G20

G20 features the ever talented Viola Davis squaring off against a group of terrorists and proving that she is one of the most mighty Presidents of the United States to grace the silver screen, that despite her great performance and a deliciously sinister turn from Antony Starr, struggles to differentiate itself from other similar action films.

Terrorists taking over an event and holding the attendees hostage, with one guest finding themself in the position to save the day. Sounds similar to too many action movies, but what sets G20 apart from them all is that you haven’t seen this film starring Viola Davis before. Yes, the Academy Award winner is starring in her first action film where she is the lead hero, throwing punches and taking down bad guys, and it’s a wondrous sight to behold. To no one’s surprise, Davis dazzles on screen as the badass action hero and proves that she should be cast in any big budget action movie (Marvel Studios take note), and it's more than enough effort from her to make up for a story that gets often repeated within the genre to entertain for a movie night in.

Name an actress with a versatility, never ending talent and presence that instantly elevate any project that she is cast in. There aren’t many, and without question Davis belongs in the conversation. From critically acclaimed performances both on stage and on screen that have secured her two Tony Awards and an Academy Award, leading a hit Shonda Rhimes television series for six season and earning her an Emmy Award for a historic Outstanding Leading Actress in a Drama Series win, and starring in hit blockbuster films, there is nothing that Davis can’t do. And now being added to that list is being both John McClane and the President of the United States in her own action movie. It should come as no surprise that Davis is an absolute badass in the lead role of President Danielle Sutton, impressing in the action sequences and delivering an action hero that you will instantly root for, while bringing a razor sharp attitude to her attitude to her presidential moments. Even with a derivative story, Davis alone makes this action film one you will want to check out at home because her presence alone instantly elevates the film and makes it an entertaining action romp.

For an action movie to be good, you need two things: a good hero and a good villain. With Davis crushing the hero role, an equally impressive villainous performance is required to balance the film, and Antony Starr more than delivers. With his dirty dyed blonde hair, Australian accent and pure wickedness, Starr relishes in the madness as the head of the terrorists who have taken over the G20. The madness and diabolical energy that Starr brings to the film is everything that the story needs to sell the premise, giving a villain that echoes the likes of Hans Gruber and Hans Lada, which should come as no surprise to any fans of The Boys who know that Starr can be one mean monster, and that is exactly what he does in G20. The rest of the supporting cast is not short on talent with names like Anthony Anderson, Elizabeth Marvel, Clark Gregg, Ramón Rodríguez and Marsai Martin, though with a rather generic script, they are not given a lot to work with despite a good amount of screen time.

With Davis and Starr eating up every second of their screen time and delivering great work, it’s rather disappointing that the story and screenplay does not rise to that same occasion. The story itself is highly derivative, playing as a Die Hard rip-off with a standard story for the action genre that has been done time and time again, even with the crypto currency modernization element of the plot. It is not a bad story as it sets up the requisite action scenes and gives each character a role to serve, but it just feels a little tired given that the audience has seen this story play out time and time again. In terms of action sequences, the film is full of them and the fight choreography is greatly executed by the cast and stunt team, helping to deliver a rush of adrenaline to the film. Their downfall is when these sequences rely heavily on CGI, which is not held to a high standard given the streaming model distribution of the film, sadly having the effect of distracting from the impressive work of the cast and stunt team during these sequences.

When it comes to streaming set action films, it's hard to raise the bar too high for them, but when you see a star like Viola Davis attached to one, you get your hopes up. There is no question that Viola Davis delivers the good with an excellent lead performance that proves she is an action hero in every sense of the word, but a rather derivative story prevents G20 from being a truly memorable action film. With Viola Davis kicking ass from start to finish and a gleefully, unhinged and sinister Antony Starr as the film’s villain, it’s impossible not to have fun with G20 even if the screenplay and CGI work leaves something to be desired.