Review of London Has Fallen (2016) by Kunzer K — 03 Sep 2016

It has been said that war is good for 'absolutely nothing', but from the perspective of a Hollywood screenwriter's perspective violence and terrorism provides exceptionally fertile ground for any number of stories filled with drama, intrigue and excitement. Although the current war on terrorism is in many significant rays from traditional warfare it does provide the same fundamental elements necessary for an action adventure movie. A few years ago there is a film that was based on the premise that domestic terrorism managed to reach one of the most secure residences in our country, The White House. Now, that film, 'Olympus Has Fallen', has spawned a sequel the same characters once again managed to find themselves in almost unbelievably similar circumstances as portrayed in the new thriller, 'London Has Fallen'. This time out the threat of terrorism has been expanded outward from our own national capital achieving global status and the sending its threat upon the United Kingdom, specifically London. Initial film to not do exceptionally well in his theatrical release earning a theatrical box office around the hundred million dollars which is a slim profit margin will be budgeted at $70 million. The studio allotted only $60 million for this sequel and considering it made just $62 million in domestic box office it is not likely to turn into a trilogy. One of the reasons this film and many like it all afforded a second chance is that they tend to be profitable in the home theater market including DVD, Blu-ray and streaming video services. While this expanded platform for distribution has allowed many deserving independent films an opportunity to reach a broader audience and subsequently greater margin of profit. Because such circumstances I do not go into watching this film with any expectations than a reasonably good popcorn flick. The film does contain act is a proven skill particularly with a high energy, special effects driven movie. So with such a baseline established the best way to get the maximum amount of enjoyment from this film is the temporary shutdown those portions of your mind responsible for logic and critical thinking and attempt to experienced movie as a kid watching a Saturday matinee in the neighborhood theater.

Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is a Secret Service agent assigned to protecting the President of the United States, Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart). Considering what agent Banning has been to on behalf of and with his extremely important charge, the President has nothing but only the greatest respect and trust for this senior member of this elite detail. A couple of years before starting point of the film Aamir Barkawi (Alon Moni Aboutboul), a notorious on dealer and terrorist, had been located by the United States intelligence community had determined that he was behind several major terrorist attacks as well as his current location. Or drone strike was ordered and its mission was assumed to be a success, credited with killing Barkawi and his family. Understandably, if the mission had been able to achieve this directive this would have been a very short film indeed.

Back in Washington Banning and his wife Leah (Radha Mitchell) were expecting their first child, an event that usually causes a couple to reevaluate their life and future. Agent Banning is giving serious thought to resigning from the Secret Service in order to spend more time with his growing family. Unbeknownst to him on the other side of the world Barkawi is reunited with his son Kamran (Waleed Zuaiter) in Yemen and immediately plot their revenge upon the West. All that they needed was to rate for the ideal opportunity for the most efficient form of retaliation possible. The rate is not very long when the news includes a story announcing the death of the British Prime Minister James Wilson. When the head of state such a prominent country dies is inevitable that leaders from all over the globe would convene in London for the funeral. Such a close ally of high political importance no one less than the President in prestige would be considered appropriate to attend on behalf of our country. Traveling along with President Asher is Agent Banning and Lynne Jacobs (Angela Bassett), Director of the Secret Service along as part of the protective detail.

Barkawi and his son have devised an intricate plot for their event and as dignitaries begin to arrive in London it begins to unfold. First a bomb explodes killing the Canadian Prime Minister just as limousine was traveling through Trafalgar Square. The Prime Minister and his wife are killed in the blast. Methodically of the leaders are murdered in similar fashion; a bomb detonated on the Chelsea Bridge resulting in the limousine of the Japanese Prime Minister to plummet into the river and drown. Next the French President is killed and another bomb explodes on a yacht in the River Thames also resulting in heavy damage to Big Ben and the Westminster Palace. While touring Westminster Abbey Italian prime minister and his wife are killed when the bell tower is collapsed by an explosive device. Finally the German Chancellor is assassinated by a terrorist posing as one of the Queen's guards who uses the guys to get close enough to shoot him while in Buckingham palace. A second wave of terrorist have been disguised as British police and other emergency first responders attempt to attack President Asher but they are opposed by the American Secret Service resulting in heavy losses on both sides. In the confusion Asher and Jacobs managed to escape while back in Washington DC members of the White House staff watch almost in disbelief as London is turned into a war zone with the casualty rate exceeding 100.

For a story that is supposed to demonstrate the unflagging ingenuity of the American Secret Service, the intrepid men and women that risk their lives to protect the President and his family, it does depict their success rate as less than optimal since in the course of two years the President had been abducted by heavily armed terrorists. While it does make for somewhat exciting entertainment it strains the audience's capability to suspend disbelief. With the exception of a new location and a murder of a string of undercard international diplomates leading up to the main event with our chief executive, there is very little to differentiate this movie from its predecessor. Exasperating matters considerably is that both flicks bear an uncanny resemblance to the 'Die Hard' franchise only devoid of the bon motes so well infused in the dialogue in a fashion that few actors other than Bruce Willis could accomplish. Gerard Butler is a very capable actor with a proven track record with the action/adventure genre but he lacks the panache that Mr. Willis always brought to his characterization of the archetypical larger than life action hero. This movie comes across as exceedingly dry, with any potential infusion of realism sacrificed to degrade the proceeding to something closer to a live action reedition of a cartoon. In the current socio-political climate that currently pervades the world such a treatment of terrorism as a caviler backdrop for what amounts to lighthearted entertainment trivializes one of the most serious problems all major countries are forced to contend with. For the sake of the careers of some talented actors let's hope any thoughts of a trilogy are gone.