Director: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo
New Release Review
Somehow, this movie managed to fly completely under the radar of us here at Don't Sit Next to Us - we had no idea that it was coming out and had heard nothing about it. We didn't even see a trailer! It was based on a poster and a basic plot summary that we decided to give Olympus Has Fallen a try. After all, just about anything with Morgan Freeman is worth seeing, isn't it? Add in director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Tears of the Sun) and you've got a very good time at the movies.
Olympus Has Fallen is the story of Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Butler) as he works to free President Benjamin Asher (Eckhart) from the Korean terrorists who are holding him, Secretary of Defense McMillan (Leo), and other key cabinet members hostage in the White House.
The plot isn't really that simple but it isn't that much more intricate, either. Olympus Has Fallen follows the classic action movie formula where the story isn't too complicated, the bad-guy is very clearly defined, the star is an extremely capable and highly-trained hero, and the time frame for the story is short. I don't mean the running time of the movie because Olympus Has Fallen is actually a little longer than average at 2 hours. What I mean is the story takes place over a single night, and that allows for some scenes to occur in what feels like real time. This adds a huge amount of tension and suspense to an otherwise predictable genre.
I was thoroughly impressed with Olympus Has Fallen as an entertaining and suspenseful action movie. In fact, I thought that it felt a lot like the first Die Hard movie with the somewhat roguish hero working alone in the otherwise sealed building controlled by terrorists to save the hostages and, by extension, the world. Granted, not the most original story, but enjoyable nevertheless. I'd even go so far as to call Olympus Has Fallen a must-see for action fans - it's that entertaining.
IMDB
Rotten Tomatoes
1 comment:
Good review;I enjoyed the movie for the special effects:The White House REALLY looked like it was under attack. The script for the attack was well thought out & realistic in its simplicity and effect. (i.e. the plane,the ground attack, the trucks)
You have to take this movie with a little smile, as The White house really IS the safest place on Earth. Don't think for a second that the Secret Service has not ran this "terrorist scenario" through their computer simulator. :)
I was fortunate to be in attendance with "The Geeks" @ this flick. They are truly dedicated in their craft!! (AND--I left at least 2 seats between me & them---as protocol dictates!!) :D
John.
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