Olympus Has Fallen [movie]

[Axinian]

So is it just me, or is this movie freakin' awesome? It's basically Die Hard, but in the White House, and it's almost as good IMO (though obviously less than Die Hard since it's so derivative of it).

It initially seems like an over-patriotic propaganda movie, and it kind of is. However, the movie is also the sort of 80's action cheese that movies like the Expendables try to re-imagine (and fail). Pretty much every cliche is hit upon, but it does it with a sort of sincerity that makes them feel like a breath of fresh air. There's a lot of creative kills, and awesome, visceral action. There's gatling guns, knife fights, people getting their heads bashed in... The movie does the things it does because it's awesome, not for some lesser reason like realism or grittyness :smalltongue:

It also shows a notable lack of things that make a lot of modern action movies bad. The camera is wobbly, but it's not full-on shaky cam, so you can see exactly what's going on, and this makes a lot of the kills have impact. Furthermore, there's actual COLOR in this movie! It's not just gunmetal gray and nightvision green, there's lots of saturated whites and blues, with some red. That's just not the case in action films anymore!


TL;DR I think this movie's awesome. Have you seen it? What'd you think?

[Hawriel]

Ive read a review or two about it. They said it was entertaining and held together. I see it as Die Hard in the white house of course.

I think if I have access to a car this week I'll go see it.

Just one nit pick really. I honestly can not see North Korea even capable of some thing like this.

[Jayngfet]

The trailers didn't leave me excited.

Who are the bad guys supposed to be? How could they believably pull this off? Who are the main characters and why do I care about them? Everything about the movie comes off as this weird jingoistic mishmash with no real direction.

[Axinian]

Who are the bad guys supposed to be? How could they believably pull this off? Who are the main characters and why do I care about them? Everything about the movie comes off as this weird jingoistic mishmash with no real direction.

It's not believable how they pull it off, like at all, but I found myself not really caring, because gatling guns.

[Jayngfet]

It's not believable how they pull it off, like at all, but I found myself not really caring, because gatling guns.

Which is kind of an issue. I mean you're comparing this to Die Hard here, and it was at least reasonably believable in Die Hard. The criminals were a small but clever organization who planned to get in and out silently using a plan that didn't involve attracting so much attention, foiled by a tough but mostly regular cop who's involvement and effectivness was as much circumstance and luck as skill.

The problem is, that by setting it in the white house, that entire setup falls apart. You can't pull off a major criminal or terrorist job in the whitehouse silently, and to do what presumably the secret service and the many guards on the place can't, the Protagonist has to be like, 50 John McClaines in terms of awesome moments. It's no longer one largely usual guy who has to deal with personal issues against a small band of terrorists in one largely unimportant building he has no real connection to. Which is the entire premise of die hard. That's what makes it such a great movie.

[Jimorian]

Which is kind of an issue. I mean you're comparing this to Die Hard here, and it was at least reasonably believable in Die Hard. The criminals were a small but clever organization who planned to get in and out silently using a plan that didn't involve attracting so much attention, foiled by a tough but mostly regular cop who's involvement and effectivness was as much circumstance and luck as skill.


Actually, their plan was to call as much attention to themselves as possible, then go out with a HUGE bang (to cover their escape). The clever part was that they were making it look like they were run-of-the-mill terrorists with political demands, when really all they wanted was the money.


The problem is, that by setting it in the white house, that entire setup falls apart. You can't pull off a major criminal or terrorist job in the whitehouse silently, and to do what presumably the secret service and the many guards on the place can't, the Protagonist has to be like, 50 John McClaines in terms of awesome moments. It's no longer one largely usual guy who has to deal with personal issues against a small band of terrorists in one largely unimportant building he has no real connection to. Which is the entire premise of die hard. That's what makes it such a great movie.

Again, the goal of the attackers here seems to be to cause as much commotion, chaos, and VISability as possible. So gatling guns, etc.

[Yora]

Ive read a review or two about it. They said it was entertaining and held together. I see it as Die Hard in the white house of course.

I think if I have access to a car this week I'll go see it.

