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LONDON HAS FALLEN (USA 2015) **
Directed by Babak Najafi

Review by Gilbert Seah

Audiences are always awed when world famous landmarks are demolished on screen. But when these are done by CGI, it loses its effect and even more when too many, as in this film tumble to the ground. The single sight of a bus crashing at Piccadilly Circus in AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON one without CGI is so much more exciting than anything seen in LONDON HAS FALLEN.
For those who have forgotten the film OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, LONDON HAS FALLEN is a sequel to that 2013 film in which terrorists attacked the White House In LONDON, the terrorists are shifted from the Koreans to the Muslims. All the actors in the first film reprise their roles in the sequel. Aaron Eckhart plays the U.S. President, Benjamin Asher with the same lead character the super U.S. Secret service Agent, former Army Ranger, Mike Banning, again played by Gerard Butler. Angela Bassett, Morgan Freeman, Robert Forster Radha Mitchell and ours reprise their roles.

Swede director Babak Najafi takes over the directing reigns from Antoine Fuqua. Nahafi’s only credit is the sequel to EASY MONEY called EASY MONEY 2 that never got a release in North America.

The simple plot involves the British Prime Minister dying under questionable circumstances. When all the world’s most powerful leaders including President Benjamin Asher and Manning travel to London for the funeral, all the leaders including the Canadian P.M. are assassinated.

There can be little suspense less excitement in a film where the lead character like this super security bodyguard is invincible. No matter how low the odds on survival, no matter how much enemy firepower or enemy numbers there are, the audience knows he will get through with hardly a scratch. The script attempts to up the angst by having his wife (Mitchell) deliver a baby while he is on assignment in London, but with little effect.

There is little to praise in a script that follows the rules of an action flick without much imagination. It begins with the set up, the main staging of the falling of London and the saving of the U.S. President at all costs. And of course, the mastermind villain is taken down at the end. The dialogue is also run of the mill. President: “What if you don’t come back (for me)?” Butler: “Then you are f***ed. Don’t jinx me” President: “That was encouraging.” At least in the first OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, the First Lady (Ashley Judd) gets killed – a major surprise. No twists in the plot or surprises in this one.

Gerard Butler is too eager to be seen in blockbuster 5-star films. In these two weeks, he has been over-exposed in GODS OF EGYPT and LONDON HAS FALLEN. 5-star movies? Apparently London is not the only thing that has fallen.
Compared to OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, LONDON HAS FALLEN is more of the same. But mostly, recycled material that the audience has seen already once too often.

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