G20 (2025): Viola Davis Goes Full Action Hero
Let’s dive into G20, the latest action flick that dropped on April 10, 2025, and see what it’s all about. I caught wind of the New York Times review and figured it’s time to share my own take—completely fresh, straight from my couch to your screen. Spoiler alert: it’s a wild ride, but not always for the right reasons.
Picture this: Viola Davis as President Danielle Sutton, a badass commander-in-chief who doesn’t just lead from the Oval Office—she’s out there throwing punches and dodging bullets. The premise is straight out of a ‘90s action playbook: the G20 summit in Cape Town gets hijacked by a crypto-obsessed Australian terrorist named Rutledge (Antony Starr), and suddenly, the President of the United States is channeling her inner John McClane. It’s *Die Hard* meets *Air Force One*, with a dash of modern tech angst thrown in for good measure. Sounds fun, right? Well, it is—until it isn’t.
First off, Viola Davis is the beating heart of this movie. She’s got this raw, magnetic energy that makes you root for her, even when the script hands her lines that feel like they were ripped from a cheesy motivational poster. Watching her take down goons in a sleek suit (and those sneaky red sneakers—nice touch!) is undeniably satisfying. She’s not just playing a president; she’s embodying a one-woman army, and you can tell she’s having a blast doing it. Antony Starr, fresh off his *The Boys* chaos, brings a smirky menace to Rutledge that’s equal parts entertaining and cartoonish. The supporting cast—Anthony Anderson as the First Husband, Marsai Martin as the tech-savvy daughter—tries their best, but they’re stuck in roles that feel more like plot devices than people.
Viola Davis in a high-octane moment from *G20*—imagine her kicking butt in red sneakers!
Action-Packed Chaos With a Side of Confusion
The action kicks off with a bang, and for a while, it’s a thrill. The digitally jazzed-up Cape Town hotel setting gives it a glossy, almost video-game vibe, which I kind of dug. But here’s where things start to wobble: the movie can’t decide if it wants to be a gritty political thriller or a full-on popcorn blockbuster. The crypto-terrorist angle feels ripped from today’s headlines, but it’s handled so clumsily that it’s more eye-roll than edge-of-your-seat. Are we supposed to take this seriously? Because when Rutledge starts ranting about crashing the global economy, it’s hard not to giggle at how over-the-top it gets.
The pacing’s another mess. The first half drags with clunky exposition—seriously, did we need that much family bonding before the bullets fly? Then the last 30 minutes explode into a frenzy of fistfights and explosions, but it’s too little, too late. And don’t get me started on the dialogue. Lines like “I vetoed that idea” (cue shoe reveal) sound like they were written for a sitcom, not a high-stakes action flick. It’s like the four writers credited couldn’t agree on a tone, so they just threw everything at the wall.
Visuals That Hit and Miss
Visually, it’s hit or miss. Some shots—like Davis sprinting through the hotel corridors—pop with energy, but others feel flat, like a TV movie that forgot to turn up the saturation. Director Patricia Riggen clearly has a vision, but the execution stumbles, especially in the action scenes, which sometimes look more choreographed than chaotic.
The Final Verdict
So, what’s the verdict? G20 is a mixed bag. It’s got a killer lead in Viola Davis, and if you’re in the mood for something brain-off and adrenaline-on, it might scratch that itch. But if you’re hoping for a smart, cohesive thriller, you’ll be left wanting. It’s absurd, it’s messy, and it’s oddly watchable—like a guilty-pleasure action relic that forgot to evolve. I’d give it a solid 6/10. Catch it for Davis, but don’t expect it to rewrite the genre. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to rewatch *The Woman King* to remind myself how epic she can really be.
