Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
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A disgraced Secret Service agent must fight to rescue the U.S. president during a deadly North Korean-led siege of the White House.
The story
Mike Banning, a former U.S. Army Ranger turned Secret Service agent, shares a close bond with President Benjamin Asher and his family. However, after a tragic accident leads to Banning's demotion, a crisis erupts. During a high-level meeting at the White House, independent North Korean terrorists launch a coordinated assault to seize control of the building. Banning must navigate the chaos of the breached fortress to protect the President and the nation's security from a group intent on seizing the country's nuclear capabilities.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Mike Banning, a former Army Ranger and Secret Service agent, is demoted after a bridge accident where he saved President Benjamin Asher but failed to save the First Lady. Eighteen months later, during a meeting at the White House, North Korean terrorists led by Kang Yeonsak launch a coordinated assault to seize the building and the nuclear codes. Banning joins the defense, establishing communication with the Pentagon while navigating the breached White House. The terrorists demand the withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Korea and aim to activate the 'Cerberus' system to turn North America into a wasteland. Banning rescues the President's son, Connor, and thwarts several of Kang's plots. After a series of skirmishes and the destruction of a high-tech anti-aircraft system, Banning confronts Kang. After a staged suicide explosion, Banning tracks the terrorists to a bunker, kills Kang, and deactivates the Cerberus system with seconds to spare. The film ends with Banning resuming his role as head of presidential security as the President addresses the nation.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 119
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Antoine Fuqua
- Writers
- Creighton Rothenberger · writer; Katrin Benedikt · writer
- Cast and characters
- Gerard Butler · Mike Banning; Aaron Eckhart · Benjamin Asher; Morgan Freeman · Trumbull; Angela Bassett · Margaret; Robert Forster · none; Cole Hauser · Connor; Ashley Judd · none; Melissa Leo · none; Dylan McDermott · none; Radha Mitchell · none; Rick Yune · none
- Genres
- political action thriller; action thriller; political thriller
- Themes
- Patriotism; Sacrifice; Terrorism; National Security
- Tone and mood
- Tense; Action-packed
- Premise and plot tags
- White House Siege; Nuclear Threat; Secret Service; Action Thriller
- Source material / true-story basis
- Spec script
- Content notes
- Violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the direction, action, and lead performance but criticized the violence and screenplay.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 49% · scale: percentage · review count: 198; Metacritic · score: 41 · scale: 100 · review count: 30
- Production trivia
- The film was one of two 2013 films depicting a terrorist attack on the White House.; The production relied heavily on visual effects due to the distance from the actual setting.; The film's trailer was criticized for using the Emergency Alert System.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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