Heads
of
State,
co-starring
apna
Priyanka
Chopra,
is
a
silly
buddy
comedy
where
you
have
a
lot
to
laugh
and
cringe
at,
notes
Mayur
Sanap.
Heads
of
State
begins
with
a
mission
gone
awry.
The
opening
frame
has
our
very
own
Priyanka
Chopra
Jonas
looking
pensive
as
she
leads
a
covert
operation
in
Spain.
She
is
MI6
agent
Noel
Bisset,
a
character
that
feels
like
a
cross
between
her
characters
in
Quantico
and
Citadel.
Everything
that
could
go
wrong
goes
wrong,
but
at
least
Priyanka
gets
a
solid
set
piece
in
a
film
that’s
essentially
about
two
guys.
Heads
of
State,
with
its
globe-trotting
plot
and
heavy-handed
theme
of
geopolitics,
is
a
low-stakes,
silly
buddy
comedy
where
you
have
a
lot
to
laugh
and
cringe
at.
The
plot
revolves
around
two
contrasting
personalities,
who
are
forced
to
work
as
a
team
after
they
are
faced
with
a
series
of
misadventures.
John
Cena
is
Will
Derringer,
a
Hollywood
action
superstar-turned-president
of
the
United
States,
who
still
enjoys
some
fan
frenzy
for
his
influencer-coded
public
persona.
Idris
Elba
is
Sam
Clarke,
an
uptight
former
commando-turned-British
prime
minister,
who
thinks
that
Derringer
is
woefully
incompetent
at
his
job.
The
two
are
often
at
loggerheads
with
their
political
potshots
and
snarky
remarks
at
each
other.
The
real
conflict
emerges
when
both
of
them
become
targets
of
assassins
in
a
politically-motivated
hit
job.
They
survive
sabotage
attempt,
but
more
dangers
await
as
they
dodge
terrorists,
explosions
and
gunfires.
Priyanka’s
special
operative
Noel
comes
to
their
rescue.
The
plot
is
ridiculous,
and
Heads
of
State
is
mercifully
aware
of
that.
The
film
excels
as
an
undemanding
watch
that
keeps
you
interested
with
its
action-packed
plot
and
a
genuine
likeability
of
Cena
and
Elba
who
have
fun
playing
against
their
tough
guy
images.
Their
banter
is
established
with
abundant
wordplay
and
buffoonery
at
regular
intervals
and
it
has
the
same
type
of
comedic
snap
that
made
Director
Ilya
Naishuller’s
Nobody
such
an
underappreciated
film.
Both
Cena
and
Elba
work
in
tandem
and
make
this
dynamic
work
with
a
great
deal
of
wit
and
energy.
Priyanka
breaks
into
the
boy’s
club
with
effortless
ease
and
owns
every
scene
she
is
in.
Be
it
her
snappy
dialogue
delivery
or
sleek
action
moves
—
when
she
says
she
got
it,
you
don’t
doubt
it.
Except
for
the
forced
emotional
complexity
that
comes
with
a
romantic
sub-plot
between
her
and
Elba’s
character.
The
chemistry
between
them
is
non-existent
and
this
track
bogs
down
an
already
clichéd
plot.
But
the
fun
quotient
makes
you
look
past
the
flaws.
With
its
non-fussy,
under
two-hours
runtime,
Heads
of
State
is
passable
enough
fare
for
a
laidback,
popcorn-munching
entertainment
that
ensures
you
will
have
a
nice
time
watching
it.
Heads
of
State
streams
on
Amazon
Prime
Video.
Heads
of
State
Review
Rediff
Rating:
