Initially I was not planning on seeing Olympus Has Fallen. However, recommendations from my boss and Chris led me to my decision to see it. From what they told me, it sounded like a movie I could get into. It sounded like it would be an homage to cheesy action flicks of the 90s. I tried going into the film expecting this, however, it didn't quite go over as well as I had hoped.
Olympus Has Fallen has some good elements to it. Antoine Fuqua is a director I respect, on one hand, as he directed one of my favorite crime films of all time (Training Day). However, he has also had a handful of rotten films, and I believe this is one of his stronger weak films. There are a few genuine thrills in this film which helps it compensate for some of the formulaic writing. Gerard Butler gives his best performance since Law Abiding Citizen, and Aaron Eckhart also gives a believable and charismatic performance as the president of the United States. This film is also about 70% action/thrills/excitement, which makes for a pretty easy watch. The finale between Gerard Butler and the Korean dude was badass and definitely the strongest scene in the film.
I had a lot of problems with Olympus. Heavy CGI sequences, a thoughtless script, and plot holes are just a few issues that come to mind. Additionally, the villain is very shallow and not fleshed out at all, and this is a problem that comes from the page and the screen. Some scenes were overly brutal, the only purpose being to serve as shock value. I also felt like this film ripped off some of my favorite movies/TV shows, and unsuccessfully so. Olympus feels like a Die Hard film with all the fun sucked out of it. Take that image and mix it with your average season of 24 and you have, voila!---Olympus Has Fallen.
Olympus Has Fallen is not a total train wreck. It has SOME humor and cleverness, but not enough for it to rise above the countless duds of films in this genre. Antoine Fuqua's direction certainly helps, though. Let's hope White House Down is better....(probably not. But a guy can dream, right?)
MY RATING:
2.5 out of 5
-Kevin A. Millward-
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