Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: an action movie in which the U.S. President is targeted by a terrorist group only for the commander-in-chief to pull from their military experience to save the day. If you thought I was talking about Air Force One, an all-time great ‘90s film, you’d only be partly right. Instead, I’m talking about G20, the new Viola Davis-led action thriller that just landed on the 2025 movie schedule.
Let me tell you something… G20, which you can watch with an Amazon Prime subscription right now, feels like a throwback to a long-gone era and gives off the same vibes as the 1997 thriller where Harrison Ford uttered the famous line, “Get off my plane!” The movie doesn’t go that far, but it certainly comes extremely close, in the best possible way.
I Realized That This Movie Is Pretty Much Air Force One, In A Good Way
I will admit, I didn’t have high hopes for G20 before pressing play. Though the idea of Viola Davis in an action movie seemed promising, the straight-to-streaming release didn’t have me all too excited. But, then I started watching Davis’ U.S. President Danielle Sutton rise to the occasion and realized that this is pretty much Air Force One, in a good way.
I’m not going to spoil anything for anyone, but G20 is like if Air Force One took place at an international summit at a hotel in South Africa instead of a plane flying over the Atlantic Ocean. A lot of the setup, story beats, and ridiculous action sequences are cut from the same cloth, and they all work. Is this the best action movie of all time? No, but like my experience with Flight Risk earlier this year, this throwback thriller was a blast to watch.
Viola Davis As A No-Nonsense And Butt-Kicking President Was Up There With Harrison Ford's Commander-In-Chief
Not only is Viola Davis an EGOT winner, she’s also something of a badass action star, as she quickly proved in G20. Whether she was shooting random unnamed goons, taking fools out in close-quarter combat, or pulling off some stuff you’d expect from the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jason Statham, her Danielle Sutton goes all out. She’s right up there with Harrison Ford’s James Marshall in Air Force One.
I can’t tell you how awesome it was seeing the actress, who killed it in movies like The Help, Doubt, and Fences, wear a red dress with matching sneakers and take on a massive terrorist group. Similar to Marshall in the 1997 classic, Sutton takes matters into her own hands and continually puts others before her while she takes care of business.
Antony Starr's Villain Was So Over-The-Top And Felt Like A Wild Throwback
Antony Starr, who fans of The Boys will recognize as the vile Homelander, shows up in G20 as a wild, over-the-top, and unforgettable villain, Edward Rutledge. Nothing new for a man who loves playing messed-up characters, but his take on the leader of the AWAKE terrorist outfit is so much fun to watch.
Similar to Gary Oldman’s Ivan Korshunov in Air Force One, this big bad is honestly one of the most engaging parts of the movie and Starr’s performance has this electric quality to it that you can’t stop watching. Though his motives are very modern, Rutledge’s tactics, motivations, and personality would feel right at home in a ‘90s action flick.
All in all, G20 is worth watching, especially if you are fond of action thrillers from yesteryear. I don’t know if we’ll ever get a sequel, but I’ll be there if the day comes.
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