Let's preface this by saying I think Gerard is amazingly talented. He's got everything to make a career that will last, talented and able to jump from comedy to drama, creating different characters that show compassion, empathy and it goes without saying, sex appeal. He's like the new Sean Connery of our time and this new role as a an ousted Secret Service Agent is phenomenal.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, this movie stars Angela Bassett, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman with a brief cameo by Ashley Judd as the First Lady. The premise of the film is that terrorists have somehow gotten into the White House and held the president captive and it's up to Special Agent Butler -- who's having recurring flashbacks after witnessing the First Lady's death on an icy road after a car accident and being able to only save the president's life -- to not only reclaim what he lost mentally but also to get back into the White House's good graces. He has to weave through to stop the terrorists and also save the president's 10-year-old son. Angela Bassett serves as the head of the Secret Service Detail and Morgan Freeman as Speaker of the House (also starring a barely recognizable Melissa Leto as the Secretary of Defense).
The premise is completely plausible especially in an age where terrorists attacks happen but it seems a little far fetched that one person could save the entire world without backup using a blue tooth and enough artillery to play G.I. Joe. As it progressed, it became violent and horrifying, which for some people is a total thrill -- whereas I had my sweater over my head and was trying to peak through the zipper.
There were some comedic moments that were unexpected and hilarious. Just when you thought everything had hit the fan, Gerard Butler would say something hysterical and you'd temporarily shift focus on to that and not the path of destruction that was happening.
My expectations for this were tremendously low because I only saw it to escape the house for a few hours; I didn't anticipate it to be so good and that I kind of wanted the story to keep going -- I wanted to know more about the characters, I also kind of wanted Ashley Judd to have a bigger role, maybe a hookup with Gerard Butler's character (something sexy) but this was different and I think that's what makes it work. My only bone of contention was that sometimes the screen was too dark to see and I thought I either needed new glasses or maybe they could have added a few lights so I could see what the hell was going on.
I would say this is going to be one of the great action dramas since Independence Day, back in '96, because the writing is so amazing and the acting was perfect. They played well off of each other and the focus never shifted from the task at hand and made it seem like they were an actual part of the White House council. A few times though, there were goofs such as Gerard accidentally calling Angela by her real name instead of her character name which happens but is still laughable.
This role was tailor-made for Gerard Butler, and although it was sometimes hard to understand what he was saying due to his accent which I understand completely, his actions spoke louder than words. His actions represent the great action stars of the past, like Steve McQueen and James Garner; those guys made it so natural to just walk into a burning building and start kicking some ass.
What did you think of Olympus Has Fallen? Was it up to your expectations or did you think it was just a bunch of guys blowing each other up with Angela Bassett hanging back?