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Without question, theHas Fallenmovie trilogy written by Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt is one Hollywood franchise that should be analyzed and studied. StarringGerard Butleras Secret Service agent Mike Banning and Morgan Freeman (in various roles), each of the three movies barely passed their budget in North American box office totals and didn’t receive the best praise from critics. Albeit, the first and third films — 2013’sOlympus Has Fallenand 2019’sAngel Has Fallen — actually lead when it comes to the two aforementioned categories. On the other hand, 2016’sLondon Has Fallen, which sees Banning escort president Benjamin Asher out of the vice of Islamic terrorists, seems to have taken an even greater misstep.
The second action flick in the series not only stands out as the lowest of three on Metacritic but on Rotten Tomatoes, too. British critics such as The Independent and The Guardian say that this movie triggered traumatic memories for those who lived through the devastating real-life terrorist attacks that took place in Paris just a year prior. They also mention thatLondon Has Fallen’s first trailer was released around the 10th anniversary of the 2005 London bombings. This was surely a case of marketing — ahem extremely ignorant marketing. With that being said, though, let’s take a look at this 2016 political thriller and see what’s truly going on here.
‘London Has Fallen’ Pits Critics Against Audiences
London Has Fallen
Not all hope is lost for the second helping oftheHas Fallenseries, believe it or not. In contrast to all the critic reviews, audiences seem to be a lot more forgiving. Plus, it has been reported and confirmed by Box Office Mojo thatLondon Has Fallenhad the biggest international box office gross(which includes theatrical revenue from the city in the movie’s name), amounting to double the amount of the other two! While this is usually the case with many movies (other territories amount to a greater final profit than domestic intake), it’s surprising given the heavy allegations from critics. There’s a reason for the uptick, though. Remove the real-world similarities, the lingering fears, as well as the alleged insensitivities, andLondon Has Fallenis actually a fun and corny homage toone of the best action movies. Think of it as a lite version ofDie Hard.
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As Ryan F says in his three-star review, thisHas Fallenentry is miles better than Butler’s previous movies likeGods of EgyptandBounty Hunter. Banning is your all-American hero (whom you know is never going to get killed) but has plenty of one-liners and enough of a personality to keep the viewer entertained. Will these jokes happen to offend some people? Sure, but it’s refreshing to see a main character who says what they mean.
Not only that butAaron Eckhart as the president and Angela Bassett as the Secret Service director are commendable in their roles. They not only give memorable value to the movie once it’s all over but provide much-needed dynamic foils for Banning, so he never gets too dry.London Has Fallenalso includes names like Morgan Freeman and Jackie Earle Haley, which brings it all home. There’s no denying thatthe cast is stacked.
The President Even Gets in on the Action in ‘London Has Fallen’
There is a lot ofgunplay and explosions, just as an action movie should have. Buildings get blown up, bridges go bottom up, and Big Ben is even hit. There are even drone strikes and car accidents galore.London Has Fallenmay not be the most sophisticated in the genre, but what does anybody expect if the city is turned into a war zone? This is one of those movies you put on after a long week that depletes any pent-up adrenaline you have stored.If there has to be a mediocre aspect to note in this movie,it’s the unusual CGIduring the zoomed-out monument eruptions. It looks more like the type you see in video games than in movies. For such a frantic and high-paced film that has a scene that pays homage to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Get to the Choppa” line fromPredator, what do you expect?
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London Has Fallenis very much over the top when it comes to American hoo-rah silliness. It’s also very macho-influenced throughout its storytelling. Along with Banning, the president himself has to drive and shoot his way out of dangerous situations at times. For the more modern movie audienceswho want realismand true-to-the-bone acting, it isn’t found here. All the notable cast members seem to be in lax mode, knowing full well that this is an action movie and any far-reaching emotional development (except for Bassett) would be a waste of resources.
But that doesn’t mean the entire film is a waste. For all that it gives the viewer (which includes action-filled antics and Secret Service camaraderie), director Babak Najafi’s second to latest film deserves much better than what you see on Rotten Tomatoes.If you want to giveLondon Has Fallena chance (you really should), the movie is currently available to stream onNetflix.
