It could have been such a good action movie…

Source: popmatters.com

…if they had left out about half of the f-words, dropped the overly melodramatic patriotic hoopla, and didn’t need to kill everyone with shots to the head, head stabbings, and head crushing. The movie I am talking about is Olympus Has Fallen.

The writers came up with a quite realistic and plausible story line that had a “terrific action movie” written all over it. Then some ding-dong decided they needed to double the number of f-words in the film, kill all bad people with shots/stabbing/blows to the head, and toss in too many melodramatic images of the American flag like one was watching a Cold War era training film. Funny how all those great World War II movies never felt the need to do any of those and they remain great, patriotic classics still today. For this particular moviegoer, subdued patriotism is more heartwarming and believable than when it is overt and shoved in your face.

I really wanted to like this movie, because the first third of it is very, very good. Then it tends to get bogged down in the “lone wolf hero syndrome” akin to Air Force One, Die Hard, and a plethora of Stallone and Schwarzenegger movies. It works for James Bond, and it could have worked here for Gerard Butler, without the stuff listed in the first paragraph. Mr. Butler is likeable, but why does he have to always kill bad people is gruesome ways? Ashley Judd nearly steals the movie, even though she has a relatively small part.  Morgan Freeman is excellent as usual in his role and Aaron Eckhart does a nice job too.

All in all, I would suggest watching Olympus Has Fallen on television or disk, though I have to admit that some of the initial attack scenes are quite amazing to see in the theater. I just wish they could have not fallen prey to taking the easy way out of making a fine film.

Here’s the trailer: