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‘G20’ Review: Viola Davis Emerges Unscathed From a Preposterous President-as-Action-Hero Movie

At a time when most people are tired of thinking about American politics, Prime serves up an escapist throwback to movies like 'Air Force One.'

Clearly reflecting the other candidate in the most recent election, Davis does a fine job of embodying girlboss Danielle Sutton, a war hero whose military training and protect-the-little-guy instincts make her an ideal foil for the ruthless Rutledge (Antony Starr) … and whoever else you might want to compare her to. She blocks and shoots everything like mediocre TV, with the kind of phony-looking lighting and establishing shots parodied by “Team America: World Police.” Action does not come naturally to the “Under the Same Moon” director, though the script poses an even bigger problem in “G20,” a movie whose short title manages to reflect both its high concept and shockingly low intelligence level. It feels like a mistake to have involved Sutton’s daughter as much as “G20” does, cutting back to tech-savvy Serena’s attempts to hack the system — which inevitably introduces a cheap degree of child endangerment (the ingredient that turned Bond into a babysitter in “No Time to Die”) alongside a few “Home Alone”-style antics.

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