In G20, Viola Davis plays Danielle Sutton, the President of the United States, who plans to provide a viable solution to world hunger at the G20 summit. However, things take a dark turn when mercenaries crash the summit and hold the world leaders as hostages. The crisis becomes personal for President Sutton when her rebellious daughter, Serena Sutton, is embroiled in the middle of the conflict. With rising stakes and tense moments keeping the momentum alive, G20 has all the recipes for an intense action thriller. And the film almost leverages its entire potential.
What it makes up for with a racy screenplay, the film lacks in terms of character depth. As someone who is capable of extreme combat skills and boundless love and empathy, Davis’ Danielle Sutton comes across as both invincible and infallible. The film’s attempt to elevate Sutton as an awe-inspiring hero lack subtlety. “I am not as tall and confident as you,” says Elena Romano (Sabrina Impacciatore), looking at Sutton as she cuts her long blood-orange gown and swaps it for a combat-ready outfit. In another instance, a combat officer looks at her in awe while she washes off blood from her hands, unfazed. Throughout the film, Sutton portrays unrestrained heroism and remains distant from the audience despite descriptions of her being a soft-hearted mother under all that armour.
However, these issues hardly stop us from enjoying the film, as it is a classic popcorn entertainer with just enough seasoning. G20’s emotional moments are cleverly woven as conversations between Sutton and her primary secret service agent Manny Ruiz (Ramon Rodriguez). Even the banter between unlikely friends-turned-close-confidantes Oliver Everett (Douglas Hodge), Elena Romano, and Han Min-Seo (MeeWha Alana Lee) is enjoyable.
The high-octane action sequences are both thrilling and realistic. For most of the film, Davis kicks, punches, and unleashes a barrage of bullets on Rutledge’s squad. Sometimes, she pauses, witnesses a pile of bodies and starts having a panic attack before composing herself to get back up again. The film needed more such scenes that humanise its protagonist. While the focus remains entirely on providing one adrenaline-pumping scene after another, the punches land, but the emotions hardly do.