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

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Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he’s going to save those he loves most. His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered: a man who also happens to be Dom’s forsaken brother, Jakob (John Cena, the upcoming The Suicide Squad).

Long time Fast & Furious director Justin Lin returns to helm this extravaganza blockbuster action event and he definitely takes it to a whole new level. Cranking up the NOS and smashing into sixth gear, Lin literally takes this franchise into the stratosphere and it’s so unbelievably crazy that it just works. With each successive film is the Fast Saga we’ve seen this franchise get bigger and bolder with its storytelling, and Fast & Furious 9 is peak crazy. From full-on jungle chase scenes to John Cena’s Jakob Toretto literally zip-lining through the streets of Glasgow, to an appearance from Cardi B, Fast & Furious 9 has it all!

Lin throws equal parts explosively insane action, alongside some gripping back story, up on the big screen and he takes you back to the beginning of the Torretto story when we first meet a young Dominic and witness the shocking accident that took his father from him, and shaped him into the man he is today. Mixing together a deep family drama, with some absolutely crazy action scenes, keeps you pumped as an audience member, but it’s really the focus on Dom’s past that keeps things interesting, and long time Fast & Furious fans will appreciate these narrative developments.

Once again Vin Disel is front and centre as Dominic Toretto and this time it’s personal. As the alpha father of this eclectic family, Dom has some seriously hard choices to make this time, and his present actions are shaped by the fact that no man can outrun his past….no matter how hard he drives. Expect plenty of Diesel’s classic machismo and a whole heap of white tank tops, as he struts out to save the day. Having now played the role of Dom for twenty years, Diesel knows this character down to the bone, but we still get to see some new insights into this man which keeps things interesting.

Facing down Diesel’s Dom is WWE superstar and rising Hollywood A-lister John Cena as his estranged brother Jakob Toretto, a brutal espionage agent and assassin who has lived his life in Dom’s shadow. And Cena plays it up as this nasty bad guy. Known for his gung-ho action roles and goofball persona, Jakob Toretto is a real change-up for Cena and he’s one bad dude. Cena’s physicality is a massive part of the role, and we get to see him show his ground and pound skills, alongside some slick new moves behind the wheel. Cena is definitely a surprise in the role, and in my opinion, is one of the best parts of the film. And Jakob Torretto’s complex character leads me to want to see more of him in future instalments.

Everyone is present and accounted for here in Fast & Furious 9. And by everyone, I mean EVERYONE. Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster Nathalie Emmanuel, Helen Mirren, Kurt Russell and Charlize Theron all make appearances in the film. Plus we’ve also got the return of Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift’s Lucas Black, Bow Wow and Jason Tobin as Sean Boswell, Twinkie and Earl Hu as well. Plus being that this is Fast & Furious 9, there are several characters who return in the most unexpected, logic crushing way, and it’s very fun to watch the other characters react to their re-appearances.

If you’re looking for action, well you’ll get it here, and Fast & Furious 9 literally goes to the stratosphere and back with some absolutely INSANE set pieces that are sure to have you amped! Seriously the level of action in this film is CRAZY, and you won’t be able to anticipate what’s coming next. Part of the fun of it is that Lin lets his characters have this sort of self-referential humour to all the craziness that is going around them, and there’s plenty of unexpected comedy that comes out of this one. If I had to talk up my favourite moment of the film it’s most certainly the rocket-powered Pontiac Fiero, a crazy contraption that shouldn’t exist, but somehow does, and leads to the film’s most memorably crazy scene.

Fast & Furious 9 is crazy level fun, and audiences who are seeking big action, big laughs and the quintessential story of the Torretto family will absolutely be rewarded with this one. So prepare to crank the NOS and brace yourself for a rush because this one delivers it!

Image: Universal Pictures

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On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug.

