Stars: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman
Storyline
After the British Prime Minister has passed away under mysterious circumstances, all leaders of the Western world must attend his funeral. But what starts out as the most protected event on earth, turns into a deadly plot to kill the world's most powerful leaders and unleash a terrifying vision of the future. The President of the United States, his formidable secret service head and an English MI-6 agent who trusts no one are the only people that have any hope of stopping it.
Writers: Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt, Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Alon Aboutboul, Waleed Zuaiter, Adel Bencherif, Mehdi Dehbi, Shivani Ghai, Martin Petrushev, Owen Davis, Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Wildman, Radha Mitchell, Stacy Shane, Penny Downie, Clarkson Guy Williams, Patrick Kennedy, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Cast: Alon Aboutboul -
Aamir Barkawi
Waleed Zuaiter -
Kamran Barkawi
Adel Bencherif -
Raza Mansoor
Mehdi Dehbi -
Sultan Mansoor
Shivani Ghai -
Amal Mansoor
Martin Petrushev -
UAV Reaper Pilot
Owen Davis -
JOSC Officer
Gerard Butler -
Mike Banning
Aaron Eckhart -
Benjamin Asher
Michael Wildman -
Agent Voight
Radha Mitchell -
Leah Banning
Stacy Shane -
Stern-Faced Advisor
Penny Downie -
HS Rose Kenter
Clarkson Guy Williams -
PM Leighton
Patrick Kennedy -
MI5 Intel John Lancaster
Filming Locations: New Boyana Film Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Fredrik Bond was set to direct, but dropped out due to creative difference. See more »
User Review
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Before he can submit his resignation from the Presidential Protection
Division, Secret Serviceman Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is called back
into action to escort President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) to
London, after the British Prime Minister passes away. The funeral
brings the leaders of dozens of countries together in one place,
allowing international arms dealer Aamir Barkawi (Alon Aboutboul) to
initiate a scheme of mass terror. Destroying and occupying key
landmarks across the British capital, Kamran Barkawi (Waleed Zuaiter)
carries out his father's orders to execute the gathered officials. With
hundreds of enemy militants closing in around them, Banning and Asher
must evade their pursuers and coordinate with Vice President Alan
Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) in the U.S. to devise a plan to defeat the
terrorists.
It's nearly impossible for a sequel to outdo the original, primarily
because the very nature of a follow-up is not to improve upon faults,
but rather to capitalize on past successes. "London Has Fallen" doesn't
subscribe to that theory, however, as it has unexpectedly located and
addressed every shortcoming presented in 2013's "Olympus Has Fallen."
It's as if the filmmakers picked up on all the critiques and areas that
underwhelmed, and targeted those points specifically for an overhaul in
this proceeding chapter. The result is not a perfect picture - but the
amplification in quality and amusement is so significant, it makes this
product appear unusually superior to its predecessor.
Korean unification fighters have been replaced by Pakistan-based
extremists, and the arena for warfare is now London instead of the
White House. But, ironically, the subject is still very much about a
U.S. president (the unluckiest one of them all) and his top Secret
Service agent, attempting to survive a hostile situation while
government personnel and military advisers watch idly from massive
monitors. Radha Mitchell is still the inconsiderable wife (now
inhabiting a more tolerable bit part as the humanizer for the herculean
bodyguard), Angela Bassett is still the leader of the protection
detail, and Melissa Leo, Robert Forster, and Morgan Freeman all return
as various cabinet members or interchangeable politicians. And, despite
a venue shift to the Westminster Cathedral, the inevitable storming of
a heavily guarded landmark still features shots of machinegun fire
dancing across white pillars, stone steps, and human bodies.
What has changed, spectacularly for the better, is the amount and
caliber of the humor. Now that the very serious-minded Antoine Fuqua
has been replaced by director Babak Najafi (and a couple of extra
writers were brought on board), an appreciable wit is introduced,
allowing for snappier one-liners (save for the subtle yet silly "Get to
the chopper!"), better threats/insults, and far more gratifying enemy
kills. Engaging in Bond or Bourne-like car chases, "Cloverfield" levels
of destruction, shootouts in abandoned city streets and subways (like
something out of a zombie movie), and video game-styled infiltrations,
"London Has Fallen" also excels in pure action. The choreography is
snazzier, the cinematography is more suspenseful, and the bloodshed is
better integrated into the mayhem. It's no masterpiece, but the
improvements are so surprisingly noticeable that it's difficult not to
be impressed. Surely, few audiences will expect such attention to
gung-ho satisfaction and explosive thrills from a sequel to an
underperforming actioner originally debuting in the slow month of
March.
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