I've just watched this movie (in 2016) and it reminded me of White House Down, so I was hoping it would somehow be considerably different. They're not. I mean, the details have changed but the essence of the plot remains the same. If they hadn't been released in the same year, I'd have thought it was a remake. Anyway, if you enjoyed WHD, chances are you'll like this one too. If not, better pick something else to watch.You should know straight away from the implausible plot that this isn't the kind of movie where you'd watch something realistic. There are many plot holes, and if you're the kind of person that sits there thinking "wait, why didn't he do this, how come that happened, that doesn't make sense..." and that takes away your enjoyment of the film, then stay away from this one.If you know that it's only meant as a piece of entertainment with the typical bad guy vs good guy, then this is fun and far from boring. It's not excellent either. It's mostly guns and the fight scenes weren't as well crafted as what you might see in say, the Bourne Identity or Transporter. But it all flows very nicely right from the start and it's two hours of solid action entertainment with enough suspense to keep you wondering what will happen next.In short, if you enjoy an action thriller and don't think too much during the movie, this is a good one to watch.

There isn't much novelty to be found here, nor does it come nearly as ambitious as many classic films of the action genre. It doesn't mean it can't be fun however, or at least entertaining for those who get pumped for watching hasty gunfights and explosions go off in the White House (take Roland Emmerich's 'Independence Day' for example). This patriotic action thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua, the master behind the acclaimed 'Training Day' and 'Shooter', sets viewers in a pulse-pounding shoot-em-up "man vs. terrorist" extravaganza, while borrowing familiar elements of the 'Die Hard' franchise; but perhaps without the humor and charisma of Bruce Willis' John McClane. This film stars Gerard Butler as Mike Banning, a former secret service agent for President Benjamin Asher (played by Aaron Eckhart) who reassigned from position after a tragic event left him emotionally scarred. Now he works for at a desk for the United States Department of Treasury. What starts off as a normal day turns horribly wrong when a fleet of North Korean fighter pilots lead by terrorist Kang Yeonsak (played by Rick Yune) launch an assault on the White House. With President Asher and many other government officials taken hostage, it is up to Banning with the help of House Speaker Allan Trumbull (played by Morgan Freeman) and Director of Secret Service Lynne Jacobs (played by Angela Bassett) through communication via earpiece to save them.An attack on the White House and the destruction of the national monument certainly feels a climatic sequence from a Roland Emmerich movie. But no need to worry, there is an entertaining, if unoriginal plot to be handed here; and not without an amazing plethora of special effects to feed the eyes of action flick junkies. The opening minutes of the North Korean guerilla attack on the White House are incredibly violent and do very little to hold back when sprouting plenty of blood splattering enough to hence an R-rating, and the bloodshed doesn't stop there. The action continues on the lead character's hunt for the ruthless Korean terrorist who has the President and many others taken hostage at gunpoint, as he (Gerard Butler) roams the dark halls through the White House taken out each gunman one by one; and the scenes achieve the blessings of solid cinematography by Conrad W. Hall rather than incoherent shaky cam that far too many action films are infamous for. Though the pacing eventually slows down a bit during the final half-hour, the action and occasional suspense do just enough to keep the film on its feet. Gerard Butler, an actor with a rather rough filmography of the past several years, breaths plenty of life and humanity as lead character Mike Banning. Though he may not obtain the same charismatic persona as John McClane, he nonetheless fits the bill. Rick Yune doesn't quite make a memorable villain either, but to say the least he does his best.Olympus Has Fallen is a pulse-pounding action thriller that though lack novelty, stands strong as an entertaining action popcorn flick with solid special effects and an surprisingly rewarding role by Gerard Butler. This movie is not something I would count on going down as a classic in the genre, but one to enjoy without feeling the need of a rich original action flick.

It is hard to find words for how bad this movie is. Not in terms of acting and technical execution, which are perfectly competent. But why oh why did anyone make the decision to produce this movie? And why, once it was produced, did not someone with a modicum of intelligence and taste not stop it from being released? The story is repeatedly so incredibly stupid that it is hard to believe that anyone with enough intelligence to dress themselves allowed it to proceed to filming. And the only potential audience for it would appear to be people without enough intelligence to function at a minimal level in the world, and with depraved tastes. I can only say that my advice is flee... do not waste a minute of your time on this obnoxious garbage.

Marketed as "Die Hard in the White House", the plot of this action thriller has a lone Secret Service agent taking on North Korean terrorists who have invaded the White House (codename Olympus), holding the President hostage. The film features several gripping action scenes and some of the smaller moments (a bullet-ridden US flag) are very effective, however, the project would have benefited from all the 'Die Hard' parallels being far less pronounced. As it is, Gerard Butler sorely lacks the charisma Bruce Willis brought to the iconic 1988 film, there is significantly less comic relief, and try as Rick Yune does with the part, he is no Hans Gruber. Issues of credibility weigh heavily more against 'Olympus Has Fallen' too; whereas Willis only had to take on board a handful of terrorists in 'Die Hard', here Butler comes off almost without scratch after intense encounters with three or four times as many antagonists! To the film's credit, it does at least attempt to throw some character study in the midst with Butler haunted by an earlier incident in which he was able to save the President, but not his wife, in a road accident. Butler's rapport with the President's son feels very real too. Then again, the film never maximises the potential of Butler and the son knowing all the ins and outs and secret passageways of the White House. Butler's big advantage here is his training rather than his insider knowledge, which in turns renders the film far less interesting than it could have been even if there is a nary a boring moment in the action-packed ride.