FILM REVIEW: London Has Fallen

What I'm about to say may most probably leave a bad taste in the mouths of many, but please allow me to go on this rant: who ever told Gerald Butler that he could be an action superstar is the biggest liar there ever was! They sold dreams to the poor man, and now he is still out here chasing rainbows. I mean honestly, it is like he tries to break his own record of the worst action movie ever made each time he releases a new one, and just like the previous counterpart of this film, "Olympus Has Fallen" and "Gods Of Egypt", "London Has Fallen" is almost nothing short of garbage status. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, we can swiftly move along. (NB: that rant was totally based on me just trying to emphasize how much of a non action superhero Gerald is and very little on how bad the movie actually is because it is really not THAT bad but someone has to save Butler from himself; so I had to exaggerate to make sure that justice is at least served).

"London Has Fallen" should have really just been titled, "London Has Exploded" because very little falling happens here as almost everything just seems to go up in flames. Blasting gun shots, explosive bomb attacks and blazing helicopter crashes that leave most of London’s landmarks blown to smithereens, all put together with cheap pitiful visual effects. A few friends from university and I used to joke about how studying film might not have been a smart move for film lovers like us because it certainly ruined our movie watching experiences. We no longer view films like the average audience does and will scrutinize almost every aspect of the production such camera shots, lighting, sound, editing, acting skills, etc. So I am sitting here imagining that if we as viewers could find this as very important details, how much attention should the filmmakers pay to such aspects when producing a film; and yet creators of movies like "London Has Fallen" couldn't be bothered. Everything in the film is over the top and almost feels like a parody because of the poor quality of the CG explosions and helicopter crashes.

The plot itself starts off with a very clichéd storyline. Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), Secret Service agent for President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart), is expecting his first child with his wife Leah (Radha Mitchell). He hopes to spend more time with his family, and is contemplating resigning from the Secret Service. In the mist of that, Asher and Mike are informed that the British Prime Minister James Wilson has died and along with Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs (Angela Bassett), they travel to London to join other prominent world leaders for Wilson's state funeral. As the dignitaries are arriving, several attacks are launched, killing hundreds of people. This really just made me laugh because as much as Butler and Eckhart are the main stars of the movie, it is ridiculous how all the other presidents and prime ministers just die off so easily. Well, surely they don't have prominent security personnel of Gerald Butler's caliber, but for Banning and Asher to come off as comic superheroes was just baffling. Even when their escape MI6 helicopter is shot and results in a crash landing on a park, they only just come of a little wounded despite the fact that everything, and I do mean everything in this film has been going up in explosion. I guess the writers tried to calm down our minds, that would obviously be troubled by this, by killing Basset's character; and yet for me, it just wasn't enough (even though killing Banning and Asher would have made no sense for the movie so I guess it's the over the top action that would have had give).

When you go head and attempt to just enjoy the escapism factor of the film, it really turns to be a good one. All the fast paced action make up for the terrible plot sequences and it's scenes like when Banning and Asher are expecting help from the White House but are able to spot an imposter Delta Force Team that make Butler come off as somewhat intelligent. He notices that the operators aren't sweating after supposedly trekking across the city on foot in heavy gear, making one think that maybe he isn't so much of a glorified butler after all (pun totally unintended). I also assume that if I wasn't one to overanalyze everything I watch, maybe the experience of seeing "London Has Fallen" would have been like enjoying a good action video game with all the explosions, crashes and shootings creating a nice backdrop of adrenaline infusion.

The film goes off to end in another extremely clichéd scene. Two weeks after the attack on London, Mike returns home and is spending time with Leah and their newborn child, named Lynne after his deceased boss. He sits in front of the laptop to send in his resignation letter but it is the news report on his television that prompts him to change his mind and delete it. This obviously leaves notion for a third film, oh so help me God!!!