London Has Fallen. Who Cares?

“London Has Fallen,” the sequel to the equally frustrating “Olympus Has Fallen,” is a catastrophic failure of an action movie. Its amateur screenplay, poor directing and cartoonish CGI make for a nightmare at the movie theater.

In a plot that ultimately copies the original film scene for scene, U.S. Secret Service agent Mike Banning, played by Gerard Butler, is forced to protect U.S. President Benjamin Asher, played by Aaron Eckhart, while they attend the funeral of the former British Prime Minster.

At the funeral, most of the world leaders in attendance are hit by a series of terrorist attacks. It’s up to tough guy Banning to save the day and ensure the president is kept out of harm’s way.

The bottom line is that this film is just a barrage of tired car chases, generic gun fights and dialogue scenes consisting of groan-worthy one-liners. The screenplay relies on the star power of its actors rather than substance.

Nothing is memorable about emotionless action stars going through the motions and reacting to large explosions and terrorists as though they’re everyday occurrences. With indestructible heroes, it’s hard to find the conflict of the film.

The crude CGI effects weaken the film even further. Poorly rendered explosions elicit giggles and eye rolls from the audience rather than any fear for the survival of the two main characters. If it were a cheap arcade game from the ‘90s, it might deserve some praise for its effects. 

The film could have been marginally better if either Banning or the president had been killed. The president being saved seconds before a brutal machete assassination is highly implausible; but we knew that he would be saved because we’ve seen this scene before in countless other action flicks.

“London Has Fallen” can be summed up like a child’s crayon drawing: stick men run from guys with arched eyebrows with explosions in the background. If you are seeking something with any more substance than this, do not look to “London Has Fallen.”

The film’s generic plot, simplistic directing and stilted dialogue make this so-called action movie an incredible bore. Twelve-year-olds might get a little fix from some of the action scenes, but even they might not be able to forgive its amateur quality.

Rating 1/5