Prime Video is gearing up to release G20, a direct-to-streaming action flick in which the world’s leaders find themselves under imminent terrorist threat. Set during a G20 summit in South Africa, the film follows US President Danielle Sutton – played by Viola Davis – who must use her wits and military background to evade capture, defend her country, and safeguard other at-risk world leaders when the summit undergoes a hostile takeover.

If you’re wondering what widely acclaimed, Oscar-winning actor Viola Davis is doing in this incredibly made-for-streaming action flick, you’re not the only one. But Davis herself knows G20 is outside her typical fare, and that was very much an intentional choice. “I don’t think every movie you do has to be considered for an Academy Award. I wanted to do something that families could watch together, something popular,” she told Variety.

And you know what? She’s right. Cinema doesn’t always need to be high-brow to be worth a watch. Sometimes a movie just needs Viola Davis choking out a man with a submachine gun. Or Viola Davis pressing a bad guy’s face to a hot grill. Or Viola Davis punching a crypto bro. That’s cinema to me.

Does G20 take a little too long to get to the action? Were there some bad greenscreen moments, especially early on? Was a lot of the dialogue clunky, exposition heavy, repetitive, and overly-explanatory? Yes, yes, and yes. Don’t even get me started on what’s going on with the main villain. Rutledge (The Boy’s Antony Starr) is the leader of the terrorist group, whose motivations for taking the G20 leaders hostage are questionable and whose methods are sometimes downright incomprehensible. Suffice it to say, his plot involves destabilizing banks worldwide, promoting cryptocurrency, creating deepfakes, and spreading disinformation online. (And if that sounds like just a bunch of current hot topic buzzwords to you… agreed!)

But regardless of script quality and plot logic, the thing about G20 is that once it gets going, it’s actually a surprisingly good time. The terrorist group (despite their convoluted intentions) does feel big and threatening enough to build the right tension. As President Sutton leads her small band of escapees throughout the occupied resort, they get into enough varied scuffles and scrapes to easily keep the audience’s attention. The movie delivers a ton of fun, exciting action moments. I screened this in a full theater, and it has the kind of action scenes that made the audience yell and cheer in excitement.

Also, G20 surprised me with how well it showcased its characters and developed their relationships. I did genuinely feel invested in several of these secondary characters, and wanted to see them succeed in outwit-ing and out-gunning the terrorists. One thing I loved was that it felt like all of the main players got their own mini “leading action star moment”, where they took out a bad guy in their own unique way or otherwise did something badass to help the group escape the terrorists’ clutches. 

Throughout the film, the stakes are raised by the fact that President Sutton’s family accompanied her to the G20 retreat – putting them at risk once the hostile takeover begins. Danielle’s love for her husband Derek (Anthony Anderson) and strained relationship with her rebellious daughter Serena (Marsai Martin) add some emotional depth to the story. But the most impactful relationship actually comes from Sutton’s dynamic with Manny (Ramón Rodríguez), the Secret Service agent protecting the President. Manny is so loyal and Rodríguez so charming, you can’t help but love this guy.

Of course, Davis’ performance delivers in spades. Her presence instantly adds gravitas to President Sutton, and her acting helps buoy the movie’s more intimate, personal moments between characters (even when the script isn’t doing these dynamics any favors). But most importantly, G20 gives Davis the opportunity to lead a ton of exciting, action-packed moments. And that’s what makes the movie an undeniably entertaining watch. I’ll watch Viola Davis kick ass any day. Thank you, Madame President.

G20 begins streaming on Prime Video April 10.