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John Hanlon Reviews

Film Reviews

London has Fallen Review

London has Fallen

Genre: Action and Adventure

Director: Babak Najafi

Cast: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Jackie Earle Haley, Melissa Leo, Radha Mitchell, Charlotte Riley, Waleed Zuaiter

MPAA-Rating: R

Release Date: March 4th, 2016

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Check out the trailer below:

Three years after the success of Olympus has Fallen, viagra 100mg
London becomes the center of attention in the new thriller London has Fallen. The original focused on a former Secret Service agent named Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), pharmacy
who was brought back into service when Olympus — the code name for the White House — was attacked by terrorists. The film followed the Die Hard template with Banning serving as a solitary hero who had to face off against an army of ruthless terrorists.

The new film picks up a few years later. President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) is still in office — he’s now in his sixth year — and Banning is back protecting him on a full-time basis. Banning is married and expecting his first child and a few days off to prepare for fatherhood. Life intervenes with those plans. When the British prime minister dies unexpectedly, doctor
world leaders plan trips to London to pay their respects. The Secret Service team — led by Lynne Jacobs (Angela Bassett) — is a little nervous about the trip.

The screenplay by Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt, Christian Gudegast, and Chad St. John nicely sets the table for the mayhem to come.

Leaders from around the world descend on London en masse to mourn the loss of their fellow leader after the security teams of each individual country were hard-pressed to do thorough preparations for the trip. International trips taken by the president can take months of preparation but trips such as this one only offer a small window of time for preparation and the filmmakers here pointedly show that in scenes where security teams feel overwhelmed in making these last-minute plans.

What follows is a coordinated and devastating attack on these leaders and on some of London’s greatest landmarks. Director Babak Najafi methodically shows these leaders in various locations throughout the city in an anxiety-producing sequence. Like the leaders, we don’t know when the attack will begin or how the terrorists will attempt to destroy the beloved city.

Unlike the original — where President Asher was mostly separated from Banning — these film finds the two teaming up as the terrorists attempt to kidnap the president and murder him in front of the whole world. Aside from some corny dialogue (during a break in the violence, the president oddly offers Banning parenting advice), the formula works decently well here.

Olympus has Fallen was a stronger film with a better set-up and a powerfully-nauseating White House attack sequence. That being said, there’s a lot to enjoy about this follow-up. From the well-manufactured set up to some of the action sequences (the attack scene at a safe house is particularly memorable), the screenwriters do a commendable job in chronicling the streets of London becoming increasingly chaotic.

The scenes in the situation room, though, are where the action really slows down. In the original feature, Morgan Freeman played the Speaker of the House Trumbull — a leader who was forced to act as president during the crisis (both the president and the vice president were hostages at the time). Here, Trumbull has been promoted (he’s now the vice president) but his role is less important than before. There are no secret codes that he’s trying to protect. Nor is there an international showdown at stake. Trumbull, along with the president’s chief of staff (Jackie Earle Haley) and the Defense Secretary (Melissa Leo), are merely bystanders here who watch the carnage unfold.

When the film comes to its inevitable conclusion, the proceedings have unfolded mostly along predictable lines but the story has offered some old-fashioned action and excitement. Offering a mix of Die Hard and 24, London has Fallen will certainly please audience members who are looking for a solid thrill ride.

Review by: John Hanlon

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