Rated R for strong violence and language throughout.
Staring Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart and Dylan McDermott
Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Shooter, King Arthur and Tears of the Sun)
I know it’s not summer yet, but this is a great summer blockbuster action movie!
The White House (Secret Service Code: “Olympus”) has been captured by a terrorist mastermind. The President has been kidnapped. And disgraced former presidential guard, Mike Banning, finds himself in the middle of it all. As our national security team scrambles to respond, they are forced to rely on Banning’s inside knowledge to help retake the White House, save the President and avert an even bigger crisis.
Antoine Fuqua did a lot of things right with Olympus Has Fallen. The cast is perfect, the story is disturbingly believable and the action is intense.
When I first saw that Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart were in an action movie together…I was sold. But then I heard Morgan Freeman was once again playing the President (or acting President)…and I couldn’t wait! Well let me put you at ease…they are all fantastic.
As far as the story goes everything from the opening scene to the credits (well maybe 15 minutes before the credits roll) is disturbingly believable. When you see the bomber flying low over Washington DC, shooting down fighter jets and taking out part of the Washington Monument, it is a sobering sight. And when you see terrorists shooting their way into the front door of the White House, it really is frightening.
Finally there’s the action. I have to say I really couldn’t ask for much more. I love action movies, but I hate mindless violence and graphic gore. This action is intense, non-stop and intelligent.
SPOILER ALERT:
The only thing I really did not care for was the ending. Although the threat seemed legitimate, I knew there was no way we were going to see it carried out. I also wish they would have done something more creative than the “Apollo 13 cheering” scene.
So even though I didn’t love the ending, I loved everything else so I’m going “Theatre Worthy.”
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
This movie is rated R for a reason so the simple answer is no.
Although there is no sex or nudity, there is plenty of violence and profanity. There are several very bloody results of gun fights and hand-to-hand fighting scenes.
There are 30-40 uses of the F word and occasional uses of milder language.
CONVERSATION STARTER
- In the movie what happened between Mike and The President to strain the relationship?
- Do you remember what Secret Service Director Lynn Jacobs said to Mike over coffee? (She said something along the lines that everyone knows you did the right thing on the bridge that night, but it’s difficult for him to see you and relive it every day.)
- What options do we have when people hurt us or cause pain in our lives?
- Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:32 to “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
In this story we see some of that forgiveness happening at the end of the movie. What are some ways you can forgive those who have hurt you?
Jonathan McKee
Jonathan McKee is the author of over twenty books including the brand new The Guy's Guide to FOUR BATTLES Every Young Man Must Face; The Teen’s Guide to Social Media & Mobile Devices; If I Had a Parenting Do Over; and the Amazon Best Seller - The Guy's Guide to God, Girls and the Phone in Your Pocket. He speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, all while providing free resources for youth workers on TheSource4YM.com. Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their three kids live in California.