Just one nit pick really. I honestly can not see North Korea even capable of some thing like this.
They aren't. They are just the only people on earth whom you can't offend if you make them movie villains. Otherwise, the options are limited to aliens, zombies, and nazis.

[Muz]

Someone make a movie about alien zombie Nazis taking over the White House.

RIGHT NOW. :smallbiggrin:

[Mutant Sheep]

Someone make a movie about alien zombie Nazis taking over the White House.

RIGHT NOW. :smallbiggrin:

There were those Moon Nazis back in Iron Sky....:smallamused:

[Dienekes]

Which is kind of an issue. I mean you're comparing this to Die Hard here, and it was at least reasonably believable in Die Hard. The criminals were a small but clever organization who planned to get in and out silently using a plan that didn't involve attracting so much attention, foiled by a tough but mostly regular cop who's involvement and effectivness was as much circumstance and luck as skill.

I know Jimor already covered this a bit. But you have seen Die Hard right? You know, the movie where the villains plans actually involved attracting as much attention to them as they could to get the FBI involved?

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Is it worthy of President Morgan Freeman?

[Kindablue]

Is it worthy of President Morgan Freeman?

... didn't the White House get destroyed at the end of Deep Impact too?

[Hawriel]

They aren't. They are just the only people on earth whom you can't offend if you make them movie villains. Otherwise, the options are limited to aliens, zombies, and nazis.

Yeah I know.

I would also add Bond villain and his minions to that list.

[Jayngfet]

I know Jimor already covered this a bit. But you have seen Die Hard right? You know, the movie where the villains plans actually involved attracting as much attention to them as they could to get the FBI involved?

Right. I messed up there, but the point remains. They weren't nearly as brash about it as the others seem to be in the trailers. Remember how their plans didn't involve taking a highly fortified building so much as one office building that had a really good safe? Or causing explosions everywhere and wrecking monuments so that everybody knew where they were instantly?

The attention generated in Die Hard was kinda controlled. They didn't show up with aircraft and do cool urban dogfights. They kept quiet until the right moment as part of a specific plan, to the point where John McClaine needed to make local authorities belive there was even anything going on at one point.

It did eventually explode into a big deal, but by that point things had been building up and things were established in a way that is literally impossible in the white house.

[Avilan the Grey]

Is it worthy of President Morgan Freeman?

Morgan Freeman is God. Not the president of the US of A. I have proof.

I must say the trailer left me with a "meh". Of course if it isn't The Avengers or Iron Man I don't really care about action movies anymore. And I agree with above: Just from the trailer it doesn't seem to have much in common with Die Hard other than on the surface.

[Killer Angel]

Morgan Freeman is God. Not the president of the US of A. I have proof.

After Deep Impact, can you blame him for the Ark? :smalltongue:

[Rogue Shadows]

SPOILERS

Half of this movie was very enjoyable, and that half was enjoyable enough that I would willingly watch it again and enjoy it.

Most notably, I like how we skipped over the "Terrorists get their hands on the President's kid" tried and tired plot idea. Connor escaped, and that makes me happy.

However...I have a few...issues with it.

1) There is no way that something like Cerberus exists.

2) Even if Cerberus does exist, there would be a fail-safe to stop it or shut it down, likely putting in the wrong code twice or something. So the President, head of the Joint Chiefs, and what'serface (I feel bad for forgetting her name 'cause she was awesome) should have just given the North Koreans a false code a few times to make it deactivate.

3) Do you know why we have a President and not a King? Because Presidents are replaceable, so we can avoid situations just like this.

Now I have no problem with President Asher in this movie, he's fine. But the Speaker/Acting President, Trumbull, played by Morgan Freeman, managed to annoy the Hell out of me. As soon as Asher told Trumbull "do not negotiate," Trumbull should have disconnected the line and ceased talking to the North Koreans. Sure, there should still have been an effort to rescue the President, but under no circumstance should we have acknowledged the terrorists after Asher ordered "do not negotiate," no matter who they were threatening to kill.

And then he actually gave in to the North Koreans at the end? BULL****!

If Trumbull still has his job after all this is over, then I'd be supremely pissed. I was really hoping throughout the whole movie that Morgan Freeman would turn out to have been in on the whole thing, thereby explaining his actions...but alas, that did not happen.

