MOVIE REVIEW by Lucas Allen: ‘Angel Has Fallen’ decent ending to so-so trilogy

Angel Has Fallen
(Lionsgate Films)

By Lucas Allen

“Angel Has Fallen” is the third film in a trilogy that began with 2013’s “Olympus Has Fallen,” followed by 2016’s “London Has Fallen.”
Basically, it’s a series of “Die Hard”-style clones that mix over-the-top action with politically charged intrigue. Not the greatest film trilogy, but certainly not the worst if you’re into that mindless fun no matter the ridiculous. So, let’s see if this one will end the trilogy on a good or bad note.
Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is hoping to retire to his wife Leah (Piper Perabo) and their baby daughter after years in the service, while dealing with issues of trauma. However, President Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) wants to make him the new director of the Secret Service during increasingly challenging times for the country. But during a fishing trip, killer drones appeared out of nowhere, killing everyone in the security team except Mike, who managed to keep the president out of danger.
Soon enough, with Trumbull in a coma, FBI agent Helen Thompson (Jada Pinkett Smith) suspects Banning of causing the assassination attempt that’s allegedly funded by the Russians and he’s quickly arrested. While being transported, kidnappers tried to grab him away only for Mike to escape.
As he’s on the run, Mike manages to piece together that the real culprit responsible for the attack was his ex-Army buddy Wade Jennings (Danny Huston) as part of a larger conspiracy. He seeks shelter from his paranoid ex-Vietnam father Clay (Nick Nolte), who abandoned his son as a child and went off the grid. Realizing that Jennings’ men have not yet finished the job, Mike’s in a race against time to save the president and avert a greater disaster.
As expected, this movie is loaded with action and chaos on a massive scale. The shootouts and chase scenes look expertly made putting the viewer in the middle of the mayhem. But the fight scenes are poorly shot and badly edited like somebody else was making the film after drinking one too many cups of coffee. The inconsistency in the direction is almost distracting, but doesn’t ruin the entertainment value.
The movie also displays some more serious drama than in the previous two films. There are some genuine character moments mixed in with an extra dose of political intrigue. But when you get down to it, the conspiracy angle is more convoluted and ridiculous than before. It seems these films weren’t going for real world logic when coming up with politically-charged plans for the villains. Just because the action can be enjoyable, it doesn’t mean we have to take these insane ideas seriously.
Butler remains perfectly at home in the role seemingly determined to convince everyone that he can still create the best moments at his age. His scenes with Nolte are the movie’s shining spots, with the two of them exchanging both quips and drama though their mid-credits scene leaves a lot to be desired. Though he revealed in interviews that he’s doing these movies for a good paycheck, Freeman never half-bakes his performances as he still manages to deliver the goods. The rest of the cast also do some fine work working with what they got for this kind of script.
“Angel Has Fallen” is simply an OK action film on its own, but also a fine ending to a pretty average trilogy. These are the kind of movies you can watch on cable TV on a rainy weekend afternoon and still enjoy it.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: R (for violence and language throughout)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 2.75 Stars (Out of Four)