Gerard Butler returns as secret service agent in the third instalment of the action franchise, Angel has Fallen.
read more
Gerard Butler returns as secret service agent in the third instalment of the action franchise, Angel has Fallen.
If you’ve seen Olympus has Fallen and London Has Fallen, you kind of already know what to expect heading into the cinemas. While the previous two films showed a lot more macro action - big explosions and extensive shuffling of manpower around, this one feels more like a battle of determination as Banning (Butler) attempts to escape the eagle-eyed FBI all while trying to prove his innocence.
In the beginning, we are introduced to one of Banning’s old military buddy, Wade Jennings (Danny Huston) who is now operating his own private security firm. Unable to withstand the pain from a series of concussions he suffered throughout this career, Banning resorts to popping painkillers, keeping his struggles a secret from his wife Leah (Piper Perabo, taking over for Radha Mitchell), his superior, Secret Service Director David Gentry (Lance Reddick) and President Trumbull (Morgan Freeman).
After a drone attack that wiped out all the secret service agents and nearly killed the president (Morgan Freeman), save for Banning. He finds himself blamed for the attack and the FBI - lead by an underutilised FBI Special Agent Helen Thompson (Jada Pickett Smith) is hot on the heels in convicting him for his crime. In order to clear his name and protect his country from unknown sources killing his comrades, Banning has to flee from both the government and the bogus organisation that pinned the crime against him. His escape led him to reconcile with his estranged father (Nick Nolte) who was living off the grid for many years, before heading back to complete what he set out to do in the first place - to protect the president.
For the first half of the movie, it focuses on Banning’s escape who, time to time, manages to break free from handcuffs to a massive road chase and many combat fights later. While it is nice to see a different narrative arc taken compared to its previous two outings, the darkly-lit tone of the movie for most parts of the action was tough on the eye. What essentially could be seen was mostly vehicle lights and fire coming out from explosions.
The film does pick up after Banning returns to ‘surrender’ himself in order to prove his innocence and to protect the president from a planned assassination. Butler is clearly in his zone as the action star who even serves as a co-producer this time round. From over-the-top action sequences to close-combat fights, the actor pulls off a convincing and commendable performance.
As far as his journey from the first till now, the addition of a family at risk didn’t help much in forming what could have been a more robust emotional character arc for Banning.
In all, Angel Has Fallen is a predictable action flick - if you have caught the first two films of the series, you could already guess from the get-go who is the mastermind behind the assassination attempt. There never really were surprising twists and turns, save for the last half an hour where the real action takes place. However, the flick promises the action you would expect from ‘The Fallen’ movie series.
read less