"Olympus Has Fallen" - Starring Morgan Freeman and Gerard Butler

Photo Credit: Millennium Films

The White House has been infiltrated by a terrorist group who capture the President (Aaron Eckhart) and several high ranking administration officials in the new film Olympus Has Fallen, from director Antoine Fuqua. The leader of the group, Kang Yeonsak (Rick Yune), sets up shop in the bunker far beneath the White House and plans to retrieve the security codes for the nation's nuclear weapons to unleash untold horrors around the country. Washington is seemingly paralyzed, but the acting commander in chief, Speaker of the House Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman), works with a former Secret Service Agent, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), who witnessed the attack and is looking for the terrorists inside the White House.

However, Banning, who is a former Special Forces operative, has a rather troubled relationship with the current President and has been assigned to desk duty after an accident that claimed the life of the First Lady (Ashley Judd). His first order of business is to find President Asher's son, Connor (Finlay Jacobsen), who is believed to still be in the White House and will likely be used as leverage if he is caught. Banning is a Jason Bourne type of character with supreme fighting skills that allow him to dispatch a large number of Kang's men and remain relatively unscathed. Banning is seemingly the last hope for the country, as the terrorists have obtained next generation weapons that keep all rescue attempts at bay. 

Olympus Has Fallen asks viewers to suspend their disbelief in a big way. If that is possible, the result is an entertaining effort that boasts a strong cast, including Melissa Leo, Robert Forster, Angela Bassett, Dylan McDermott, as well as the aforementioned Freeman, Eckhart and Butler. Gerard Butler receives a great deal of screen time and is completely believable as the tough and capable Banning, thanks to his imposing physique and agility. He is likable and viewers will want to root for him to find and dispatch the terrorists. 

The film is action packed, but relies too heavily on gun play and explosions during the initial siege at the White House that quickly becomes overkill and lasts entirely too long. As is typically the case in those busy scenes, it is difficult to see what is happening, as the carnage takes numerous lives of characters who viewers do not know or care about. Of course, the good guys and bad guys are easily differentiated, which is both good and bad. It is good for viewers who are keeping score, but bad for those who may be sensitive about stereotyping certain groups of people. I doubt many people who see Olympus Has Fallen will look too deeply into the subtext. After all, this is simply entertainment, but from the reactions of some of the audience members in the screening I attended, one might think the attack was real. The support for the country was not unexpected, but the vocal reactions during the final act were a bit surprising for a work of fiction. Perhaps that is a reflection of the growing instability is some parts of the world. 

Denzel Washington Delivers in "Flight" (2012)

Serious moral and emotional issues play out in Flight, the latest film from director Robert Zemeckis (Cast Away). While drug and alcohol addiction are front and center throughout most of the film, the screenplay, by John Gatins, also tackles the often sensitive issue of taking responsibility for one's actions, which seems to be in short supply these days. Of course, when jail time is a real possibility, how many of us will admit to the truth if it means being locked up for any length of time? That is but one of the many quandaries facing airline pilot Captain Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) in Flight.

After a night of partying with copious amounts of alcohol and drugs, Whip and flight attendant Katerina (Nadine Velazquez) have a plane to catch, but not before Whip snorts a line or two of cocaine to "sober" up. They arrive at work, seemingly fine, but soon after take off, the plane experiences much turbulence. However, Whip and his co-pilot, Ken (Brian Geraghty), are able to handle the problem. Soon thereafter, Whip imbibes with two small bottles of vodka and promptly goes to sleep. He is awakened when the plane begins a serious descent. The pilots work together and try everything is their power to avoid a crash. After a series of mechanical malfunctions and with a crash imminent, Whip inverts the plane (flying upside down) to slow the aircraft and lessen the impact when they do finally crash. Whip's quick thinking works and most of the 100 plus passengers are saved. However, six are killed, including Katerina, who died trying to save a young boy who had fallen after the plane was inverted. 

Whip survives, but faces serious problems when alcohol and drugs are found in his toxicology screening.  Even though he managed to save most of the passengers, the toxicology results could result in Whip spending several years in prison. He has help from Charlie Anderson (Bruce Greenwood), a representative from the airline pilots union, who offers his assistance and congratulates Whip on saving so many people, but he also realizes the seriousness of the situation. Enter attorney Hugh Lang (Don Cheadle), who is met with disdain from Whip because of his candor. However, Hugh works diligently to have the toxicology results thrown out, but the two small vodka bottles are found in the wreckage, thus casting more doubt on Whip's ability to function, which could have played a role in the crash. Of course, Katerina's toxicology report also showed drugs and alcohol in her system, so she could be used as a scapegoat, since she is no longer around to prove otherwise. Whip is faced with taking the blame for being impaired or possibly casting blame on his former lover in order to save himself. 

Denzel Washington carries Flight from start to finish by delivering a searing performance. He portrays Whip as confident, secure and in control, except for when he is drinking. However, after the crash, he initially swears off alcohol, but once the problems begin to mount against him, Whip uses the only coping tool he understands by drowning himself in alcohol. This creates a problem for viewers who want to see him rise above his addiction, but he keeps falling back down and makes one bad decision after another throughout his ordeal. Indeed, the drug and alcohol addiction has rewired his brain, which prevents him from making sound decisions about his situation. He keeps falling further and further into the abyss.

In addition to his professional colleagues, Whip meets a fellow addict, Nicole (Kelly Reilly), who is supportive, but their relationship never seems to go anywhere. Of course, there is no chemistry between Washington and Reilly, which prevents their story from taking off. Whip also seeks support from his ex-wife and their teenage son, but they do not want him around in his inebriated state. Whip also relies on his dealer, Harling Mays (John Goodman), who makes a couple of brief appearances, but does not add anything to the story. Goodman is a terrific actor, but he is essentially wasted in an over the top role. The aforementioned Don Cheadle is also underused, which makes one wonder why talented actors are lined up, but then not nearly used to their potential. However, Melissa Leo delivers some fine work in her extended scene, as Ellen Block, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board, towards the end of the film. 

Flight is an overly long film featuring too many characters who simply do not have enough to do and add little to the overall product. When the focus is on Whip dealing with his seemingly endless number of problems, the film is riveting, thanks to Washington's award worthy performance. That alone is enough for me to recommend Flight, which never shies away from exposing the horrors of addiction and the moral dilemmas that are often associated with them. The subject matter makes it uncomfortable to watch the film, but you will not be able to turn away from the wreckage.