Angel Has Fallen: Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman's overlong franchise should have stopped long time ago

The only question lingering in your mind while watching Angel Has Fallen would simply be: how is it that this franchise is in its third instalment, and shows no sign of stopping. Every subsequent film is significantly worse in quality, and yet here we are, on part three of sucksville.

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Angel, for those not keeping track, is the third film after Olympus and London Has Fallen. We are back in the shoes of modern day John McLaine Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), who must once again save the president of the US from a terror attack. This time, to throw in something new Banning is framed, and the entire secret service is after him because they think he is the one who wants POTUS dead. 

If you have been brought up on a diet of thrillers in the '90s, you will be reminded very quickly that this film is very much like The Fugitive. In fact, there is a moment in the third act, which is exactly like a moment in the finale of that movie. But if this was intended to be a homage, it is quite a mediocre one because at no point does this movie thrill or surprise – everything is so stale and cold you wonder how this film managed to time travel a couple decades. There is no focus on pacing, or an element of well earned revelation, or any ingenuity in delivering suspense, or even a modicum of well constructed action thrills – the whole thing is a dumb meathead of a movie that just drones on for far too long, and shows you something that is two hours too late. 

It is, however, designed for a particular kind of audience – the one that loves pulpy actioners that put the president in danger – and on that front this is a very well-oiled machine. Morgan Freeman plays the POTUS in a believably compassionate way. Butler is flexing his biceps, jumping into lakes to save him is only going to to render MAGA boners to audiences who dig this stuff. Butler’s ‘investigation’ is also treated in a predictably over-dramatic manner, which culminates in a ridiculous man-to-man fight with the bad guy – which is only going to make those who love this franchise clap real hard. The odd thing is this is the only movie in the trilogy that features acceptable acting performances, so all the corny plotting is swept under the rug. 

There is little else to recommend or talk about in this film because it is such a big ball of nothingness. It does, however, make you question why Butler’s career trajectory, which began with a bang in 300, is now reduced to this junk. You could get aboard a drinking game about which element would be targeting POTUS in the next film, and which action movie cliché would Banning be utilizing to combat the villain. And going by Butler’s haggard look in this movie, one would not be surprised to see the next one titled Crutches Have Fallen. 

Rating: *