Look, if Viola Davis is in a movie, chances are I’m going to sit down and watch it. The EGOT winner has had so many great performances over the years that I know she’s going to deliver when she’s in a project. But, did she win me over in Amazon’s new original action thriller, G20? Yes – despite the movie itself being just OK. However, what I almost loved more was one random supporting character’s unexpected moments. Let me get into it.
But let me warn you: SPOILERS are ahead for G20.
I Didn’t Love G20, But Viola Davis’ Action Star Moments Made It Worth The Time
After seeing the new on streaming release, I’m not at all surprised that G20 earned middling reactions from critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes (with both parties giving the movie scores in the 50s out of 100). It’s kind of a ridiculous plotline to have a president go all Die Hard on terrorists during a G20 summit after they've been held up to make deepfake videos in order to inspire summit leaders to get into crypto currency.
That being said, Viola Davis remains an absolute powerhouse. Despite the story problems I had with the movie, she made the whole thing a lot more interesting, as her character (U.S. President Danielle Sutton) did everything in her power to not only save the globe, but her husband and kids (played by Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, and Christopher Farrar).
Sadly, it feels very rare to see a woman front an action movie, especially one who is nearly 60 and has a teenage daughter in the film. I was especially getting chills in the third act when she took on Antony Starr’s new villain character and Davis showed off her training. I think I understood the true meaning of action movies in those moments.
I Need To Talk About One Unexpected MVP In The Cast
While I came out of G20 gushing over Davis, I didn’t think I’d also be talking about one side character played by an actress I’ve never really seen in anything. Korean-American talent MeeWha Alana Lee plays the South Korean first lady, Han Min-Seo, who hangs out with Sutton and her small group of hostages who are hoping to get out of the summit alive through most of the movie.
I first noticed her character and started laughing out loud when she suddenly dove down a trash chute without any notice. It totally broke the tension in an action movie that generally thinks it's a lot more serious than it needs to be.
Oh, and the arc she had later in the movie! One of the most emotional scenes was when she realized the villain had killed her husband and she was sitting over his dead body. For some reason, after being around her character throughout the movie, I was just so protective of her. And then, when she had her ultimate revenge moment when she tackled Starr’s Rutledge? I was cheering from my seat! I love when random characters get attention like this, and it pays off.
Was it a bit out of place in G20? Absolutely not. I kind of loved how the South Korean first lady (along with Douglas Hodge and Sabrina Impacciatore’s scenes) added some goofiness to the new action thriller. Anyway, it's streaming on Amazon Prime now.
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