Olympus Has Fallen was a surprise hit and the root of why it worked so well was the combustible chemistry between the film’s two leads. Gerard Butler could not have been more impeccably cast as the Secret Service agent with a haunting past who is whisked into action when terrorists attack the White House and take the president hostage. Aaron Eckhart plays the president and it is a role that fits him like a glove.
In London Has Fallen, it’s been a few years since the events of the first movie. Eckhart and Butler are as close as ever and things seem to be going well for the country, the world and our heroes. Then, the Prime Minister of Great Britain dies suddenly and despite the risk of having so many world leaders in one city, the planet’s statesmen and women decide that the man is worth the logistical nightmares to show their collective respect for this beloved head of state.
Guess what? Someone who seeks to completely disrupt global politics has other ideas and launches a full scale attack on the free world and everyone gathered in the British capital and yes… it appears that London Has Fallen.
In the midst of all this chaos our country’s president and his secret service agent must avoid landmines (literal and figurative) around every turn and try to make it out of the country alive. Think Olympus Has Fallen was a complex web for them to weave through? London Has Fallen is a myriad of messes, one more dangerous than the last.
The all-star cast is back as well, beyond the two leads. Angela Bassett returns as the head of the Secret Service. Robert Forster returns as a military man who provides insight to the president and top brass, Melissa Leo is back as the Secretary of State and Morgan Freeman’s character has gotten a promotion. Last time out, he was the Speaker of the House, now he’s the Vice President of the United States.
For more on the film itself, check out our full length theatrical London Has Fallen review.
When it comes to bonus features, there are but two, but both are top notch. The Making of London Has Fallen features the massive undertaking the cast and crew undertook to take the action series up a notch as one is expected when an action sequel is announced. During the first film, most of the action took place inside the White House. This time out, the action shifts to the entire cityscape of London, England. That is a large hill to climb, to say the least. This featurette delves deep into how the creative team behind the film plotted out all of the action sequences and how they worked with practical sets and special effects to heighten the tension and bring the audience firmly into the thrills.
Of particular note is the comments provided by director Babak Najafi and how he got his inspiration for the film and how that permeated throughout the cast and crew.
Butler is an action star and has been so since he rocked our world in 300. Witnessing his preparation process for tackling a new action movie is just one part of what makes Guns, Knives & Explosions. The featurette gives us a front-row seat into the extensive training and preparation that went in to playing a Secret Service agent and all that entails, which is a lot to say the least. Witnessing Butler as Mike Banning is such joy and seeing him become Banning through fight training and action scene choreography, we sure hope that London Has Fallen is not the last time that Banning has to save something from falling.
Film: C
Bonus Features: B