Olympus Has Fallen

Think of Antoine Fuqua's suspenseful action-thriller as Die Hard in the White House in its tale of a former Presidential guard who redeems himself from shame and disgrace by singlehandedly saving the United States. Mike Banning's (Gerard Butler) travails begin when a horrific accident near Camp David results in the death of the First Lady (Ashley Judd). Although the tragedy was not his fault, Banning is banished from White House detail and demoted to desk duty. Eighteen months later, South Korean diplomats are welcomed by President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. At the same time, a mysterious C-130 enters D.C. air space and launches a ferocious attack on the city (half of the Washington Monument crumbles), while Olympus (the Secret Service code name for the White House) is invaded by trained commandos, led by a diabolical North Korean terrorist (Rick Yune). Following protocol, the President, Vice-President, and Secretary of Defense are secured in an underground bunker (but treachery soon rears its ugly head), while the Secret Service director (Angela Bassett) summons the Speaker of the House (Morgan Freeman) to take over as acting President. Meanwhile, rushing to rescue POTUS and his young son (Finley Jacobsen) is brawny, ex-Special Forces pro Banning, who manages to outwit, outmaneuver, and outfight every gunman in his path. Yes, it's a formulaic story about a guilt-ridden hero facing his inner demons while trying to fight the enemy, but the CGI images of chaos and destruction in our nation's capital are both indelible and terrifying. Recommended. (S. Granger)