Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

Elevator Pitch: Mike Banning, a former chief of security for the President of the United States is working at the US Treasury when the White House is attacked by a terrorist organisation. Inside the building are a group including the North Korean Prime Minister and they and the President are hustled by the secret service to “The Bunker” an underground security facility. As the building is attacked the senior military and secret service personnel collect in the Pentagon, headed by the Speaker of the house as stand-in President. Inside the White House Banning with knowledge, eliminates terrorists and communicates with the Pentagon, but can he get to the bunker and stop the devastation of America.

 Content: No sex or nudity. Initially there is a presidential car crash in a snowstorm and the President’ wife is killed. Very spectacular. Later when the attack begins a military aircraft shoots up the White House and surroundings, the fencing is breached and hordes of Koreans attack with automatic weapons. In the bunker, the terrorists with them executed people so that the Pentagon will do what they want. Central to the plot is a secret system which will give control of all the missile warheads in the country to an operator. Three people have the codes.

A View: Half the reviewers liked this outing, and it made quite  a bit of money. $30 million on its first weekend. This is the second time I have reviewed it, and looking back I was quite hard on it the first time. There are quite a few very improbable scenes. The terrorists have a secret anti-aircraft system. Where did they get it from the new President asked? We are not told. But this time round I liked it, and so will you if you enjoy action movies.

Additional Info: Gerard Butler, actually a Scot from Paisley, is suing the