIA officer Marty Comer (Quaid) in Warsaw.
Gradov's men, led by assassins Sasha (Kuznetsov) and Olga (Durden), attack the hideout, and Comer is seemingly killed.
Clarke and Derringer escape with the help of Bisset, who survived Gradov's attack in Spain.
Bisset tells Clarke and Derringer that the NATO summit has been derailed due to Gradov's hacker Hammond (Root) breaking in to the Echelon and leaking national security files to the public.
Derringer also learns that Clarke and Bisset were in a relationship prior to Clarke deciding to run for office.
The trio embark for the summit in Italy by train, where they are attacked by another one of Gradov's assassins.
Hammond, tired of being forced to work for Gradov, kills the assassin, but is mortally wounded in the process.
Naturally, when dealing with terrorists, things get worse before they get better though we’re treated to watching Clarke and Derringer’s friendship grow.
Plus, I thought that the fight scenes were choreographed fairly well.
Overall, if you just need something new to watch and don’t mind a little comedy spicing up your action then this is the flick for you!
