ANGEL HAS FALLEN MOVIE REVIEW

Angel Has Fallen Review: Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), is tasked with protecting the President of the United States (Morgan Freeman). During a fishing trip, bomber drones are used in an assassination attempt on the President. Mike barely manages to save him, while other secret service agents are killed in the attack. Both are knocked unconscious, but the President goes into a coma. When Mike comes to his senses, he’s arrested under suspicion of being the assailant behind the attack. Using his skills, Mike escapes custody, but now he needs to prove his innocence while protecting the President.

Picking up after the events of the previous instalment, ‘Angel Has Fallen’ is content to stick with its outdated style of action that offers nothing new or inventive. Its shootouts and fight choreography are reminiscent of the shaky cam, jumpy edit style sequences that were popular years back. The plot is also familiar, and although there are some twists thrown in along the way, they’re not exactly unpredictable. The story lays out some clues about who the antagonists could be and promptly follows through with them. Eagle-eyed viewers who pay attention will be able to figure it out quickly. One interesting angle is the relationship between Mike, and his father Clay Banning (Nick Nolte). This is because of Nick Nolte’s performance as am army veteran who lives off the grid; he brings the right amount of paranoia and heart – the precise mix needed in a film like this.

The entire premise would have been more enjoyable with some crazy humour. But the actors are also burdened with some clunky dialogue. The impact of crucial scenes is lost because of cheesy lines. Sloppy writing weighs down heavy on the actors. Morgan Freeman, Lance Reddick and Danny Huston have more than decent acting chops, but you can see them all struggle with the material. Meanwhile, Gerard Butler’s efforts as Mike Banning are not in vain, but you can’t help he’s trapped, and not by design. While the film’s practical effects are sound, the CGI is downright terrible. ‘Angel has Fallen’ has some redeeming qualities, but they’re too few and far in between to justify its existence.

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