Olympus Has Fallen

Despite what they might have you think, film critics can't watch endless European art house films which are as about as optimistic as Victor Meldrew and as solemn as an undertaker. Every now and then, we all need a bit of light relief in the cinema. Whilst the latest French realist drama may be one of the best films of the year, sometimes, you just need a bit of enjoyable, no-brain action to wash over you. And this is where Olympus Has Fallen comes in.

Director Antoine Fuqua is something of an expert when it comes to explosions. Known for the crime film Training Day, and action-soaked Tears of the Sun and Shooter, Fuqua's latest film sees Gerard Butler play Mike Banning, a former Presidential guard who finds himself the only survivor in the White House after it has been attacked by terrorists and the President taken hostage. Banning must work with the national security services (headed by Morgan Freeman) and use the best of his skills to defeat the terrorists and rescue the President. Olympus Has Fallen is, essentially Die Hard in the White House, just without over-bearing tension, Bruce Willis or the snappy one-liners. That said, the film is rather good fun. Gerard Butler is perfectly fine in the central role and manages to balance the rough action hero with a more emotional side, particularly in scenes with the President's young son (Finley Jacobsen) who is, himself, trapped in the White House.

There is no doubt that Olympus Has Fallen rattles along with plenty of blood, explosions and many Secret Service agents who will be more than a little sore in the morning. The initial assault on the President's residence is spectacularly shot and is heart pounding, exhilarating stuff. Bullets thud into the White House's façade as Secret Service agents desperately try – and fail – to repel the attackers (rather appropriately North Korean splinter terrorists) and a less-than-subtle rocket-propelled grenade whistles past Butler, spectacularly blowing the White House's entrance to smithereens. The trouble is that the film never quite maintains this tension or fire-fight dynamism that was so well executed in the opening acts. The blood and violence, however, continues throughout and plenty of expletives are uttered by Butler as he despatches terrorists with all manner of weapons and techniques.

The usual faces pop up in the supporting cast: Aaron Eckhart as the imprisoned President, Angela Bassett as the Secret Service Director and Morgan Freeman as the Speaker of the House who assumes the role of the President. If there was ever an actor we'd want to assume control in times of crisis, Morgan Freeman would be the first choice. Fuqua's films have always been influenced by politics and Olympus Has Fallen is no exception in its rather unsubtle imagery of Butler smashing a Korean terrorist over the head with a bust of Abraham Lincoln. Nice. Heavily patriotic, the film's closing scenes were quite overbearingly sentimental and idealistic but I was willing to forgive it as its action scenes did hurtle along nicely right until the end.

The most significant problem (and I think it is a problem) with the film is that it played itself more-or-less straight. There was little depth and the witty one-liners and moments of comedic relief were in short supply. I kept making comparisons between Butler and Bruce Willis in Die Hard (not a good thing). Olympus Has Fallen took itself just a little too seriously which worked for the action sequences but didn't feel right on an overall level. However, Butler did have a couple of nice jokes, my favourite of which came when he was talking to the terrorist leader (played by Rick Yune): “Let's play a game of fuck off. You go first”. You tell him, Gerard.

Olympus Has Fallen is intense, violent and chugs along at a fair old pace. Some impressive set-pieces, the best of which is the initial assault on the White House were thrilling but there was little real wit underneath the action. As these types of films go, it is quite good fun. 

Clapperboard Rating: * *