Following 'London Has Fallen' and 'Olympus Has Fallen', 'Angel Has Fallen' is the third part of the 'Fallen' franchise, and arguably the best out of the three.
Featuring some excellent cinematography, the film takes you into the Secret Service, and gives you the experience of being on the ‘inside’, as it once again follows the story of the near-assassination of the President. Being likened to 'The Fugitive', 'Die Hard', and 'The Bodyguard', the story is very Butler-esque, as we watch Gerard, yet again, survive a ridiculous amount of bullets, stab wounds, and explosions before revelling in the heroic final scene that is expected from the beginning.
In terms of plot, all you need to know is that Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is on the verge of getting a major promotion, but he's hiding issues stemming from work-related injuries and has taken to popping pills and visiting doctors on the sly to avoid worrying his co-workers and his family. After a drone attack nearly kills the President (Morgan Freeman, giving a fine Morgan Freeman performance), Banning finds himself blamed for the attack and forced to pull a Dr. Richard Kimble in order to clear his name and protect his country. He also eventually runs into his estranged survivalist father (Nick Nolte), who offers some key aid while providing a counterexample for why a desk job may not be the worst thing in the world.
The film displays the countryside of West Virginia like never before, with plenty of sweeping mountain-side shots and drives through secluded bushland, followed by skyline views of Washington DC . . . The imagery is stunning. Alongside it, the music and sound effects are highly effective, further immersing the audience into the fugitive chase for justice. Unfortunately, the storyline wasn’t quite as notable, with no new plot twists, and an ending that was obvious from the beginning. So, if you’re expecting something new and exciting from the 'Fallen' sequel, you’ll be disappointed with 'Angel Has Fallen'.
I'd liken 'Angel Has Fallen' to a classic rom-com. Its plot-line is well-worn, its characters are stereotypical (featuring a single stand-out female character, who merely lasts half of the film), and the lack of plot-twists made it a lot less ‘thriller’, while the addition of a ridiculous amount of explosives made it a lot more (or maybe a standard amount) ‘action’. Expected, standard, predictable.
