Heads of State: Movie Review

Cast: John Cena, Idris Elba, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Paddy Considine, Carla Gugino, Jack Quaid, Stephen Root
Director: Ilya Naishuller

In the latest action film to be launched onto Prime Video, it's a case of the Special Relationship between the US and the UK coming under the spotlight.

Angry at being forced to spent time with the popular former movie star turned US President Will Derringer (Cena), UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke (a gruff Elba) is reluctant to say the least. Irritated by his easy-going approach and alienated by his populist approach as opposed to years of public service, Clarke finds things go from bad to worse when they're shot out of the skies while on a PR trip to the UN aboard Air Force One.

Suddenly forced to get along, the pair find unless they work together, they won't survive.

Heads of State delivers a typical Odd Couple comedy predicated on squabbling between Elba and Cena.

But it's boosted greatly and removed from the tedium of repetition by the inclusion of Chopra Jonas, who builds on the action chops she displayed in Citadel.

Her appearance on the film also removes some of the gruffness of Elba's prime Minister, who's more about the job than the impact it has on his life. It's about interesting notion that both the brash well-liked US president and the action-heavy spy manage to wear down the English reserve. Perhaps it's a subtle commentary on how the special relationship between the two countries has devolved over the years.

Elsewhere, the rest of the film is as predictable as you'd expect and while all those involved commit to the bit, it never quite manages to provide something different to the genre - even with some decent chemistry between the leads.

A lot of what transpires is rote fare; yet while the action sequences are predictable enough, they're reasonably well enough executed, particularly in an opening gambit in Spain.

Yet the villain of the piece- a nefarious arms dealer played by Considine - never feels like enough of a threat to anyone. The biggest tension comes from wondering when the relatively straight Elba will finally snap and lash out at the occasionally mugging Cena.

As it is, Heads of State is passable enough streaming fare with its message of collaboration and cooperation despite your differences, but a relative lack of bite and ability to rise above the ordinary is what really keeps this straight to streaming movie from soaring.

Heads - of State or otherwise - should indeed roll.

Heads of State begins streaming on Prime Video on July 2.