In one year, some action flicks come out that are really good, and many of them get lost in the mix. Especially in recent years now filled with comic book action movies, how does a standard one stand out from another? A good plot, a tight script, and wonderful actors doing great characters usually helps. Olympus Has Fallen has all that and more. Director Antoine Fuqua, known mostly for Training Day, has taken the action genre back with a hard hitting, no holds barred, everything-blows-up style of action flick that has been sorely missing from our cinema lately.
In Olympus Has Fallen, we follow former U.S. Army Ranger Mike Banning, played by Gerard Butler, who is now a Secret Service agent assigned to the Presidential Detail of President Asher, played by Aaron Eckhart. After a tragic accident, he is demoted and assigned to desk duty. But when the White House is attacked and the President is held hostage, Banning finds himself trapped within the building. The government is now forced to rely on Banning’s skills and knowledge to help retake the White House and save the President.
The movie starts off with a bang and never stops. It is a thrilling ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This is a hard R action flick, with many F-bombs, a massive amount of blood, and enough shooting and explosions to shake the whole theater on numerous occasions. The filmmakers have crafted a great action flick. Unlike some other action flicks in the past, like The Expendables 2 or Die Hard 5, where it gets so unbelievable you start to laugh, this movie stays pretty grounded. Yes, it has its crazy over-the-top moments, but they’re not as crazy as an Arnold Schwarzenegger flick where you find yourself groaning more than cheering.
This movie has a tight script and characters you care for from the start, and that stems from its great writing and actors. Gerard Butler has been away from the straight action film for a while now, and seeing him kick some major ass made me miss him as the action hero he can be. Aaron Eckhart plays a great President. He is sympathetic, but strong, protecting the country until his dying breath. He portrays the kind of president I wish we had in real life. Joining Eckhart as his government officials is Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, and Melissa Leo, all have Oscars or nominated to get one. They are all fantastic! They deliver so well in all their scenes that if the movie were about saving them it would have been just as good. Rounding out the cast is Dylan McDermott, Radha Mitchell, Robert Forster, Rick Yune and Ashely Judd. All are wonderful in their small but unforgettable roles. This is how you do action flicks right, get a great cast and use them how you’re supposed too.
The movie looks great and has some awesome shots. The fight chorography is awesome, it’s fast and quick paced and the use of low lighting helps keep the suspense. Because Butler has to stay quiet and hidden, the knife becomes his weapon of choice. This leads to some fun action and great moments. The attack on the White House itself has some great special effects, blending real footage and CGI together. The explosions are big, but not so big that they take out whole city blocks. They kept everything pretty grounded for the realistic portrayal they were going for.
Some might find scenes in this movie a little hard to watch, I know I did. It’s still hard to watch America get hurt, even if it’s just a movie. I did find myself trying not to think of “real life” horrible events that have happened in our recent past, but unfortunately that’s life. Bad things happen. And just like in real life, heroes are real. This isn’t a movie about a fighting superhuman man; Gerard Butler is playing a real solider and a great character. He gets hurt, has feelings, and will stop at nothing to do his duty to The President, the country, and us. Just like real American soldiers who are put in impossible situations everyday and have to over come them. That’s why I think his characters work so well. Yes, he does some amazing things and it is over dramatic. It’s still a movie, but a movie that will make you want to jump up and cheer for duty and honor.
This is the first of two films coming out this year about the White House being under attack. This one blew me away. The other film will have to really try to separate itself from Olympus Has Fallen. I have to imagine the other will be a different style of filmmaking all together. Antoine Fuqua takes a more serious approach to all of his films just as he did with this one. The next White House attack movie, White House Down, which is coming out this June, will be directed by Roland Emmerich, who is known for ID4, Godzilla and 2012. His movies tend to not be that serious. So I have to assume his film will focus more on the over the top situations and unnecessary themes he has already shown in several of his works. His White House attack flick is starring Channing Tatum as our hero and secret service agent. I’m sure he’ll be fine, but compared to what I just watched where Gerard Butler kicks some major terrorist ass, I’m not sure how Tatum will compare. But we’ll have to wait and see.
But until then, go check out Olympus Has Fallen, the best action flick of 2013 so far. It’s a damn good action packed movie.