Olympus Has Fallen (2013) - Movie Review

You can rest assured that Gerard Butler at no point in the film yells, "This! Is! Olympus!", before kicking the bad man into a bottomless pit.

I wan't really looking forward to seeing Olympus Has Fallen, despite being directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day).  The trailer had that really bad action movie look about it, and it stars the box-office-poison that is Gerard Butler.  I don't mean to be hard on Butler, as I actually like him, but I think we can all agree after watching Olympus Has Fallen he just needs to turn down any romantic comedy he's offered from now on.

Butler plays former Army Ranger Mike Banning, who is now a Secret Service Agent leading President Asher's (Aaron Eckhart) detail.  When leaving Camp David on a snowy night, an accident happens and Banning is only able to save the President and the First Lady (Ashley Judd) is lost in the process.

We fast forward 18 months later and Banning is working at the Treasury.  One thing I liked about the story is that Banning is not disgraced, or has been drummed out of the Secret Service.  He's actively looking to get back into the Service, but the President took Banning off his detail, as seeing him is a reminder of his what happened to his wife.  I appreciated the fact the movie didn't go with the cliche of Banning being unable to be an agent or was too haunted by his 'failure' to perform anymore.  He's not a broken man.

During a meeting between the President and South Korean Prime Minister, a Korean force attacks the White House and is able to take the two of them, along with several other government officials, as hostages in the White House bunker.  I don't think it's unreasonable to wonder how realistic it is that a small force would be able to take the White House in just a few minutes.  I don't know enough about the military or police response or what kind of counter-measures are in place to stop something like this, so I can't get into that.  The Korean force did seem pretty organized as far as their plan, so I just went with it.  It's probably best that you don't think about it too much.  In a lot of ways, this part of the film was more like a disaster porn where we see the White House get blown all to hell and the Washington Monument crumble.  It's was an entertaining sequence though, so I'll give it that.

During the firefight, Banning, who was just down the street, is able to get in the White House where he attempts to take out bad guys and provide intel to the acting President (Morgan Freeman.  President again, eh?) and the remaining staff.  Before I get too far ahead of myself, there's some huge star power at work here.  Besides Freeman, you have Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Melissa Leo.  That's some top-tier talent in the supporting roles.  I think it helps sell the film though, as nobody seems miscast.

Anyway, as Olympus goes on, you'll get a distinct "Die Hard in the White House" feeling about it.  It's the first thing my friend commented about as the credits rolled.  There's even a scene where Banning pulls shrapnel out of his body while talking to someone on the phone.  The good news is that this is much better than the last Die Hard film.  Olympus is the first feature from the writing team of Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt, and it's not super creative or even all that original, but what it is though is no nonsense.  I mentioned earlier that I appreciated that they didn't go with typical cliches regarding Banning, and they did a good job of avoiding it across the board.  Throughout the film I kept waiting for a traitor to be revealed at a high level of government, because that always seems to happen, but thankfully they didn't do that.  There's also a subplot involving getting the President's son (Finley Jacobsen) out of the White House that could have gone a different way, but they were smart not to waste too much time with it.  Once the bad guy reveals he knows who Banning's wife is (a nurse played by Radha Mitchell), I kept waiting for some subplot where she somehow gets kidnapped, but that didn't happen either.  I'm glad they didn't use any of these overused plot devices.  It was refreshing.

Antoine Fuqua, who has a mixed track record as far as I'm concerned (Training Day was 12 years ago, I think it's time to move on), did a good job keeping the tension consistent throughout its two-hour run time, and gave us some good, entertaining action scenes.  Another thing I really appreciated is that the film doesn't shy away at all from the violence.  Banning is ruthless and brutal as he knows what's at stake.  They didn't go out of their way to make Banning a 'good guy'.  I said that the movie didn't mess around, and neither did Banning.  Imagine if Jack Bauer was a Secret Service agent, and that's what Mike Banning is.

