Olympus Has Fallen
Stars: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett
When the White House is attacked and the president (Aaron Eckhart) is captured by terrorists, and Speaker of the House Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) entreats a discredited Secret Service agent (Gerard Butler) to “open the gates of hell” to rescue the president, you know it’s time to batten down the hatches and get ready for a wild ride. Butler is in top form, as are his co-stars.
Director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) has a rare gift for coaxing the best performances from his actors. Granted, he did have an A-list cast of very talented thespians to work with, but in a less skilled director’s hands this nonstop action flick could easily have devolved into camp. Fortunately for moviegoers, that’s not the case here. –p.d. lee