The idea of Banning going through all this effort in the White House to rescue his estranged friend, the President, is plot enough for the movie. And of course, rescuing the President and retaking the White House, is a high priority and good enough plot for the movie. But Trumbull actually giving in for the sake of a few people in a bunker? Because as soon as he was taken hostage, that's all Asher was: just some guy. Not the President, not anymore, leastaways not until he was freed.

ARGH!

[Dienekes]

Right. I messed up there, but the point remains. They weren't nearly as brash about it as the others seem to be in the trailers. Remember how their plans didn't involve taking a highly fortified building so much as one office building that had a really good safe? Or causing explosions everywhere and wrecking monuments so that everybody knew where they were instantly?

The attention generated in Die Hard was kinda controlled. They didn't show up with aircraft and do cool urban dogfights. They kept quiet until the right moment as part of a specific plan, to the point where John McClaine needed to make local authorities belive there was even anything going on at one point.

It did eventually explode into a big deal, but by that point things had been building up and things were established in a way that is literally impossible in the white house.

Alright that makes more sense.

Now I haven't seen the Olympus movie and I don't know the villains plan. But I think it is safe to assume that it is not the same plan as the villains from Die Hard. Yes, the trailer makes them look fairly blatant but there plan could revolve around that as well, or maybe they have accounted for it in a way that doesn't leave you questioning the plot holes.

Speaking of, I was always curious when watching Die Hard, after the rooftop explodes how were Gruber and his gang planning on leaving? The building was still surrounded and there was no way out.

[comicshorse]

Thats what the ambulance in the basement was for ( the one the hacker is preparing when he gets punched out by Maclane's driver). They were, presumably, going to blend in with the other rescue vehicles in the chaos and slip away

[Jayngfet]

And then he actually gave in to the North Koreans at the end? BULL****!


Wait wait wait.

North Korea is the villain of this movie? How would that even work? They are to military dictatorships as Thorin Oakenshield is to professional Basketball.

[Teron]

Apparently, China is the new Soviet Union in jingoistic American fiction, and North Korea is what they call China in these movies and video games to avoid offending anyone who matters.

[Chen]

However...I have a few...issues with it.

1) There is no way that something like Cerberus exists.

2) Even if Cerberus does exist, there would be a fail-safe to stop it or shut it down, likely putting in the wrong code twice or something. So the President, head of the Joint Chiefs, and what'serface (I feel bad for forgetting her name 'cause she was awesome) should have just given the North Koreans a false code a few times to make it deactivate.


Agreed wholeheartedly. Not only that but the fact that the nukes were in their silos and they'd detonate is bull****. Plus why not just launch the nukes if that was the worry?



3) Do you know why we have a President and not a King? Because Presidents are replaceable, so we can avoid situations just like this.

Now I have no problem with President Asher in this movie, he's fine. But the Speaker/Acting President, Trumbull, played by Morgan Freeman, managed to annoy the Hell out of me. As soon as Asher told Trumbull "do not negotiate," Trumbull should have disconnected the line and ceased talking to the North Koreans. Sure, there should still have been an effort to rescue the President, but under no circumstance should we have acknowledged the terrorists after Asher ordered "do not negotiate," no matter who they were threatening to kill.

And then he actually gave in to the North Koreans at the end? BULL****!

Yeah worst presidents ever. Not to mention giving the Cerberus codes at all was pointless. He said he wouldn't give HIS code up, but then they'd just torture the other two again. He wouldn't let them die the first time, why would he let them die the next time they tortured them to get HIS code? Trumbull was an idiot too. After they made their demands he should have just answered "No" and hung up.



If Trumbull still has his job after all this is over, then I'd be supremely pissed.


Funnily enough he WOULDN'T still have his job. From the Presidential Succession Act: "If, by reason of death, resignation, removal from office, inability, or failure to qualify, there is neither a President nor Vice President to discharge the powers and duties of the office of President, then the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall, upon his resignation as Speaker and as Representative in Congress, act as President."

Speaker has to resign as speaker before taking on the duties of President. And after that he can't just become speaker again, he has to be re-elected like any other member of Congress.