John Cena and Prime Video have some sort of portal to mid-2000s entertainment, and Ricky Stanicky and Heads of State, for better and for worse, is what they pulled out. The movie follows the UK Prime Minister, played by Idris, and the action star turned US President, played by John, as they go on a Europe-spanning action adventure. If Heads of State is the conceptual sequel to White House Down (2013), then John and Idris have the charisma to carry it, and Priyanka Chopra is a pleasant addition to the mix as well.
A big part of the film’s success is self-aware writing, which maintains a good pace for dishing out action and comedy, and the production. Director Ilya Naishuller (Nobody) and cinematographer Ben Davis (Guardians of the Galaxy) bring some style to the formula, resulting in a movie that has cool action sequences despite the rather bland color palette.
For that reason, I find Prime’s action movies more entertaining than Netflix’s tentpole blockbusters. Which is considering that they were made for a fraction of the budget. For context, Netflix spent $6 million on 6 Underground (2019). Meanwhile, Heads of State had a reported budget of $35 million. It might not stay with you for long, but during its runtime, it’s mostly a good time. If you are looking for a fun watch with some friends, Heads of State is one to consider.
+ GOOD +
- Mid-2000s era comedy
- Entertaining trio
- Cool action sequences
– BAD –
- Not too memorable
- Cliché plot twist
- Rough CGI in parts