La Chute du président

After looking at my list for this year, there really aren't that many straight forward action films made anymore. But Angel Has Fallen came at the perfect time, end of August/early September when there's not much else out in theaters, at least blockbuster movie wise. While not better than the first entry 'Olympus Has Fallen', it is certainly superior to 'London Has Fallen' from 2016, and it makes for a nice cap to the 'Has Fallen' trilogy. That is, if this is the end to the series. And look, there's a ceiling to Gerard Butler's acting talent, but he's more than serviceable in a role like this and last year's Den of Thieves. Oh and Nick Nolte? He's so dang good in this movie it feels like he's on an entirely different level than everyone else. I'm here for it.

7.0/10

Early in this film we get two things pointed out. First we get to meet an old friend of Angel, who is the head of a large private military contractor. Secondly we understand that the President (who is guarded by Angel) is clamping down on private military contractors. The rest of it writes itself from here, and the plot is fairly by the numbers in terms of what it does. Fortunately it has the money to make it look good and have some good action, even if the story is hokum. It helps of course that nothing about it suggests that it is anything more than a B-movie thriller.

It has plenty of military hardware, masculinity, gruff dialogue, and shots of people running with guns; all of which keeps the film moving along reasonably well. If offers nothing more than this. The viewer will know the plot before the film gets there, so one does find that you need the famous faces and solid set pieces to distract; and luckily both do. Engaging but routine action sequences distract, and inbetween I found myself wondering what made Butler into a star, how Perabo looks so terrific when she is the same age as me, whether or not Pinkett-Smith had surgery (well, she clearly did on the basis of this), and if Danny Huston is really a good actor or just has a genetic disposition to being a good screen presence. And on top of that we have Nick Nolte doing top Nolte.

The result is enjoyable enough, but totally forgettable - indeed I often write these little comments months after the facts now due to other time pressures, but in this case I wrote it within a few hours as I figured the film would be gone within a few days. It's fine as late night TV tosh, but nothing more than that.

This is being judged too harshly. Is it predictable? Yes. Generic? Yeah. But what do you expect? It's a nuts and bolts action film, entertaining enough and worth your time.

I like this movie it provides more of the same as its predecessors.

I did find myself comparing it to The Fugitive (and no its not as good) but perhaps unfairly as Angel is not looking for drama so much as action.

At the end of the movie I left hoping to see another addition to the series, so I guess that is a good indication of how I felt about the movie.

Next one maybe a mash up...Taken Has Fallen?

This movie was actually quite good, but then again, so was the first movie "Olympus Has Fallen" from 2013. Oddly enough, I never got around to watching the 2016 movie "London Has Fallen" - but I will definitely do so, especially after this movie was as good as the first one.

"Angel Has Fallen" is an action movie, and it is a type of action movie that brings you back to the nostalgic action movies from the peak times of the likes of Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Seagal, Van Damme, etc. So if you grew up on those iconic action movies and enjoyed them, then you would definitely also like the movies with Mike Banning (played by Gerard Butler).

The storyline in "Angel Has Fallen" is straight forward and it is actually quite good. I really enjoyed how director Ric Roman Waugh brought the storyline and script to life on the screen. And I will say that you quickly and easily immerse yourself into the movie.

The acting in the movie was good, and there is a good group of actors and actresses on the cast list, with the likes of Gerard Butler, Danny Huston, Nick Nolte and Morgan Freeman.

It should be said that "Angel Has Fallen" focuses a lot on the action sequences, which is definitely enjoyable - I particularly enjoy that. But at the same time, director Ric Roman Waugh manages to keep enough focus on the storyline as well and also makes it a non-linear storyline, so there are some nice ups and downs throughout the course of the movie.

I am rating "Angel Has Fallen" a solid seven out of ten stars, and this is definitely an action movie that is well worth sitting down to watch, and I would say that this is also a movie that you can watch more than just once.