Plot: What’s it all about?
Yet another one of 2016’s long list of unnecessary sequels, London Has Fallen is loud, dumb and useless. Worst offense of all? It’s not very entertaining. Truth be told, it’s a lot of things Olympus Has Fallen, its predecessor was, but entertaining. I was never the biggest fan of the 2013 original, but it was light years ahead of this nonsense. The entire film has a needless and direct to video type of feeling. In fact, I’m pretty positive that this would’ve gone straight to video if not for the studio’s confidence that it would be at least at successful financially as the first one. The overall domestic gross was significantly lower as well.
Once again, Gerard Butler returns as Mike Banning, a Secret Service Agent who’s awaiting his first child with his wife. This time, however, he’s ready to resign from his position. He feels he no longer needs to put his life in danger now that he’s going to be a father. We see him typing a letter of resignation, but can’t quite bring himself to finish it. We find him at a special meeting in London to attend a funeral of a British Prime Minister. Shortly after they arrive, a bomb in goes off. Also returning this time is Aaron Eckhart as the President and Morgan Freeman as the Vice President. There’s a cliché villain role here who wants revenge, but really it’s all an excuse just to blow stuff up. Butler’s Banning seems to be some sort of superhero, offing bad guys left and right without blinking an eye. Your tolerance may vary, but I grew tired of it fast.
Shortly after Olympus Has Fallen arrived in theaters, we saw a similarly themed film with White House Down. It was PG-13 and lacked the hard hitting impact of Olympus, but offered a lighter tone than that film. I think if you take the tone of White House and keep the R rating of Olympus then we might’ve had a more successful film, but as it stands, the film is a chore to sit through. You’ll get your share of explosions and fight sequences, but you’ll lack a reason to care. At no time during this film was I the least bit interested in anything that was happening on screen. It doesn’t help that we don’t get a strong physical opponent for Gerard Butler to face off against this time. Everyone just seems to be going through the motions here and cashing a quick paycheck. All things considered, London is a dud.
Video: How’s it look?
We get a good, but not great or consistent transfer here. I noticed several scenes that weren’t quite up to par with what I’m used to. There was some noticeable softness during several scenes. That isn’t to say this is a major flaw, but when I’ve reviewed several titles recently that looked nothing short of fantastic, this was a small step down. Details are strong and the print is free of flaws, but things could’ve been sharper. Still, casual audiences might not be too bothered. The transfer is AVC encoded with a 2.40:1 ratio.
Audio: How’s it sound?
We get a few tracks here, but I opted for the DTS HD track since my sound system isn’t the most up to date. Expect nothing but greatness, however, as this track rocks. All channels get plenty of usage and the bass kicks in often as well. Vocals were strong as well. There was nice range throughout as well. Those who have a more elaborate system might want to try out the alternate track. This one is still solid, though.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- The Making of London Has Fallen – Your typical “Making of…” featurette with some interviews with the cast and crew, some behind the scenes footage and discussion of the script and how this one would be different than its predecessor (but not really).
- Guns, Knives & Explosives – Some of the larger action sequences in the film are dissected for our viewing pleasure.
The Bottom Line
Dull, lifeless, boring and unnecessary. I don’t think anyone demanded a sequel to Olympus Has Fallen, but surely they could’ve done better than this mess. The villain is weak, action repetitive and all the actors seem to be phoning it in. Without the big names stars, I’m most certain this film would’ve come to theaters, much less have been made. There are so many better action flicks than to waste time on this stinker. Skip it.
