Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

User Review

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  Barneyonmovies

  7 / 10

  WHAT I LIKED: There's no getting away from the fact that 'Olympus Has Fallen' is utterly preposterous and blindly patriotic to a sickening extent, but director Antoine Fuqua always seems to have the ability to make the ridiculous thoroughly gripping and entertaining, and this film is no exception to that. Yes no matter how crumby the script is, the way Fuqua gives his performances space to build engaging characters and the manor with which he builds scenarios means you're invested throughout. Here we get Deckard - a ridiculous, contrived action-hero character who's sworn to protect the president no matter what, but who is undeniably likeable because Gerard Butler is given the space to build him as such, and to create a believable relationship with [name]'s president. We root for him, and that's made all the more successful by the fact that the presidential team - no matter how absurdly it's written - feels tangible here as relationships are developed and the environment is given time to explore. The action is directed with similar aplomb thanks not only to a great sense of tension that then explodes in moments of rousing excitement, but also a well-executed sense of space in The White House. That all makes for a surprisingly engaging and gripping action movie in the end that shouldn't be as enjoyable as it is.
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: It really is preposterous. The plot is absurd and horribly flag-waving, there are many moments of terrible dialogue, the message is questionable and the humour isn't funny.
  VERDICT: A woefully sickening script brought to life by a likeable central performance and some great direction from Antoine Fuqua, 'Olympus Has Fallen' is rubbish on paper, but undeniably hugely enjoyable in practice.

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