Olympus Has Fallen seems to mock America’s safety through absurdity and displays of patriotism. A British men's magazine, Zoo, described it as “Die Hard in the White House,” apparently catering to its readership’s tastes for action-packed thrills. To be fair, Antoine Fuqua’s patriotic take on a national terrorist attack is precisely that: a copy of "Die Hard" that follows the same story structure exactly. The plot revolves around one individual who must single-handedly reduce the number of terrorists with financial or political goals by steadily eliminating them. But while the original film succeeded in this regard, this action movie falls short. It’s almost unbelievable that within just thirteen minutes, the entire Secret Service is wiped out by Korean nationalists right at the White House, during broad daylight. “The most secure building in the world,” one of the ineffective officials assisting the Acting President remarked. It's a truly ironic statement. Olympus Has Fallen stretches believability so far that you’re often left wondering how any of it could have been conceived. Highly trained security personnel run directly into gunfire, rules are disregarded at every turn, and the Army Chief of Staff sends armed helicopters into a dangerous area despite already knowing the enemy has an incredibly powerful turret. Suddenly, they're destroyed. The characters' lack of common sense is frankly insulting, especially given that this action film supposedly champions patriotism. The visual effects are arguably the worst aspect; they’re terribly done. You can clearly see green screens and poorly rendered helicopters moving awkwardly. It felt like the production team pulled models straight from "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." The quality is just awful. Fortunately, Gerard Butler managed to convey a sense of brutal toughness in his leading role, as he repeatedly stabbed Koreans through their skulls, throats, and legs. It was a physically demanding part that suited his acting style well, allowing him to defeat his opponents while adding some much-needed levity. However, the script lacks any real entertainment value, treating the story with excessive seriousness, which ultimately undermined the nostalgic charm of 1980s action movies that Fuqua aimed to emulate. Fuqua’s directing was generally tight and focused on what was happening in the Presidential bunker. But the fast-paced editing made it difficult to follow. Colin Firth delivered a solid performance as the President, but as is often the case, he chooses uninspired projects that waste his talent. Morgan Freeman yelled at one point, and I jumped. Bassett, Mitchell, and Yune were given too little to do, while Leo overacted. Also, why would anyone stop a countdown at three seconds? Just let it finish! Build some suspense for goodness sake! So, if you’re an action fan looking for violence combined with flat characters, nonsensical plot points, and terrible visual effects, Olympus Has Fallen might appeal to you. But if you prefer your action blockbusters with a little bit of excitement, I would recommend watching "Die Hard" instead.

Source on TMDB