G20

Not convincing!

"G20" sets out to be a high-stakes political thriller but ends up as a chaotic blend of clichés, flat dialogue, and a lead character powered more by plot armor than by actual depth.

The antagonists are cartoonish at best, and while Davis gives it her all, even her talent can't elevate a script that gives her nothing real to work with. Her character is less a leader navigating crisis and more a one-woman army with an overused action trope checklist.

Visually, the film is competent - slick shots, moody lighting, fast cuts - but none of it can hide the hollow core. The geopolitical backdrop feels more like window dressing than substance, with any meaningful commentary buried under explosions and melodrama.

In the end, "G20" feels like a poorly staged summit itself: loud, overhyped, and completely lacking in anything that matters.

It was sort of okay until about halfway through. It's annoying having a teenager save the day.

But the worst part was when the president, for the third time, decides she can't leave someone behind. She has to save them.

When the obvious thing is she can do more for them if she can actually get out of the situation.

Then she gets into a (second) fight with a terrorist, this time because she didn't just shoot him in the back of the head when she had the chance. These guys were killing people left and right, and she tells him to "drop the weapon" then lets him close while he's dropping it, and then I'm sure somehow she gets out of it, but at that point, I gave up.

G20 has some of the right elements to do its concept justice but it's undermined by its standard issue made for streaming construction and the near constant overly serious nature which prevents it from having any fun with the concept. Like most streaming originals, it borrows from far superior films and ends up being so generic that everything it's taken from them makes it feel derivative. The casting of its hero and villain saves this from being really bad.

Viola Davis is massively over qualified for this incredibly bland material which at least means she is more than capable of elevating this with her commanding screen presence and undeniable action star credentials. Anthony Starr does a good job as the main villain, relishing in his villainy and delivering several cringe worthy speeches advertising Bitcoin without completely losing the will to live in a seriously impressive feat.

Patricia Riggen's direction is pretty lifeless. The action sequences are basic and when they do add some visual flair to proceedings it feels so random, plus there's not enough of them considering the nearly 2 hour run time. It generally looks flat thanks to a colour palette that's slightly desaturated throughout which becomes kinda distracting. Some of the CGI is laughably bad but thankfully those moments are contained to small doses.

G20 convention, where President-Viola spearheads an anti-famine project for funding.. farmers(?) from poor countries using cryptocurrency. It goes terribly wrong, with important hostages and the world's economics threatened for the duration of the film.

Personally, I feel this action thriller (with a light political theme) fails to hook the viewer from the start with an uninteresting, rushed and bare-boned subplot about family issues that adds little emotional weight. Slow pacing, flat action, a weak villain and more.

The cast is decent and does what they can with the material. With a Viola Davis playing a Military-President that one-shots surrounding enemies while spinning 360°, and the pair of "Wakandan" soldiers (this movie, not me) coming out on top. And Antony Starr's character (the main reason I tuned in) feels underwritten and ultimately forgettable.

That disappointment kind of sums up the whole thing. The plot, character development, and resolution all feel like they're just background noise for military action set pieces. It's not over-the-top, but there's little tension or intrigue, and not enough fun to recommend.

Serena is the rebel hacker teen daughter of US President Danielle Sutton (Viola Davis). Derek Sutton (Anthony Anderson) is the first gentleman. G20 is holding a meeting in South Africa. The organizers have hired private security led by Edward Rutledge (Antony Starr). Danielle is personally protected by Secret Service Agent Manny Ruiz (Ramón Rodríguez).

This is White House Down adjacent. It has some action fun. It is unrealistic at times. It is ridiculous to take out most of the government protection with one blast. The premise is dumb but whatever. The movie does lose me when Viola Davis turns super-soldier. Aside from being a woman in her late 50's, the character is set up different from super fighting. The movie gets rather too ridiculous at the end. I like this up to a point. Too bad that it goes past that point.