Olympus Has Fallen

Plot

Disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning finds himself trapped inside the White House in the wake of a terrorist attack; using his inside knowledge, Banning works with national security to rescue the President from his kidnappers.

Release Year: 2013

Rating: 7.1/10 (21,351 voted)

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Storyline

When the White House (Secret Service Code: “Olympus”) is captured by a terrorist mastermind and the President is kidnapped, disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning finds himself trapped within the building. As our national security team scrambles to respond, they are forced to rely on Banning's inside knowledge to help retake the White House, save the President and avert an even bigger disaster.

Writers: ,

Taglines:
When our flag falls our nation will rise.

Details

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Language: ,

Release Date:

Filming Locations: USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $70,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $30,373,794

(USA)
(22 March 2013)

Gross: $89,582,504

(USA)
(23 April 2013)

Technical Specs

Runtime:
120 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

Gerard Butler was once in consideration to star as CIA operative Mitch Rapp in the now-aborted film adaptation of Vince Flynn's novel Consent to Kill. The first novel that Rapp appeared in was Transfer of Power, which has an extremely similar plot to Olympus Has Fallen – terrorists seize control of the White House, and Rapp must get to the President in his bunker before the terrorists do. See more »

Goofs:

The White House is not nearly as bright white colored as depicted in the movie. The front lawn of the White House is much deeper between the house and the street than depicted. See more »

Quotes:

User Review

What "Die Hard 5" should have been.

Rating: 7/10


I find it ironic that Gerard Butler, a Scotsman, as disgraced Secret
Agent Mike Banning, embodies the spirit of John McClane much more than
Bruce Willis did in that last dreadful outing. If anything, Butler has
done nothing more than to cement his reputation as a bankable and
likable action hero for the new generation in this old-school action
movie. He has a commanding presence on-screen, quips wisecracks, bleeds
when it's crucial, and dispatches the bad guys in a methodical cross
between Jason Bourne and John Rambo. Not even the fine supporting cast
(Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Melissa
Leo, Dylan McDermott) can take away Butler's limelight.

Indeed, Antoine Fuqua's "Olympus Has Fallen" is not only terrific
entertainment but a terrific throwback to the pivotal 90's action
movie, the Die Hard clone – and this film ("Die Hard" in the White
House) is another reminder of why the trusted formula works, even if it
has been dormant for nearly two decades (the last good big one being
Peter Hyams' "Sudden Death").

From the moment the film's main action start, the film doesn't stop
running. The bad guys, hoo boy do they mean business. Rarely, if at
all, have I seen this much brutal collateral damage in an American
action film. Americans citizens get mowed down by bullets from ground
and air forces. The all-American (Scottish) hero represents freedom and
justice, and the bad guys represent every American's worst nightmare. I
haven't seen this much political incorrectness since "The Delta Force".
Having said that, Rick Yune surprisingly makes for an effective and
nasty villain, who is relentlessly cold, smug and procedural in his
mission, following the formula perfectly. If it ain't broke, don't fix
it.

It's fast, it's loud, it's preposterous, and yet I enjoyed every minute
of it. The film is chock-full of sensational and well-shot action
sequences/special effects, but its biggest strength is its cohesion.
From start to finish the plot moves smoothly, and you can tell who the
good guys and the bad guys are. The characters are established, their
motives clear, and that's that. The action sequences do not simply skip
to each other, they flow perfectly like a stream, thanks to crisp
editing. Simplicity is key here, and convoluted plots do not fit in the
formula (hear that, "Die Hard 5"?)

Fuqua is no stranger to action, having helmed the solid "Shooter" six
years ago. Here he ratchets up the action up to a 10 (CGI is present
but used reasonably), and he remarkably doesn't hold back on the
tension. It's no "Training Day", but it more or less hearkens back to
an Antoine Fuqua who made "The Replacement Killers". Just thrilling
fun.

Of course the plot isn't original. It's a genre picture, and what I pay
to see in a genre picture is its skillful craft and cohesive plot. This
film has both, and resurrects the Die Hard clone from the grave. Here I
thought I was getting bored of action movies. The genre is dying, you
say? Here's a solid kicker.