Olympus Has Fallen

Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
Directed by: Antone Fuqua
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 47%

Hello Film Fans!
I like action movies. I am a sucker for awesome shootouts, explosions, hand to hand combat, and violence. I have seen Die Hard, Die Harder, Die Hard: With a Vengeance, and Live Free or Die Hard more times than I can count (sadly, I have yet to see the latest one). Shoot 'Em Up is one of the best action movies ever made because it is all over-the-top action and it knows it. What makes an action movie even better is a good story. First Blood is a fantastic film because it has a great story AND has violence (fun fact: John Rambo killed one person in First Blood). Olympus Has Fallen provides INSANE action while also delivering a passable (albeit scary) story.

**WARNING**
I know I have said this before but I want to stress this again; my reviews contain a brief synopsis of the plot which generally contains information that can be gathered from watching the trailer for the film. If you know nothing about this film then skip this part if you don't want anything to be ruined.

In case you haven't seen the trailer...


Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is a respected veteran of President Benjamin Asher's (Aaron Eckhart) Secret Service detail. The President confides in him and Banning would give his life for the family. President Asher's son, Connor (newcomer Finley Jacobsen), holds Banning in the highest regard. The film opens with the family getting ready for a birthday party while at Camp David. There is a nasty snow storm coming through so security tries to hurry the family out the door so they can get to their destination before the roads get too bad. Connor pleads with his father to let him ride in one of the security vehicles with Banning and President Asher allows it. The POTUS and FIrst Lady (Ashley Judd) get into the head limousine and Connor, Banning, and several other agents get into a chase car. As they head to the party Banning quizzes Connor on the details of their security work. Connor, taking great interest in the subject, rattles off the answers without hesitation. He truly impresses the agents in the car. The trip halts suddenly when a tree branch breaks and lands in front of the limousine leading the pack (the one carrying the POTUS and First Lady). The limo spins out of control and slams into the wall of a bridge. As the limo teeters on the edge, Banning rushes over to help rescue the President. Seeing that his only option is to force President Asher out of the vehicle, Banning makes the decision and frees the President. This causes the limo to careen off the edge; killing everyone inside. The film then jumps eighteen months ahead and Banning is now working in the Treasury Department because he was taken off Secret Service duty after the accident. He has become distant and longs to return to the action. Banning's wish is granted when the White House is stormed by North Korean terrorists bent on continuing their civil war with South Korea. The terrorists lock down the White House but Banning manages to get in. What follows is Die Hard in the White House and it is pretty freaking spectacular!

Olympus Has Fallen is an edge of your seat type of action/thriller. It brings back the days of good Tom Clancy film adaptations. I got knots in my stomach and I squirmed in my seat because everything seemed like it could really happen. [Side note: probably the worst thing to see in a movie to me is someone getting "brainwashed". I hate seeing someone doing something against their will and not know it.] However, for everything that it does right (intense shootout scenes, gripping moments of suspense, and fantastic fight choreography) it missteps as well. First, Olympus falls victim to so many tropes it's hard to keep track of. There is an overzealous military general that is keen on sending all the army at the enemy. When this proves ineffective he thinks it's wise to throw more soldiers at it. There is a series of codes that must be obtained to control a super secret military device. There is also the fact that Banning still has access to sensitive areas of the White House EIGHTEEN months after his termination (i.e. all his codes for things still work and his fingerprints are still accepted at security checkpoints). The next misstep is that it would be very easy to call this an über patriotic or Jingoistic film. There is a scene where an AC130 gunship wreaks havoc on Washington D.C. In its path of terror, an American flag gets tattered with bullet holes. The camera hangs on the image as the sun peers through the holes. This is a symbol of our pride being hurt; being destroyed. Later, this flag is taken down by the terrorists and thrown to the ground. The camera follows the flag as it falls (in slow motion) to the ground; twisting and writhing all the way down. This is ultimately the death of the country. Our very identity has been taken from us. There is no feeling that a "Patriot" could have except extreme distress. We give Banning a certified 007 "License to Kill" at the moment. I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing; just stating that seems to be going for a national pride reaction and it succeeds in spades. One of the biggest strengths, however, is its refusal to pull punches. Several women are shown being killed and/or beaten during the film (they even kill a dog at one point). This is refreshing because it adds an element of realism to the action. You feel that anybody could die; women are not safe from the wrath of the terrorists.

No BS

Olympus Has Fallen was a hell of a lot of fun to watch. I cheered when Banning killed groups of North Koreans because I felt they deserved it. I didn't mind the cliches too much because they helped move the plot along. The movie is two hours long and I didn't check the time until an hour and a half in so that is a mark of a compelling movie (in my opinion). This movie is definitely worth a look.

My Score: 7/10