London Has Fallen

This sequel to 2013's Olympus Has Fallen shifts the focus from Washington, D.C., to London, where Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) once again singlehandedly protects President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart). Instead of North Korean terrorists, the culprits this time are from the Middle East, seeking revenge for a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan that killed the daughter of international arms dealer Aamir Barkawi (Alon Moni Aboutboul) at her lavish wedding, where he was the primary target. “Vengeance must always be profound and absolute,” malevolent Barkawi declares. The destruction begins at the funeral of the British Prime Minister: as TV audiences around the world watch in horror, several heads of state are systematically assassinated, and Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament are demolished. Since Barkawi's barbaric son (Waleed F. Zuaiter) wants to kidnap President Asher and execute him on YouTube, it's up to Banning to keep him safe, aided by an MI6 agent (Charlotte Riley). Meanwhile, back home, the Vice President (Morgan Freeman), Secret Service director (Angela Bassett), and Secretary of Defense (Melissa Leo) watch the debacle on a video screen in the situation room with their elite advisory cohorts (Robert Forster, Jackie Earle Haley). Iranian-born Swedish director Babak Najafi makes his English-language debut in this confusing film full of action-packed sequences that defy both logic and credibility (accompanied by cheesy digital effects). Full of over-the-top violence and gratuitous sadism, this disappointing sequel is optional, at best. [Note: Blu-ray extras include a “making-of” featurette (13 min.), a “Guns, Knives & Explosives” behind-the-scenes segment (8 min.), trailers, and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a disappointing and disturbing sequel.] (S. Granger)