Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

stormyridge2 said:Alright, you tireless little critics, how would you actually go about putting together a sequel to White House Down that’s a legit, serious action masterpiece?

Honestly, why even set the bar at "serious action masterpiece"? I don't know what that's supposed to look like anymore. It’d be a lot more sensible to just aim for something that's actually fun to watch without treating the audience like they've got zero brain cells left.

@ Jerry Martinez50:
The Russians are essentially spent—they were the primary antagonists for most of the Cold War, but that era has passed. Hollywood has largely stopped antagonizing the Chinese, though they could certainly emerge as a formidable adversary in the future; however, they lack the necessary grit because China represents such a massive market they can't afford to offend. As for North Korea, they are far too small and impoverished to pose a legitimate global threat. Instead, we have plenty of much more immediate concerns, such as various Middle Eastern factions, organized crime syndicates, cartels, erratic and wealthy dictatorships, or even domestic extremists.

@ Dennis Cooper3:
It possesses certain action elements, but in my estimation, it functions more as a thriller. And yes, it is quite serious. It’s also exceptionally well-made.

I can’t stop thinking about how much of an absolute action masterpiece Face / OFF actually is. 🤷 The acting is just next level—honestly, Travolta and Cage were incredible at pulling off those facial expressions and switching roles so seamlessly—and while the plot isn't exactly groundbreaking, the directing is just pure gold.

Alright, let's do this... How would you guys go about remaking White House Down—and I mean without any of that New York City nonsense—to actually make it a fun action thriller? I'm talking something that doesn't insult the audience's intelligence, features killer acting, smart action sequences, and villains who actually make sense. If anyone can throw together a halfway decent synopsis, you're the real Face / OFF.

In a post-9/11 landscape, an attack on a target of such immense profile would be practically impossible due to the sheer density of security protocols and constant vetting. While villains might successfully kidnap a president at some other location, it simply wouldn't carry the same weight.
Consequently, the narrative would need to be set no later than the 1990s. This necessitates a careful selection of the antagonist to ensure maximum impact—whether it be Russians, Arabs, Chinese, militants, or perhaps even rogue elements within the military or the CIA; essentially, someone possessing sufficient power or deep ties to the administration. Casting a figure like Butler as the hero could work quite well, but one must be cautious with the supporting cast. They shouldn't be too high-profile, lest they become distracted by their own perceived importance, merely going through the motions of a minor action sequence while waiting for the dramatic role that might actually earn them an Oscar nomination. The action itself doesn't require profound intellectual depth, but a definitive choice must be made: will this be an over-the-top spectacle, or will it remain somewhat restrained to allow the thriller elements to take center stage?

I found the assault on the White House in Olympus Has Fallen to be quite compelling; when I really sit down and think about it, it feels entirely plausible that someone with a solid enough plan and sufficient force could actually breach those defenses. You find yourself just strolling along, maybe three hundred yards away from the residence, staring right up at the president's balcony. It makes me wonder about that poor woman who recently charged the White House fence—why wasn't she intercepted or neutralized right there at the perimeter instead of during a high-speed chase later on?
The plane sequence in the movie felt a bit over the top for my taste, but that sheer momentum of the Korean forces launching a brute-force assault on the presidential palace... if we weren't watching one of those Hollywood action flicks where every American soldier seems to drop dead within ten seconds, that could have been utilized for some truly gripping cinema. Personally, I would have structured the narrative around a group of good guys attempting to hold back that wave of aggression, slowly pushing them back toward the house itself. Meanwhile, the president would naturally be tucked away in a safe room, which presents an opportunity for a much deeper subplot—perhaps involving two tech geniuses engaged in a high-stakes battle of wits, good versus evil, as they fight for control over the safe room's access.

I thought Butler was a perfectly fine antagonist; had he been given a few more impressive heists under his belt, he might have actually stood a chance against McClane. And I say "stood a chance," because McClane's true advantage isn't that he's some polished action superhero or a master of one-on-one martial arts; rather, he's just incredibly stubborn, can take a massive beating without folding, and possesses a stroke of devilish luck. That’s precisely what makes him such a brilliant, humorous character. 😬

stormyridge2 said:Alright, let's do this... How would you guys go about remaking White House Down—and I mean without any of that New York City nonsense—to actually make it a fun action thriller? I'm talking something that doesn't insult the audience's intelligence, features killer acting, smart action sequences, and villains who actually make sense. If anyone can throw together a halfway decent synopsis, you're the real Face / OFF.

The attackers—who fully realize this is basically a suicide mission—take the President hostage and seize the White House, using it to blackmail the USA into, say, pulling out of the Middle East.
But here’s the twist: since the President is really just a figurehead president, and the White House is mostly just a massive symbol, the people actually running US policy (you know, the same crowd responsible for the Kennedy situation) start panicking about oil profits and losing global dominance. To cover their tracks, they decide to just level the White House entirely and pin the whole disaster on some lone Secret Service agent who thinks he's the next Rambo.
So, the actual movie wouldn't even be about the siege itself—it would be about a guy desperately trying to stop that shadow plot from unfolding in the final hour.

Not my cup of tea. I didn't really enjoy it, but I stuck it out until the credits rolled. It’s just your standard action flick—great cast, but that's about it.

3/10

So, I finally sat down and watched it last night. Honestly, it was a fun little shooter, and you know me—I’ve always had a massive soft spot for those big-budget American flicks where the President is basically the center of all the chaos. But even though it kept me entertained, let's be real: it wasn't anything groundbreaking. It honestly felt pretty mediocre, maybe even a bit below average if we're being honest about how it stacks up against other action movies in the same genre. It just didn't have that "wow" factor, you know? My rating: 4/10

As my buddy would put it—just typical American nonsense 😁

But honestly, I’m actually digging this 👍

Can't wait for part two...

good grief...

redtiger10 said:good grief...

What are we talking about here? A greater evil, or just some other part of the story? If it's the latter...The trailer.

damn hell😁