Olympus Has Fallen Movie Review

For the past years, it is hard to come by an action film that really deserves to be called an action film. for Olympus Has Fallen, it lives up to genre and even more.

The film tells the taking of the White House by a North Korean paramilitary group. They capture the President and the only person who can save the day is a Secret Service agent who got pulled out from the presidential detail because of failing to save the first lady.

The film starts subtle and from the event at the bridge, tensions rise. Your heart starts rising when you see the C130 plane flying towards the White House and starts shooting civilians near the area. You will be gasping for air as the siege starts. It just keeps pushing and pushing and shows no sign of stopping. The action was well coordinated and camera movement was perfectly matched to sequence. Director Antoine Fuqua really knows his stuff coming from films like Training Day and Tears of the Sun.

Lighting was well balanced given that most of the interior shots were in the dark. Also the exterior shots at night were also crafted efficiently to showcase the firefight between the helicopters and the HYDRA 6 Weapon. When it comes to the special effects, the film kind of fell short. I didn’t like the effects during the explosion of the C130 as well as the helicopters. You know they are not real but the effects failed to make us believe they were. But I give high rates for the practical effects. The explosions and fire fights felt real and they were blended well with the area.

This is one of the few films in which the action, though heavy, was a critical part of the plot. It does not overshadow the story. The cast was chosen very well as well. Gerard Butler returns to his action roots and he did a blast with it. Aaron Eckhart does a strong portrayal of the President, a man who is still grieving the loss of his wife and had to face tough decisions during the hostage crisis. Morgan Freeman is strong presence in the film even though he was mostly seen at the latter part. His strong and sometimes funny notions allowed him to rise at time in the movie.

Olympus Has Fallen loses the drama in which we come to expect in action films which is a good take. Just like making the president’s son escape so that he will not be made into a bargaining chip so that his father will do what the terrorists wants. But it still has flaws. A lot of questions were released in the film but not all of them were answered. Though they weren’t critical, it would have been great to know.

Olympus Has Fallen is a film which lives up to its genre. It’s fast, explosive and action packed. It delivers and is a tough act to follow given that White House Down is coming up next this year. The plot may have been simple but the delivery was excellent. I highly recommend you watch this film. I give it 8.5 out 10.