Sometimes the stars align just right, to tell you the world is going to be ok. Well, at least in terms of action movies. While John Wick Chapter 3 is gearing up to over take cinemas this week with a symphony of headshots, Mike Banning is sharpening his knives, to conduct a head-stab concerto, later this summer. That’s right, the improbable “…Has Fallen” franchise is back with another installment, Angel Has Fallen, and we’ve got the trailer to prove it. Behold!
If you didn’t smile or laugh once during that trailer, I encourage you to watch it again. Few things are so perfect or ridiculous, as what is contained above. Gerard Butler is back as Mike Banning and that’s all that really matters. There’s some shoddy CGI here and there, but Banning will slice through it all, to emerge victorious. 75% Morgan Freeman (the one constant in the series, besides Butler) makes it out alive. Mostly because you can only have so many failed assassination attempts in one movie. The best piece in this footage though, is the inclusion of Nick Nolte as Gerard Butler’s dad. That’s pitch perfect casting. If Angel Has Fallen doesn’t feature a seen where the two men mumble growl at each other, for at least a minute, then we as a society are doomed.
As per standard operating procedure, here’s the official synopsis:
“When there is an assassination attempt on U.S. President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman), his trusted confidant, Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), is wrongfully accused and taken into custody. After escaping from capture, he becomes a man on the run and must evade his own agency and outsmart the FBI in order to find the real threat to the President. Desperate to uncover the truth, Banning turns to unlikely allies to help clear his name, keep his family from harm and save the country from imminent danger.”
Here’s the thing, these movies are mostly garbage, but in the most amazingly fun way possible. Little bonkers slices of action nirvana, than only trip over themselves when it’s time to focus on things like “character”. Olympus Has Fallen worked because it let Butler do an R-rated “Die Hard in The White House”, replete with glorious head stabs. Plus it featured respected actors feasting on the scenery, as if it were an untouched can of spam, in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The sequel, London Has Fallen, upped the ante in every way, while threatening to undo everything with a lackluster script. This one? To be honest, Angel Has Fallen has all the hallmarks of a DTV sequel. Yet that may end up being a plus. Butler is still signing up for these, which means people will keep seeing them in the theaters. I know this, because I’m likely to buy a ticket. Danny Huston is the bad guy here! There’s a very good chance this could be a delightful trashterpiece. Nothing makes the summer more worthwhile, than that.
What did you think of the trailer? Is this your cup of tea? What type of action films do you normally prefer? Did they really replace Radha Mitchell with Piper Pierabo? Answer all these questions down in the comments section. If you haven’t already, this may be the best time to revisit the previous two films in the series. Preferably with a drink or 17. Angel Has Fallen, co-starring Jada Pinkett Smith, Lance Reddick and Tim Blake Nelson, blasts into theaters on August 23. Till then, here’s the film’s first poster.
