Heads of State

One of the better Amazon prime films. Great cast who are all on great form. John Cena is just fantastic and Idris Elba shows a comedic ability that has been threatening to emerge for a while. I really hope there is a sequel as it really works. The quality of the production is excellent and hats off to the director. Some great music as well. I really thought I was going to dislike the film but it was quite the opposite. Unusually for me I watched it right through to the credits at the end. For some reason the app seems to want far more words than usual so I am having to finish with this drivel. Oh well.

Probably John Cena's best movie that I have seen. More action than you can beat with a tree trunk you've just pulled out of the ground.

I think the fact that Cena's character is a new president / former action star helps get over what I normally consider his bad acting. Actually works for this, and I really enjoyed the on-screen chemistry between Idris Elba and Cena.

Ignore some of the dodgy effects (not all bad tbh), and well, you're not seeing this for the perfectly written story and Oscar worthy acting are you?

Go in with your eyes open for what it is and it's a highly enjoyable watch at movie.

Heads of State is exactly the kind of high-octane nonsense we need more of. Idris Elba smolders, John Cena flexes (mostly his comedic timing), and together they bumble, brawl, and bromance their way through a delightfully chaotic global crisis.

It's as if Air Force One, Rush Hour, and The Thick of It all crash-landed into the same film and miraculously survived. Director Ilya Naishuller keeps the pace brisk and the set pieces bonkers, never letting logic get in the way of a good explosion or a great punchline.

Sure, it's ridiculous. But it knows it. And it leans in with enough charisma, chemistry, and cartoonish diplomacy to make world peace look like something you could actually laugh your way into. Elba and Cena are the unlikely dream ticket you didn't know you were voting for.

This is the movie I never knew I needed. John Cena as POTUS? Why not? I like this movie a lot. Is it dumb? Very. After G20, I thought this would be another movie about a highly skilled POTUS saving the world, especially with John Cena in the role, but it's really not. Unlike in his other movies, John Cena is not the tough guy here. Idris Elba is supposed to be given his military background, but the writers are smart enough not to overdo it. Instead the role of badasses are left to those who are supposed to be, the agents and the mercenaries. I like the casting a lot. Even though the story is somewhat generic, the cast members carried it well. It's a very enjoyable, fun movie, and that's what entertainment should be.

Politics aside, I genuinely did not expect this movie to be this good.

The casting is absolutely spot on every actor fits their role like a glove, selling the story without a single weak link.

The writing deserves praise as well, managing to balance sharp humor and clever puns with a storyline that never feels forced or sluggish. There's a clear love for the material that shines through in the smallest details, from the props to the subtle callbacks, showing a real commitment to quality.

The fight choreography is top tier and only gets more impressive as the movie ramps up, evolving from solid to downright spectacular. The gunplay is in a league of its own, easily some of the most inventive and jaw-dropping I've seen in years. As for the vehicular action, it reaches world-class status, delivering creative and satisfying sequences that keep the energy high without ever feeling repetitive.

If there's one area that fell a bit short, it would have to be the special effects, at times they felt merely average, especially considering today's industry standards.

All in all, though, this is an outstanding, silly, and action-packed ride that's absolutely worth your time.