Olympus Has Fallen is a 2013 American action-thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua, starring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, and Morgan Freeman. The film was theatrically released on March 22, 2013.
The President of the United States in 2013, unlike his Nineties Hollywood avatars, takes quite a beating. Remember Harrison Ford in Air Force One (1997) got rid of the snarky terrorist by firmly telling him to get off his plane? There was Morgan Freeman as leader of the free world facing up to killer asteroids with dignity and panache in Deep Impact (1998) and Bill Pullman who joined the fighter pilots to lead a counter attack against the aliens in Independence Day (1994). Of course, there was Jack Nicholson as crazy President Jimmy Dale in Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks (1996), but then that was Burton and Jack.
Post-Recession and multi-trillion dollar debt, the Commander in Chief has to take several beatings and shootings and finally be rescued by a disgraced secret service agent. Olympus has Fallen is not without its guilty pleasures though. Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) has crafted a fast-paced action movie with charismatic actors ensuring enough eye candy.
Gerard Butler plays Mike Banning, the demoted Secret Service agent, who takes apart a well-planned operation with nothing more than his wits and attitude. It is the kind of role Bruce Willis would’ve done in his sleep, with more wit, but never mind. There is Aaron Eckhart as the President, who looks like he is going to burst into a fit of giggles at the impossible plot. Morgan Freeman lends gravitas as acting president and also has one of the only funny lines in the movie.
This movie was amazing, it was like riding on the top thrill dragster at Cedar Point and they never stopped for a break. The director of training day did it again with the directing of this action packed suspense movie amazing actors Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Gerard Butler and Angela Basset to name a few. I havent had the chance to sit down and really get into a movie that captured your attention from the start until the end. Best movie this year for me!
