In 2013 two films were released concerning a terrorist attack on the White House - 'Olympus Has Fallen' and 'White House Down' - the former of which 'LONDON HAS FALLEN' is a sequel which I saw on Wednesday evening this week at an advance screening ahead of its Australian release the very next day. That first film was Directed and Produced by Antoine Fuqua for US$70M and it made US$161M in the final analysis. This time around Babak Najafi is on Director duty with several Actors reprising their roles from that first film. Released on March 4th in the US this film cost US$60M to make and has so far grossed US$78M.
Essentially what's going down here is another good excuse to blow shit up in London this time, with many notable landmarks and places of historical significance succumbing to them thar pesky no-good pissed-off terrorist types. This time it's a Pakistani arms dealer and terrorist leader Aamir Barkawi (Alon Moni Aboutboul) who is #6 on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List. He was believed to be dead, following a drone attack on his daughters wedding day two years before which killed outright many of his family, friends and loved ones. He and his son however, resurface in Yemen two years later with his son and right hand henchman Kamran Barkawi (Walid Zuaiter), swearing revenge for that attack.
Meanwhile many of the worlds leaders converge on London for the State Funeral of Prime Minister James Wilson. And so, US President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart reprising), Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs (Angela Basset reprising) travel to the UK with Special Agent in charge of Presidential Protection Mike Banning (Gerard Butler reprising) as do the political leaders of Japan, Canada, France, Italy, Germany and the new British PM. With only a few days notice the funeral is set and so all of London's finest mobilise into action to stage the world's largest single high security alert, in readiness for the worst - all the while suspecting that the Thursday afternoon event will go without a hitch and the dearly departed ex-PM will be laid to rest in peace . . . but of course, we know very different!
It's not long before said political leaders start to get popped off very unceremoniously and London goes into lock down as the place gets the shit blasted out of it en route to capturing the US President alive and executing him publicly in front of a global audience to be repeated forever on YouTube. When London does fall and the action ramps up, the scenes are well enough executed and the tension mounts as one high rise, after a historical monument, after a bridge, after another office tower comes down in volley of CGI explosions which I must say are less than convincing. The body count soon rises in a hail of bullets as the bad guys seem to outnumber the good guys and it becomes difficult to tell who are the bad dudes dressed up as Policemen, and who are the good ones - such is the extent of the terrorist infiltration. A carefully planned attack that would have been years in the making, but how can that be as the PM only passed away in his sleep three days earlier . . . or did he?
Only one man can stand in the way, and riding his white steed down Whitehall is Agent Banning knowing every deadly trick in the book, with all guns blazing, gritted teeth, a sharp wit, and his buddy The Pres. to protect, or die! It's gonna be loud, proud and in yer face as Uncle Sam gets its can of whoop ass out once again and overcomes adversity. What ensues when London turns to rubble, goes into lock down, and bodies line the streets soon becomes formulaic fare. With the German, Canadian, French and Japanese leaders all dead within minutes of each other at different locations around the city only the leader of the free world can escape and must survive. With Banning by his side as the only man in all of London he can now trust they go on the run through the back streets, the underground, and on foot to escape the enemy closing in and hell bent on finding the President.
All the while the New Scotland Yard boys are on the beat headed up by MI5 Intelligence and Head of Metropolitan Police Command who are in close contact with the cadre back at the White House supervised by Vice President Allan Trumball (Morgan Freeman reprising) and various other high ranking officials. They keep watch although the London surveillance system has been compromised and they go blind only adding to the turmoil, and, they suspect a mole on the inside who has helped turn the Police against the Police, and create a smokescreen that has led to todays events.
Of course with Uncle Sam across the pond working to thwart the evil terrorist enemy from afar, the British Bull Dog pulling at the leash, and a die hard terminator on the run with a gun to protect his main man you just know that it will end with more explosions, another extended bullet ballet, close quarter combat, fist fights involving sharp pointy weapons, gratuitous violence, effing & blinding, and the President losing his head . . . well almost. Needless to say it all ends well for Banning & Asher although in a cloud of dust, rubble and a fall from a great height down a lift well - but they get to walk outta there with their sense of humour intact and smiles on their dials. More than can be said for the army of terrorists and their leaders who have been taken out by Banning, a gun totting President, and a team of elite SAS backup. Yippee-Kay-Ay MoFo!
At a running time of 98 minutes you wouldn't want this to go on for much longer. It's predictable, formulaic and by the numbers Hollywood action thrills that never lets up with the cars, the explosions, the guns, the casualties and the wisecracks. This film is exactly what you would expect it to be - nothing less, nothing more leave your brain at the door. It is reasonably entertaining and the dynamic between Banning & Asher is quite good fun, even if OTT. Also starring Robert Forster (reprising), Radha Mitchell (reprising), Melissa Leo (reprising) and Jack Earle Haley too. You can save yourself the price of a big screen ticket and wait for the BluRay/DVD and watch this in the comfort of your own home on the big screen there - you can then decide if the wheels have fallen off this franchise already!
-Steve, at Odeon Online-
