Gerard Butler-starrer 'Angel Has Fallen' may pull off a redemption act for the mindless sins of its predecessors
'Olympus Has Fallen' and 'London Has Fallen' are rated 49% and 26% respectively on Rotten Tomatoes. While the first movie received mixed reviews, the sequel was bashed for "terrorsploitation," according to Variety, which coined the term. Both installments were termed mindless, action flicks that saw a lot of gunfire and blood, without a coherent narrative and screenplay.
Having Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, and Aaron Eckhart as the main leads didn't do much to help either. However, things seem to look bright with the third part of the 'Fallen' series set to release this August.
'Angel has Fallen' has already made headlines for a trailer that promises enough action and possibly a solid plotline. Its predecessors had the same plotline of protecting the POTUS, no matter the cost. Once from a North Korean ultra-nationalist, and the second time, from an arms dealer and terrorist mastermind.
Each time we see Gerard Butler's Mike Banning, the president's security detail be his knight in shining armor, bludgeoning the s**t out of the baddies. There's enough mindless mayhem to go about.
The premise for the third installment reads: "After the events in the previous film, Secret Service agent Mike Banning finds himself framed for an assassination attempt on President Allan Trumbull. Pursued by his own agency and the FBI, Banning turns to unlikely allies in a race against time to clear his name and uncover the real terrorist threat."
While the plotline comes as a refresher, it looks like the thriller franchise has beefed up its cast as well. While Aaron Eckhart doesn't return as President Benjamin Asher, Freeman's Allan Trumbull is elevated to playing the role. Butler reprises his role as Banning. Jada Pinkett Smith, Lance Reddick, Tim Blake Nelson, Piper Perabo, Nick Nolte, and Danny Huston round up the cast in supporting roles.
To add to it is the action-packed trailer that spans 79 seconds and manages to cram in as much of the plot in it. The clip sees Trumbull and Banning being attacked by killer drones as they barely make it out alive. The rest of the trailer is about Banning attempting to clear his name after being accused of an assassination attempt on the President.
From what we have seen so far, there seems to be a solid storyline this time around. Banning not just has to clear his name, but also ensure that he rescues the Prez. And this time, we see a Banning who's aging - meaning he's wiser, more dangerous and lot more experienced than he was during the events of previous outings.
Danny Huston was impressive as Major William Stryker, the antagonist in 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' and this is the second time we see him as the baddie. Jada Pinkett Smith plays an FBI agent and it remains to be seen what exactly her role is.
At the moment, it looks like 'Angel Has Fallen' may have something better to offer than its predecessors. Hopefully, it lives up to the intrigue level that the trailer promises. There's a lot more of 'Die-hard' than just guns going off along with some cheesy one-liners.
'Angel Has Fallen' releases on August 23, 2019