Another Action Thriller—Review Of London Has Fallen (2016)
Three years after the release of Olympus Has Fallen, we are presented with a sequel equally gripping, violent and action-packed. And most of the cast returns to reprise their roles.
Continuing from the first film, Aamir Barkawi, a Pakistani arms dealer is at his daughter's wedding when a drone strike happens supposedly killing him and his family. Two years later, the president (played by Aaron Eckhart) and Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (played by Gerard Butler) are seen laughing and jogging. They are still good friends.
Mike Banning is writing his letter of retirement as his wife prepares to give birth to their first child. Then the unexpected death of the British Prime Minister and the funeral is announced. The event is to host the world leaders of G8. Security and tensions are high in London as the leaders start to arrive. Banning changes the president's schedule and arrival time, catching the British by surprise.
As they proceed into the Cathedral, the car conveying another world leader explodes. London descends into chaos as terrorists disguised as the police come after the president. Will Banning be able to save the president in a foreign land where their means of communication is compromised?
Review
Just like the first film, the opening and plot of London Has Fallen is a captivating and violent siege—the life of the president is on the line and his best security agent must save him against all odds. The storytelling is seamless and enjoyable except for the visuals in some scenes. Action thrillers are not for the faint hearted so I expected nothing less in this film. It's fast-paced and throws the audience right in the centre of the well coordinated attacks on London.
Babak Najafi, the director, takes this film up a notch from Antoine Fuqua's excellent work in Olympus Has Fallen. While the previous film focuses on one world leader, Najafi broadens the scope to include the G8. The cinematography and transitions portraying the coordinated attacks are smooth. There's a rush of adrenaline that puts me on the edge of the seat as I watch the lead hero push through all barriers to save the president. Unlike the first film which runs for two hours, this one is about one hour and forty minutes but felt like only thirty minutes.
If you have a phobia for violence, then perhaps you should skip this film. The siege is violent and the way major landmarks are destroyed is baffling but I'm glad it's all CGI. One of the scenes I enjoy include where the US Marine Corp aircrafts engage in aerial combat with the aircrafts of the terrorists. It's impressive and intense. However, once the two film leads lose their ride and have to run for their lives through the woods and streets of London, the visuals become dim and uncomfortable to watch.
The scene of the shootout between the good and bad guys is poorly lit. The fight scenes are captivating but again, the lighting is not bright enough. This is the part of the film I find fault with, everything else is excellent.
The cast performance is impressive just like the first film and Gerard Butler's acting skill is compelling. His wit lightens up the mood of the film. I'm sad to see Angela Bassett leave the film series but she's superb as the secret service director. Morgan Freeman returns, not as the Speaker of the House, but as the Vice President. How this happened is unclear and the film does not provide an explanation. The addition of English actors like Colin Salmon and Patrick Kennedy makes the film authentic.
Overall, London Has Fallen is a well-executed and fine action thriller. I won't go into the morality or potential international tension arising from the plot's reference to the Middle East and terrorism. You'll have to see that for yourself. I watched solely for entertainment. I'll give it 3.8 stars out of 5 because of the poor lighting and visuals.
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this is a very good movie
Haven't watched either films...
The plot reminds me of the Marcus Ryker Novel Series though 😂😂
Really? I've had the series for years on my pc. It was time to watch them! I've not read any of Ryker's novel. I guess they are interesting action thrillers, yes? I'll check them out. Thanks for your visit.
!PIZZA
The author of the novel is Joel C Rosenberg...
Markus Ryker is just the main character...
I guess it's a Christian Action thriller genre...
You should check it out!!
Pure action, I love this type of movies, it keeps you alert until the end
Yes, this movie kept me on the edge of my seat till the end. It's action packed! 🙂
I like Gerard Butler...Morgan Freeman is pretty good too (even when he's not playing God😆) Nice to see Robert Forester there in the picture, too (he died in 2019).
Often the actors are enough for me to give a movie a viewing. Your review makes that viewing a near certainty :)
This is the rule I work with whenever I pick a movie to see though it's somewhat limiting as I don't get to know the new and upcoming actors.
I like to watch Butler and Freeman in films too! Though this film is not recent, it's part of a series called Has Fallen. So if you enjoy fast-paced action thrillers with guns blazing and bombs going off, you'll enjoy this one. A pleasure to read your comment. Thanks so much for visiting. ☺️
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@kemmyb(1/5) tipped @seki1