Angel Has Fallen: Review

Butler's 'Has Fallen' trilogy goes out with a flash-bang by being a superior, character-led sequel with plenty of action, emotion and solid performances, in this year's best action movie

Gerard Butler and Morgan Freeman in 'Angel Has Fallen' (CREDIT: Lionsgate/Millennium Films)

by Jack Linsdell

Gerard Butler has made his name (and a career) out of being an action star, yet the last time he had a chart-topping film domestically (North America) on opening weekend was 13 years ago in 2006 with 300. Yet, with a robust $21 million debut this weekend, Angel Has Fallen has broken that record by taking the top spot. And, the reason why. It's one of the best action movies ever made. To answer why it's so good, let's briefly explain why most action movies aren't.

In most action flicks, our protagonist is nothing beyond a macho, indestructible, superhero-type figure, someone with little to no characterisation or emotional conflict beyond how great they are at driving every mode of transport known to man. When the action comes, it's often unrelated to the plot (Spectre), unrealistic and overly fantastical (Fast & Furious 6) and shot/edited to pieces to be as confusing as hell (Taken 2). When Antoine Fuqua's Olympus Has Fallen hit theatres in 2013, not only was it the second movie that year to have the hook "the White House is put under siege" (along with the terrible White House Down), but it provided audiences with an explicitly R-rated, adult action movie, with just enough characterisation, emotional trauma and political subtext around it's leading man to elevate it from very entertaining status. Three years later, a new filmmaker (Babak Najafi) was at the helm for the frankly dire sequel London Has Fallen, which not only undid everything the original did so well at, but it was far from entertaining either. That bring us to 2019, and Angel Has Fallen. 

Ric Roman Waugh is in the directors chair this time and what a job he's done. Firstly, he shot the hell out of this one, combining the chaotic, hand-held camera work style of Paul Greengrass (Bourne series) and the stylistic, tension-based form of a Christopher McQuarrie (Mission: Impossible) flick. The action is full of stakes, yet never confusing or disorientating, as we're always aware of the geography of a scene (where the characters are in relation to one another). It's both elegant and thrilling, and what's more very realistic with clever camera shots and lighting choices. The action never overstays it's welcome, and Butler's Mike Banning isn't some superhero. When a car crashes, it's a write off. When's he's shot, he's down. Narratively wise, this one is more than just solid, with a simple, uncliched story, yet one filled with interesting characters and sexy plot twists. It never insults the audience's intelligence, yet never allows itself to be predictable or tame either, and with excellent political subtext and topicality, remains relevant and fresh. Ric Roman Waugh co-penned this one with another excellent writer Robert Mark Kamen (The Karate Kid, Taken series) and Matt Cooke, based on a story idea by the franchise's original writing pair Creighton Rothenberger & Katrin Benedikt, and the quality of the script shows. It puts Butler's Mike Banning at the centre of the movie, showing him as a flawed, broken yet incredibly loyal and selfless secret service agent, and his bond with Morgan Freeman's President and Nick Nolte as his father provides some truly poignant emotional moments in between the action scenes. 

To quote the director Ric Roman Waugh, he's said this which I think sums the film's action perfectly. “Angel is definitely where I’m bringing my action sensibilities and my dramatic sensibilities together,” Waugh said. “The struggle was to maintain intimacy while creating scope. So you’re trying to create massive spectacle and big, big visceral set pieces but keep the intimacy of character, meaning that you’re always emotionally connected to what’s going on and not just creating action for the sake of action.”

Yes, for the folks who want to see another instalment of "Gerald Butler as Mike Banning saving America" then Angel Has Fallen is a very entertaining movie and certainly delivers. It's tense and brutal, yet never gory or unnecessary violent, and has you hooked from an enthralling and clever opening scene as it builds towards an exciting showdown in a public hospital at the climax. But, this one goes beyond just entertaining. It gives you a lead character (Banning) who you actually care about because we get to know him as a...yep, you guessed it...a character. We see Banning struggling with his senior age, the effects that years of intense physicality has taken on his body and mind and failing to tell anyone including his family and the president about it. After dealing with their martial issues in Olympus Has Fallen, and dealing with a new-born child in London Has Fallen, this three-quel has Banning's wife Leah (Piper Perabo replacing Radha Mitchell from the first two flicks due to scheduling conflicts) and their young child as concerned family, kept in the dark by Banning with his health deterioration/concerns. The domestic drama extends to Banning's lack of a paternal father figure, addressed with his new found relationship with his father played by the fantastic Nick Nolte. It's the fact that this is as much an intimate, character-drama about an aging bodyguard as much as it is an exciting action-thriller that makes this an excellent movie. Character over action all day long.

The 'Has Fallen' trilogy has seen the fall of the White House, then the city of London, and now it's Mike Banning's turn. Framed for the attempted murder of Freeman's President, Banning is forced on the run to clear his name and fight a personal antagonist (played by Danny Huston) behind it all. Yes, it's a more Taken 3/Bourne Supremacy storyline than the first movie's "trapped in a single place" thriller narrative, but instead of becoming cliched, this one manages to serve up an original story in a type of narrative strand that's been done to death so many times.

Let's also mention the array of well-sketched characters, who are all outstandingly performed by a stacked cast. Butler actually has a character to play here, which allows him to really step up from action star to solid actor status, and puts in a fantastic performance. Danny Huston adds another quietly menacing antagonist to his resume, whilst Jada Pinkett Smith really delivers as a strong-willed, yet ultimately good FBI agent. Tim Blake Nelson really sells his smarmy, arrogant Vice President as someone who shouldn't be given any seat in power, yet the real standout is Nick Nolte whose long established himself as one of this century's finest actors, and that experience and skill is brought to creating an emotionally-broken, rough-neck and comedic father to Banning, and providing us many of the laughs. Not to mention a fantastic mid-credits cookie between Butler and Nolte, which although a little out of place, is a lovely, and very funny, sketch as the credits roll. 

I could sit here all night and day urging you to see Angel Has Fallen and explaining how good it is. But, movie's like this can only really be shown for their full brilliance by you going to see them. All you need to know is that you're guaranteed solid entertainment and that Angel Has Fallen leaves this series on a high note by existing as a character-drama first, action movie second. But, it's a thrilling ride, one that will be enjoyed on numerous repeats because it's a well-made movie. In this genre that's rare. Let's just hope audiences turn up accordingly. 

5/5 STARS