by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
Die Hard has been at the forefront of action movies since its release. Your protagonist is not a powered being or a trained assassin or a billionaire with a vendetta, so they are relatable to an audience. They do have more skill the average Joe, but they are up against impossible odds. So now the viewers are even more on their side. The hero’s success is a reflection on what anyone is capable of. This grounds your movie. Think of how simple the premise of Die Hard really is. A cop saves his family and coworkers from baddies in a hire ride. G20 missed the memo on grounding the movie. Because I cannot to relate to the President, and I have no idea what the baddies are after.
Here’s our setup, kids: President Sutton (Viola Davis) is attending the G20 summit with her family in tow. While trying to negotiate compromises toward a better world, a terrorist cell led by the mysterious Rutledge (Anthony Starr) takes hostages and begins making demands. There are questions of ideals and money at stake. Sutton will do anything to protect her family and stop these extremists. Oh, did I mention she’s ex-military and is going to take matters into her own hands?
On paper, Davis as a version of John McClane could work. She’s got the chops and aura for the part. Whenever she is on screen, I am down to watch what’s going on. She grabs my attention. So if nothing else, Davis’ star power comes out of this Amazon Prime original unscathed.
After that, all bets are off regarding this movie, if it’s even appropriate to call it that. The problem with streaming service originals is that they often lack the intangibles. The sets look computer generated. Writing gets lazy and cliche. Sure, a big name or recognizable face is in front of the camera, but their presence is not going to do that much if the rest of the movie is subpar. G20 hits each of these pitfalls.
Yes, Starr is here to add another known commodity to this project, but it is quite obvious his role was shot between production days for The Boys. His hair literally has the same styling and dye as his infamous role as Homelander. You talk about missing the little things. Give this man a hat or a buzz cut. Do something to make him look different. Similarly, beloved Anthony Anderson is here too as the First Gentleman. He definitely put a little elbow grease into his role, as he delivers a few impactful lines. But his part is exceedingly underwritten as well. One-dimensional is the best word for Anderson’s part.
Where the movie starts to pick up a little bit is when guns are blazing. Now this is not John Wick, so do not get your hopes up. But when the guns are out, it is a little more fun. The underdog situation of a president with a few Secret Service agents versus a kill squad of insurgents gets your heart pumping. So if you are second screening this movie with your email or some homework in front of you, just look up when things get loud.
Come to think of it, second screening this movie is probably the very best choice. Seriously, do your laundry, build that shelf from IKEA, or meal prep for the week with this on in the background. There is nothing deep going on. The terrorists are after some kind of cryptocurrency, and simultaneously are trying to crash the global economy. Somewhere in there is a commentary about capitalism. This could be intelligent if they weren’t also try to use AI to spread misinformation about their attacks, which just adds another layer of confusion to what these terrorists’ beef with the world leaders is.
Overall, G20 could be a pleasant way to pass time in the background. But it’s not a good option if you are planning to sit down for a movie night. Just watch Davis, Starr, or Anderson in any of their better projects.
Rating: Didn’t Like It
G20 is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video
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