A Brainless but Entertaining Action Flick
A somewhat dim-witted, yet amusingly so, B-movie action spectacle about saving the American President from hordes of Arab terrorists.
Two years prior, a U.S. military strike decimated the home of Pakistani arms dealer Amir Barkawi (Alon Aboutboul), claiming the life of his daughter. Now, Barkawi and his sons are poised to unleash a devastating revenge upon the Western world. Their initial act involves orchestrating the clandestine assassination of the British Prime Minister. As world leaders converge in London for the funeral, Barkawi’s hired terrorists transform the city center into a war zone, eliminating several heads of state and their entourages. Miraculously, only U.S. President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) and his head of security, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), survive. With London’s police and intelligence services paralyzed, the Americans are left to fend for themselves, battling the relentless pursuit of the criminals.
.jpg “Scene from "London Has Fallen"”)
The film was partially shot in London, with additional filming taking place in India and at the “Boyana” studio in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Three years prior to this release, Antoine Fuqua’s “Olympus Has Fallen” hit theaters, featuring a former Secret Service agent rescuing the President from North Korean terrorists who had seized the White House. While critics weren’t particularly impressed, the film grossed $160 million on a $70 million budget. This success paved the way for Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart to embark on a new adventure – this time on the streets of London, left desolate after a series of audacious terrorist attacks.
.jpg “Scene from "London Has Fallen"”)
“London Has Fallen” marks the English-language debut of Swedish director Babak Najafi, of Iranian descent. His first film, “Sebbe,” won the Swedish national award “Golden Beetle” (the Swedish equivalent of the Oscars) for “Best Film” in 2011.
From Thriller to Straight Action
Unlike its predecessor, which attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, to be a thriller with unexpected plot twists, “London Has Fallen” is a straightforward action film. The narrative surprises cease the moment the terrorists’ plan becomes clear – when Ben and Mike are left to face the villains alone. From that point on, the heroes traverse the city, engaging in skirmishes on the streets, in the subway, and in abandoned buildings. British and American officials helplessly monitor the events on screens. The formula shifts slightly towards the end, but the core remains the same: minimal intrigue, maximum carnage. If you recall the action movies of the 1980s, you’ll know what to expect.
.jpg “Scene from "London Has Fallen"”)
Controversy and Political Incorrectness
The film’s deliberate old-fashioned style has led to Western critics tearing it apart for political incorrectness. The premise of white heroes exterminating an army of Muslims has sparked outrage. Although no one shouts “Allahu Akbar!” in the film, and the villains are motivated by a desire for revenge rather than religious fanaticism, the main characters are portrayed as flag-waving patriots who communicate almost exclusively in patriotic clichés. This nuance does little to appease Western liberal critics, who dislike the portrayal of middle-aged white men as gung-ho patriots.
.jpg “Scene from "London Has Fallen"”)
A Tragicomedy of Errors
However, these cultural wars are distant concerns for some viewers. “London Has Fallen” can be viewed not as a film with political undertones, but as a silly yet entertaining tragicomic action flick, where the absurdity of the events serves as the primary source of humor. There are also jokes reminiscent of the 1980s (“There are more than a hundred of them! – They’ll regret there weren’t fewer!”). The film begins seriously, but as the story progresses, Butler’s character increasingly transforms into a humorous Schwarzenegger-esque figure from “Commando,” which is a definite plus in this type of movie.
.jpg “Scene from "London Has Fallen"”)
Missed Opportunities
The film’s real shortcomings lie not in its script, but in aspects such as the absence of a proper “final boss,” akin to Rick Yune’s character in “Olympus Has Fallen.” In the new film, the terrorist commander, Barkawi’s eldest son, fulfills a similar narrative role, but he lacks the presence of a formidable adversary. When Mike doesn’t immediately kill him in the final showdown, it’s perceived not as a display of the villain’s strength, but as an unexpected weakness of the hero, who previously dispatched terrorists of all calibers with ease. Instead of a brutal fight in the style of the “Commando” ending, the film concludes with a chaotic scuffle, leaving the viewer with less respect for Mike than at the beginning of the film.
.jpg “Scene from "London Has Fallen"”)
Unjustified Masculinity
The film’s blatant and unjustified masculinity is also disappointing. The plot would not have suffered if Ben and Mike had been accompanied on their journey by Charlotte Riley’s character, an acquaintance of the protagonist from British counterintelligence. Given that the action takes place on British soil, an English guide would have been useful from a practical and legal standpoint, not to mention adding an extra touch of sex appeal. However, Jacqueline Marshall only briefly joins the main characters before returning to her helplessly observing colleagues. She has a role in the plot, but it’s a tiny and unnecessary one. It would have been more logical to place her in the epicenter of events for an extended period. Of course, in that case, the genre would have dictated that she and Mike have a romance, but the hero has a pregnant wife waiting for him at home. Couldn’t they have shown a strong professional friendship without romantic complications?
The filmmakers likely spent a significant portion of the $60 million budget on spectacular explosions of London landmarks, with terrorists destroying politicians alongside architectural masterpieces. However, they lacked the funds for high-quality, convincing computer graphics, and this aspect of the film is less impressive than it could have been. Fortunately, this is not a major issue, as all these scenes are merely a prologue to the main action, which features real pyrotechnics and stunts. However, these are rather banal – despite all its frantic energy, the film lacks a truly memorable action scene, which is its main flaw.