When war hero president Danielle Sutton (Viola Davis, Lila & Eve) travels to South Africa for a global financial summit, a terrorist siege makes it necessary to defend other world leaders, her family, and her life.
Not going to lie, I went into this with medium expectations, and the first half hour made it look cookie cutter and formulaic. The president and her rebellious daughter Serena (Marsai Martin, Sure Looks Good), was a predictable plot point that's been in every movie or television show with a president with kids.
However Davis makes an amazing action hero that outshines the mediocre script. Add in the sleazy mercenary bad guy Rutledge (Antony Starr, The Boys) and Vice President Harold Mosley (Brad Gregg, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) and you've got a cast worth watching.
At moments it had a very "Under Siege" feel, especially with the scuffle in the kitchen. Trying to protect civilians, the Italian Minister, the British Prime minister, and the Korean Minister's spouse was both harrowing and amusing. This was not the time to be wearing fancy Italian shoes or complaining that the steering wheel was on the wrong side of the car, but she handled it with grace.
There were predictable moments such as when the daughter used her rebellious skills to thwart the bad guys, but there were a few surprises to be had that offset that nicely. I doubt there are any other presidents seen sparring with a secret service agent on the lawn of the white house. And while practical in theory, it was a little dismaying to see the president lose more and more of her gown as the evening went on, ending up with a dress of Tina Turner proportions at the end. You know the one I'm talking about.
The ending carried on a bit long. It should have ended in the conference room, and left the helipad scene out entirely. Otherwise the ending was satisfying, and the mini scenes during the credits gave you the emotional closure you needed nicely. I just wish the crypto tech was a little less cringe.
A couple of Oh Shit moments, and three laugh out loud moments. I will admit that the Italian ambassador throwing her shoes away made me laugh a little too long. I hate heels.
Overall, a good action flick that can grab your attention instead of being background noise. Four out of five, and I'd pair it with The Bodyguard or similar for a double feature.
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