Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

It’s funny how Hollywood is basically a place where creativity just grows on trees—and somehow, two similar ideas can't exist at the exact same time. Since we already did Armageddon = Deep impact = Dante's peak = Vulcano, apparently next year the White House is going to be in danger not just once, but twice. To be honest, the plot of this one is still a bit fuzzy, but the gist is pretty standard—terrorists are planning an attack on the White House. And, of course, someone has to stop them. Who? Well, they go with the most predictable hero choice imaginable (though, let's face it, we've seen it a million times before) because he's: a former agent, demoted, kicked out, struggling with booze, dishonorably discharged, fired, replaced... kind of like a younger John McClane. Unlike the first flick, this one actually beefed up the cast with some decent stars—if you can even call them that—since we've got Gerard Butler leading the charge, followed by Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, Ashley Judd, Radha Mitchell, Robert Foster, Angela Bassett... so, I guess you could say the acting powerhouse is leaning more toward this movie. Some might point to the directing since Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) is behind the camera, but Emmerich is still the king of the big spectacle... The film was originally titled White House Down, but they swapped it to what it is now (any hint that the American President is basically a god like Zeus is intentional) because the creators didn't want people to realize they were ripping off an existing idea, so... same movie, really.



IMDb

man, I seriously can't wait—these are what real movies look like. We're talking top-tier effects, massive casts, pure spectacle... just total brain candy. Honestly, I'd much rather sink my teeth into something like this than waste my time sitting through those depressing little indie dramas and all that other crap.

Official trailer...

I’m genuinely surprised they didn't cast James Cromwell. If he isn't playing the President, they could have at least thrown him a bone as a Secretary or some high-ranking Cabinet member.😁

Man, just die already 😬

I’m all about these kinds of flicks—just turn your brain off, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the ride 😁

Like they say: use your head and enjoy the ride.

briskhound2 said:It’s funny how Hollywood is basically a place where creativity just grows on trees—and somehow, two similar ideas can't exist at the exact same time. Since we already did Armageddon = Deep impact = Dante's peak = Vulcano, apparently next year the White House is going to be in danger not just once, but twice. To be honest, the plot of this one is still a bit fuzzy, but the gist is pretty standard—terrorists are planning an attack on the White House. And, of course, someone has to stop them. Who? Well, they go with the most predictable hero choice imaginable (though, let's face it, we've seen it a million times before) because he's: a former agent, demoted, kicked out, struggling with booze, dishonorably discharged, fired, replaced... kind of like a younger John McClane. Unlike the first flick, this one actually beefed up the cast with some decent stars—if you can even call them that—since we've got Gerard Butler leading the charge, followed by Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, Ashley Judd, Radha Mitchell, Robert Foster, Angela Bassett... so, I guess you could say the acting powerhouse is leaning more toward this movie. Some might point to the directing since Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) is behind the camera, but Emmerich is still the king of the big spectacle... The film was originally titled White House Down, but they swapped it to what it is now (any hint that the American President is basically a god like Zeus is intentional) because the creators didn't want people to realize they were ripping off an existing idea, so... same movie, really.



IMDb

Man, seriously though, who on earth is gonna step up to play the savior (the President of the USA) once Morgan finally kicks the bucket? 😁

Check out these fresh new posters and my own little American take on the film...

irontiger29 said:Man, seriously though, who on earth is gonna step up to play the savior (the President of the USA) once Morgan finally kicks the bucket? 😁

Well, Denzel. 🤷

So, I just sat through Olympus Has Fallen.
This flick actually hits its mark way better than those last two Die Hard sequels—you know, the ones that felt like they were running on fumes. Gerard Butler is honestly great as... well, not John McClane, but some guy in a similar predicament.
We’re talking hundreds of dead bodies and enough explosions to level a small suburb.
There is one massive catch, though—the absolute peak of the action, all that shooting and chaos you saw in the official trailer, pretty much happens in the first thirty minutes.
After that, things just sort of... settle down. The rest of the movie is significantly slower compared to how it kicked off.
It’s basically an adrenaline spike right out of the gate, followed by a long, slow descent.

That said, the movie is packed with violent deaths—everything from gunfire to blades, plus plenty of property damage—and it's all shot with a really clean, professional eye. If you're looking for that kind of spectacle, I'd definitely say go for it.👍

I'm really curious to see if this one lands for me. I'm heading to the theater tomorrow.. 😁
Actually, thanks for the heads-up that most of the action happens in the first half. Good to know so I can prepare myself. 😬

wiredgardener3 said:I'm really curious to see if this one lands for me. I'm heading to the theater tomorrow.. 😁
Actually, thanks for the heads-up that most of the action happens in the first half. Good to know so I can prepare myself. 😬

Look, let's be clear—the whole movie is packed with action and fighting, but that opening sequence is so massive and absolutely insane that everything else feels quiet by comparison. The beginning is just pure, large-scale chaos, whereas the rest of the film settles into this cat-and-mouse game punctuated by frequent one-on-one skirmishes or maybe one guy against three or five. As for the body count? It's high enough—they kill plenty throughout the entire thing.😍

Aha, I get it, I get it... 😁 All five of them. Should be a solid lineup either way 😁

I think it's great!!!

What an absolutely fantastic movie!

"Jack Olympus" is finally delivering
!

Scored free tickets, heading to the theater tomorrow.

Low expectations, for good reason. Hopefully, it's just mediocre..

casualgull said:Scored free tickets, heading to the theater tomorrow.

Low expectations, for good reason. Hopefully, it's just mediocre..

I started watching it at the theater the other day, but the projector died about 25-30 minutes in. 🙄

Even though I only caught the extended trailer, the acting was irritatingly bad, especially Butler. 🤷 The only decent character in the film is McDermott, though Eckhart and Butler aren't half bad either.

I don't know what you were looking for, girl—you're posting in all pink, but honestly, all you can expect from this is shootouts, explosions, and some seriously creative kills, which is exactly what it delivers. Even with my low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised after getting burned by those new Schwarzenegger or Stallone types who promise the world and give you nothing. Finally, a movie with actual guts and killer action, especially that first half hour.

I'm happy with it.