Olympus Has Fallen is everything A Good Day to Die Hard should have been, but sadly was not the case. John McClane could have easily been written in as the main character, complete with his one-liners, and we would've had one of the better films in the series. The comparison is glaringly obvious, because Olympus has been marketed to death as being basically Die Hard in the White House, just as much as Air Force One was Die Hard on a plane. Here, the audience is taken on an incendiary, bullet-riddled tour of the Executive Mansion, and it's crawling with America's latest fear - North Korean terrorists. While the film is marred by being one of the better Die Hard clones, a little suspension of disbelief towards the expected logic holes will leave you in for a fun ride.
Secret Service Agent Banning (who's a dead ringer for Syphon Filter's Gabe Logan) is working a mundane desk job in Treasury security, after the First Lady dies in a tragic accident under his command. The day after Independence Day, his best friend, the President, is hosting the South Korean Prime Minister to discuss protection from their tension-risen North neighbors. Eventually, all hell breaks loose when a Secret Service double-agent and a contingent of North Korean terrorists attack the White House, capture the Executive Branch and the Prime Minister, and wipe out a number of pedestrians and law enforcement on Pennsylvania Avenue faster than you can say "Oppa Gangnam Style." Alerted first-hand to the chaos, Banning infiltrates the White House, and maintains contact with the Speaker - now the Acting President. Holding the President hostage, the terrorist leader begins to torture his staff for clearance codes, leading to a more harrowing scheme than mere ransom. When the threat becomes a race against time, Banning not only sees this as an opportunity to save the President, but redemption as well.
Anyone looking for authenticity in Olympus will be sorely disappointed (and I would laugh); there is no possible way anything like this could happen in real life, unless I'm mistaken and the whole thing was actually directed by Kathryn Bigelow, complete with CIA clearance. Let's face it: It's just an action film. Once you get past that bitter herb of truth, the rest of it's gravy. The opening attack is shockingly brutal; landmarks are desecrated and there's bloodshed aplenty. Performances are stellar, especially with the veteran supporting cast. The action is fairly relentless, some fight scenes are a little under-choreographed, but the brutality makes up for it. When the film shifts gears towards Banning's race against time, all expectations go out the window as you're drawn to the edge of your seat. So ultimately, while the story's nothing new, I welcome anything with a high-concept like "Die Hard in the White House," simply because you know what to expect while watching it. Where Olympus delivers in action and thrills, that's where it succeeds with brio.
And at any rate, it looks like June's White House Down is going to have some big shoes to fill.
8/10
Peace,
- Jon
