Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) plays a disarming secret service man who guards the President (Aaron Eckhart.) Banning’s wife is pregnant and together, they’re picking out nursery colors. He’s asked his colleague (Angela Bassett) to be the godmother. All the niceties are set up in a row before Banning learns that Aamir Barkawi (Alon Aboutboul) wants to take down the world. He’s been fueling massive arms sales for years. He feels that revenge must be profound and absolute.
When the Prime Minister of England dies, the world-powers-that-be congregate for his funeral. We see the French President arriving by boat in the Thames, and the Japanese Prime Minister on London Bridge (before it falls down). But when terrorism strikes the event, taking down Westminster Abbey and toppling London’s sky line, Banning must sprint into action.
Morgan Freeman is the Vice President, watching the world collapse from the safety of a Pentagon screen, and Oscar-winning Melissa Leo has a bit part nodding her head in agreement with whatever Freeman says.
The film’s mission seems to be delivering the fear of what we already know can happen to the real world. After the recent Paris attacks, one wonders why they felt it necessary to film this Debbie-downer and label it entertainment. The actors do a great job, and Butler is at his best, but a sweet delusion of how we wish we could end terrorism is not so easy. As a matter of fact, the movie was privately screened in Oceanside California at Marine Corps Base Camp as an earnest attempt to honor U.S. troops and servicemen in four branches of the military. They also screened the film in Kuwait, this past weekend in advance of its national theatrical release.
One might be more curious to know what the soldiers thought then to read this review. All of that said, there is a scene where the terrorists – upon capturing the President of the United States – want to livestream his tortuous death. One can’t help wishing we could live stream the torture of the studio head who ‘green lit’ this project. 2 ½ tiaras