While we’re used to the Transformers franchise going all out on large scale action spectacle director Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings), in his first ever live action film, goes right back to the beginning and seeks to tell a far different Transformers story in Bumblebee. Focusing his attention on the arrival of young Autobot lieutenant Bumblebee as he crash lands on Earth following the fall of Cybertron, Knight pulls his audience into a tale that is pure 1980s nostalgic bliss.

Balancing a story that acts as an origin story for our favourite Autobot, Knight fills the film with a sense of Spielbergian magic that reminded me a lot of first contact films such as E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. While Knight does give his audience plenty of awesome action moments, his focus is placed on a more grounded film and the relationship that forms between two lost souls: alienated teenager Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld) and beaten and broken Autobot Bumblebee. Mixed in with this beautiful friendship is a nod to the past and the youthful optimism of 1980s California that will set your soul alight and make you want to take off on a road trip down the coast in a 1967 Volkswagen Beetle. It’s clear with this film that Knight wanted to craft a cinematic experience that would fill his audience with a sense of wonder and joy and he absolutely achieves this here with Bumblebee.

Front and center in the film is rising talent Hailee Steinfeld as Charlie Watson, a tom-boy, gearhead teenager who has an affinity for The Smiths and is trying to find her place in the world while desperately desiring the sense of freedom that comes from the open road. Charlie’s presence as a protagonist comes from Steinfeld’s total immersion into the character and what results is an inspired performance. You really buy into her presence as Charlie and you feel the deep sense of loss that has gripped her soul and left her lost in the world. But that all changes when she meets a certain yellow Autobot named Bumblebee.

What grows from here is a thoroughly organic relationship that really pulls at your heart. When we first meet Bumblebee he’s broken and torn apart and desperately scared, a long way from his original heroic self. But slowly through Charlie’s help, he’s able to heal himself and in doing so he heals Charlie as well. Love is the key here and through their trials together they become ever stronger. Not to mention that there’s a helpful dose of comedy and there are plenty of moments when you’ll be laughing out loud at the hilarity that ensues up on screen. This heartfelt love at the center of the film works thanks to Steinfeld’s performance and I have no-doubt that she was the perfect choice for the role.

Providing back up in the film is John Cena as Colonel Jack Burns, a commander of the clandestine Section 7 who is present for the first contact between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Cena occupies the space between good guy and bad guy and brings a sense of unflinching  authority to the film, but you can also expect his sense of dry humour to shine through as well. Cena provides great back up as Burns and when he finally does see the writing on the wall you can be sure this action man mounts up and pulls out the big guns to ensure that the world is indeed saved.

What really moved me with Bumblebee was just how much emotion was present between Charlie and Bumblebee up on screen. This film is a love letter to the power of friendship and just how important love is to the successes in our lives. While Bumblebee might be a CGI character his emotional performance thanks to those digital wizards at Industrial Light and Magic is simply breathtaking to watch. The character’s performance here derives itself mostly from the art of mime and there’s a real Charlie Chaplin-esque presence within the character that only adds to his charm up on screen. Because of his inability to speak his actions, and the use of 1980s music form his words and this secret language only increases the bond between him and Charlie.

But while Bumblebee might be a smaller, more contained Transformers film, action fans should not worry because Knight really delivers on the spectacle here. His emphasis on the action is ‘less is more’ and it really works as you feel every jab, kick and bodyslam that Bumblebee throws at the Decepticons. Knight gives Bumblebee an acrobatic speed to him, with a dash of Capoeira thrown-in there, plus a healthy doe of WWE slamming action, as he jumps head first into the fight against the Decepticons. The pacing of the action works brilliantly because when it does hit you it really captures your attention and when Bumblebee finally does draw his sonic cannon….well get ready for the boom!

With it’s classic 1980’s nostalgia, heartfelt narrative, breathtaking action scenes and a thumping soundtrack filled with classic 80s hits, Bumblebee is a guaranteed winner this Christmas. It’s a film that will enchant the whole family and if you’re looking for that special kind of magic this year then Bumblebee is a ride you’ll want to take.

Image: Paramount Pictures

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