Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

Roma: "Olympus has fallen! Olympus has fallen! Olympus has fallen! Fuck you!"

By Antoine Fuqua
With Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman

I decided to see that movie mostly for its casting which includes great stars.

The movie starts at Camp David where the president is celebrating Christmas with his family. Unfortunately, the road has black ice and the president's car ends up hanging over a bridge. Presidential Guard Mike Banning makes the call of getting the President out leaving the car too light to hold on and killing the First Lady. 18 months forward, Mike Banning holds a low job close to the White House. When a discussion with South Korea's Prime Minister turns sour, hijacked by North Korean terrorists who hold the president in hostage and aim to launch nuclear attacks... Mike Banning passes by and remains the only good man in the White House and he has a heavy task ahead of him.

That movie was so American it's a little disorienting. There isn't much doubt about the Good overcoming difficulties and prevailing. One man army Gerard Butler strikes and it hurts the bad guys pretty big time. The story is terrorism, the kind we've seen many times featuring Middle Eastern Muslims, but now revamped with North Koreans. There isn't much character development. Most of the explosiveness is done through CGI, destroying the Obelisk ruthlessly and helicopters go down like flies on a horse's carcass. The saving grace comes from convincing actors, particularly Rick Yune whom cold hearted terror I enjoyed and also Morgan Freeman who never disappoints.

There isn't much more to say: after a few recitations of "May God bless you, may God bless the United States of America" we hit the credits without much surprise. I wished the bad guys actually won for once, it would have been the one originality.

I liked: Famous cast. Relentless.

I disliked: Unoriginal. Over the top. Comparison of who's elite soldiers are the toughest. Infiltration of North Korean spies in the South Korean government.

27/100
Unless you're an action fan and a patriotic American, I think you can skip this.