‘Heads of State’ – Review
If you’re after maximum chaos, explosions galore, and a whole lot of hammed-up hilarity, then Heads of State is the kind of big-screen adrenaline rush you’ve been waiting for. This all-out, over-the-top action-comedy smashes politics and pure popcorn entertainment together in one glorious, guns-blazing, laugh-a-minute spectacle that puts Idris Elba and John Cena front and centre… and then blows everything around them sky high.
In the action-comedy Heads of State, the UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) and U.S. President Will Derringer (John Cena) have a not-so-friendly and very public rivalry that jeopardizes their countries’ “special relationship.” But when they become the targets of a powerful and ruthless foreign adversary—who proves more than a match for the two leaders’ security forces—they are begrudgingly forced to rely on the only two people they can trust: each other. Ultimately allied with the brilliant MI6 agent Noel Bisset (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), they must go on the run and find a way to work together long enough to thwart a global conspiracy that threatens the entire free world.
From the moment the opening credits roll, it’s clear Heads of State knows exactly what kind of film it wants to be – a go-hard-or-go-home thrill ride that plays to every spy-action and buddy-comedy cliché in the book… and relishes it. Directed with a devil-may-care attitude and stuffed with outrageous set pieces, it’s as if The Expendables had a love child with Veep – and we’re all the better for it.
Idris Elba once again brings the cool as former SAS badass turned UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke – suave, serious, and with just enough emotional repression to make things complicated. Elba leans into the straight-man role with precision, but what makes him shine here is how much fun he has once the chaos kicks in. Whether dodging bullets, jumping out of planes, or fending off assassins in a tailored Tom Ford suit, Elba is in full action-hero mode and looks damn good doing it.
Then there’s John Cena, who cranks the comedy dial up to 11 as President Will Derringer, a former B-movie action star who somehow bumbled his way into the White House. Cena is all ego and zero filter – a walking meme of American bravado who’d rather pose for selfies than handle diplomacy. But when the world needs saving, this himbo-in-chief has to man up, and Cena’s transformation from clueless goofball to unlikely hero is both hilarious and surprisingly endearing. His chemistry with Elba is pitch-perfect, and their bickering bromance powers the film’s best moments.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas adds the sleek danger as Noel Bisset, a former MI6 agent with ties to Clarke and a serious knack for high-impact takedowns. She brings the heat and the grit, smashing bad guys into the pavement and lighting up every action sequence she’s in. There’s real electricity between her and Elba, and when the trio hits the road together, the sparks – and bullets – fly.
As for the action? It’s bananas. Whether it’s a fistfight on Air Force One, a slow-motion shootout in a crumbling apartment building, or a turbo-charged firetruck chase through the streets of Rome set to Mötley Crüe’s ‘Kickstart My Heart’, Heads of State goes hard. Jack Quaid also shows up as the psychotic Agent Comer, laying waste to everything in sight like he’s in Call of Duty, and it’s pure bloody mayhem.
Heads of State doesn’t try to be smart or sophisticated. It knows it’s ridiculous – and that’s the point. This is balls-to-the-wall action-comedy at its most unhinged, with larger-than-life stars doing what they do best and having an absolute blast doing it. If you want fun, firepower, and full-throttle entertainment, Heads of State delivers. And then some.
Image: Prime Video
