Review of London Has Fallen (2016) by Maksim B — 21 Jun 2016

An attempt to turn Olympus Has Fallen into a sort of a franchise by broadening its appeal-base, London Has Fallen is a typical Gerard Butler action delivery that delivers what it promises despite the awfully unrealistic plot. Action-packed, fast-paced and with a relatively satisfying climax, the second installment of the story about Special Agent Mike Banning could have been at least passable if it was not for the absurd story.

Years after the events in and around the White House, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is living with his wife, expecting a baby and considering his resignation from the special services. When the UK PM dies, Mike has to accompany President Asher (Aaron Eckhart) to the funeral ceremony in London. As it quickly appears, the ceremony is a huge plot by a terrorist organization aiming at eliminating the world's most powerful leaders. With London turned into a battlefield, Mike and President Asher have to play a cat-and-mouse game in order to survive and to reach a point of extraction.

All of this seems to be enough to have a satisfying classical action and it surely delivers in terms of action, destruction and fighting sequences. The main and most serious issue of Babak Najafi's delivery is that nothing makes sense when it comes to realism. The way the terrorist trap is created, the British state's response and the way London turns into a battlefield seems so impossible that at one point the viewer will stop taking London Has Fallen seriously. This results in a movie that does not actually provide the tension many have hoped for, but thanks to a proper climax (involving some really solid shoot-outs) the day is saved (as well as the American President) and the delivery almost reaches the level of being passable.

In conclusion, London Has Fallen could be considered an unnecessary sequel, but still watchable if you are looking for a mildly entertaining, action-pack proposition for an evening at home.