'Heads of State' movie review: John Cena, Idris Elba fuel fizzy action flick

USA Today

2 days ago

Action movies have long strained the limits of credulity. Take 'Heads of State,' for example. Idris Elba has charisma and gravitas for days, so being prime minister of England doesn't seem like that much of a stretch. John Cena as president of the United States, though? Can't see him, honestly.
As mismatched frenemy world leaders, Elba and Cena actually work well together in that 1980s buddy sense in the action comedy 'Heads of State' (★★½ out of four; rated PG-13; streaming now on Prime Video). Everything around them is far-fetched nonsense, but they're at least fun together, bantering and trying to out-macho each other through a series of explosive misadventures.
President Will Derringer (Cena), the former star of the 'Water Cobra' movie franchise, is enjoying the honeymoon phase a few months into his first term. British Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Elba), an ex-soldier, is suffering from slumping approval ratings and bad PR after a botched spy mission.
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But the 'special relationship' is kind of a hot mess as the two dudes do not like each other. Sam thinks POTUS is a 'gym strong' idiot. Will is still spicy that Sam endorsed his opponent (apparently there was fish and chips involved). Yet they kind of need each other, which is why Sam hitches a ride to an important NATO meeting in Italy on Air Force One.
But there's also a global conspiracy to take down NATO, and Air Force One is hijacked. Will and Sam parachute to safety yet the plane crashes. With the world thinking they're dead, the two guys get all their macho bickering out and work together to make the big meeting and keep the bad guys from killing them before they get there.
The reluctant pals get some help from a couple of strong supporting characters. Priyanka Chopra Jonas is a joy here as Sam's ex, top MI6 agent Noel Bisset, who finds them and is way better than either of the two at action-hero stuff. And Jack Quaid has a small role as an excitable weapons specialist they run into at a CIA safe house.
Cena and Elba showed strong chemistry in 'The Suicide Squad' and that carries over, though 'Heads of State' ends up being a better showcase for Elba, since he's grumpily hilarious even as the straight man to a likably goofy Cena. And the two don't go overtly political either, which they easily could have, given Will's celebrity background and America's current standing in the world. The movie is mostly quippy in that sense, like when Sam pushes pretending they're Canadian in the European wilderness.
But the comedy overall isn't as strong as the action sequences: Director Ilya Naishuller ('Nobody') crafts some intricate and slightly amazing stuff – including one well-choreographed fiery bit involving the president's 'Beast' limo. While humorous enough, the movie begs to be in the same silly vein as 'Tropic Thunder' and just can't make the most of its funny bone.
'Heads of State' is a bomb pop of a summer movie. It works as a fizzy, somewhat kid-friendly throwback to action-packed '80s partnerships – think 'Tango & Cash' or 'Lethal Weapon' – that doesn't take itself too seriously and, for a starry streaming action flick, thankfully isn't a lame duck.
Where can I watch 'Heads of State'?
The John Cena/Idris Elba action comedy "Heads of State" is streaming now on Amazon's Prime Video and is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association "for sequences of strong violence/action, language and some smoking."