Review of Olympus Has Fallen (2013) by Skylar W — 05 Mar 2014

Olympus Has Fallen, directed by Antoine Fuqua, is a fast-paced, new take on what we can only imagine would be a modern take down of the White House. What sets it apart from any other action movie is its use of clever and quite humorous dialogue among its well-chosen actors. It is refreshing to see that the film shows off the time and effort that went into making it. It is clear that without it's brilliant balance of humor, love and war the movie could have easily fallen flat of action movie standards.

The movie has excellent character choice including award-winning actors, Morgan Freeman (speaker of the White House, Allan Trumbull), Aaron Eckhart (President Benjamin Asher) and Gerard Butler.

Butler's performance shows his natural adaptation to his given lead role of a former secret service member removed from position after enduring a terrible tragedy that proves devastating to the president. Butler easily transforms into the character of Mike Banning who finds himself back in the action, proving his loyalty to the president and taking out everyone who gets in his way. He is both serious and sarcastic, caring and comical, dangerous and armed. Most memorable of all his lines in the movie proves his witty personality is perfect for the part of Banning:

"Let's play a game of "fuck off", you go first.".

Along with these well-known actors is a few fresh faces such as Rick Yune. Yune brings out the determined mastermind behind the character of Kang, showing no mercy in order to seek vengeance upon the United States due to it's actions against North Korea. Witness the unraveling of layers and layers of strategy behind the White House undertaking conjured up by himself aided by North Korean terrorists.

Where some people might find the movie unrealistic due to some of the ideal circumstances for hero, Mike Banning, Fuqua, has made up for that being the case by its well thought-out and strategic plot.

The movie keeps you on the edge of your seat with it's high use of sound dynamics and equally thrilling use of technologically advanced weapons and dramatic special effects. Like any action movie, you can expect a lot of violence (hence the reason it's rated R), but what's a great movie without a little violence anyway? The film is loud and explosive, but does a good job of not overwhelming the audience with gore.

Because of it's obvious center focus on the White House (which, really, serves as the battleground for it's foreign invaders), the director proves the importance of capturing the essence of patriotism. It does so by including memorable scenes of a torn up and worn out American flag withdrawn from it's post on top of the White House.

It is a suspenseful, political must-see. Find out what happens when our country faces self-destruction in the mercy of Kang's well organized and annihilating army, when the lives and the safety of the president and the United States lay in the hands of a single man.