Two ‘Heads of State’ Flaws Will Drive Conservatives Batty

Breitbart News’ John Nolte likely coined the term “sucker punch” for Hollywood storytelling.

A conservative viewer will be deep into a film or TV show, and suddenly the creator attacks their values with a moment meant to insult half the country.

Or, as Nolte calls it, a “sucker punch.”

Consider a throwaway sequence in the 2012 film “The Three Stooges.” The villains are shown reading a conservative magazine in bed. It’s a sly visual nod to their evil nature and a slap against right-leaning audiences.

The 2021 thriller “The Boy Behind the Door” offers another example. The film’s villain drives away from the scene of the kidnapping, and his car’s bumper sticker reads, “Make America Great Again.” Oh, so the kidnapper is both a monster AND a Trump supporter. Got it.

Prime Video’s “Heads of State” has just such a moment.

Spoiler Ahead:

John Cena plays American president Will Derringer, who along with British Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) is attacked and presumed dead. That leaves Vice President Elizabeth Kirk (Carla Gugino) in charge.

One of Gugino’s first scenes finds her sharing a distinct political philosophy – she calls it, “America First.”

Stop right there. VP Kirk appears to be a humble U.S. servant, forced to lead in a time of tragedy. Once she utters that line, audiences immediately know far too much about her.

Does it even need to be typed out given the Right’s real-world embrace of that philosophy? It’s a micro-moment in a frothy action comedy, but it’s far from accidental. 

Why add it to the story if you want to keep President Kirk’s true nature a secret?

Conservatives, or just anyone who understands biology, will loathe another, more consequential part of the film.

Undercover agent Noel Bisset (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) plays a sizable role in the story. She’s both the Prime Minister’s ex-girlfriend and someone capable of keeping the titular heads of state safe.

Chopra Jonas doesn’t have a lengthy U.S. film resume, but she acquits herself nicely in a physically demanding role. She’s convincing as a bareknuckled brawler.

And yet her character outslugs a dozen or more men in the movie, a Mary Sue-esque flaw from 21st-century films.

She doesn’t have any superpowers, nor is she physically imposing like a Gina Carano-style actress. She still goes toe-to-toe with an army of thugs, always coming out on top.

“Heads of State” serves up a dizzying array of silly set pieces, but this Hollywood trend is just … exhausting and anti-science.

Otherwise, “Heads of State” is both deliriously dumb and entertaining. Director Ilya Naishuller (“Nobody”) struggles with his third-act storytelling once more. The film could lose a good 15 minutes, most of it on the back end, and be all the better for it.

The chemistry between Cena and Elba never flags, making this the perfect streaming original. Fun, forgettable and lighter than air.

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