I mentioned the star power earlier, and it wasn't just confined the actors mentioned previously.  I liked Aaron Eckhart, and based on his performance, it didn't seem like a stretch to see him as the President.  Cole Hauser was a welcome sight as a Secret Service agent, as well as Dylan McDermott, not to be confused with Dermot Mulroney (watch this link).  It's funny because I just watched a movie with Dermot Mulroney in it yesterday.  If there was any weakness in the cast, I thought it was with the main villain, played by Rick Yune.  I think it's mainly just that his character wasn't written all that well.  The star of the film really is Gerard Butler, and it's clear he needs to stick with action films.  Even though sometimes his native accent bleeds though, I never really had a hard time believing him in the role, and he showed he still has a physical presence to carry an action film.  He even got to have a few snarky one-liners, and it seemed like he had a lot of fun.

Another quick note I wanted to make was that I got to see this in Regal Cinemas' RPX format, which just debuted at my local theater this week.  It's kind of like IMAX-lite.  You have to pay a few bucks more for the ticket, but you get a larger screen and high-powered sound system that works well for a loud action film.  The best part though are the upgraded, bucket seats.  I believe they were leather, have a full sized headrest, and rock significantly.  They are extremely comfortable to sit in, and I thought the experience was worth it.  I wouldn't hesitate to see another movie in RPX.  Plus, with all the new seats and fresh construction, there was a very 'new car' scent in the theater.

Olympus Has Fallen isn't a particularly smart movie, and covers a lot of familiar territory, but as far as a tense action film goes, it's not all that bad.  I surprised by how entertaining it was, and had more fun with it than I expected.  If you're an action fan, and you want to something to tide you over until the Summer action films start rolling out, then you could do a lot worse.  It's a decent matinee.

3 (out of 5) Death Stars

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) - Movie Review

This one is for the misfits...

Charlie (Logan Lerman) is beginning his first day of high school.  He narrates the film through a series of letters written to an anonymous friend.  Despite his sister being a senior, and his older brother being a popular football player, Charlie doesn't expect that he's going to fit in very well and dreads it.  He goes as far as to have already counted out the number of days left until he's done with high school.

On the outside, there's really nothing wrong with Charlie. He's smart, but introverted, kid.  Even he thinks it's pretty sad that his only friend is his English teacher, Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd).  Mr. Anderson has more of a mentorship role with Charlie, who encourages his reading and to become a writer.  One day, he meets seniors Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson), who he initially mistakes for a couple, but learns there are really step-siblings.  Patrick is an eccentric class clown who is called "Nothing" by his classmates after an old joke, but still embraces his outsider status.  Patrick and Sam introduce Charlie to their circle of friends, and take a liking to him once they realize there's more to him. Sam accepts him into the group by saying, "Welcome to the island of misfit toys."

As Charlie hangs out with the group he comes out of his shell and his confidence grows.  The world kind of opens up for him, going to parties and experimenting with drugs, among other things. This isn't a wild party movie though, it's a realistic look at high school.  It captures all those feelings and events that you remember: being awkward, first love/crushes, being picked on, going to dances and football games.

One thing that caught me off guard was the movie's setting.  You see many exchanges of mixed tapes throughout the film and I thought at first that this was some sort of hipster thing.  I realized as the movie went on that it's actually set in late 80's or early 90's.  Nobody has cell phones and they drive older cars that you'd expect a high school student without a lot of money to drive.  It's done well and doesn't slap you in the face with it's time period.  Plus, I was never bothered that the exact time wasn't clear.  It didn't really matter, as a movie like this feels timeless.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a familiar story, yet still told in a way that feels fresh and authentic.  That's due in large part to the great performances.  Everyone in the cast is sympathetic, likable, and not a bunch of high school stereotypes.  There are many things that all of the characters go through that will feel familiar to you.

I've never really paid much attention to Logan Lerman before, but I really enjoyed him here.  He plays the shy, quiet kid so well that you're in his corner right from the beginning.  When you see people be mean to him it makes you mad.  You get excited about his first crush, and when he goes to prom.  You really are along for the ride with him.

While the story is about Charlie, the breakout star of the film is Ezra Miller as Patrick.  If you remember his creepy performance in We Need to Talk About Kevin, this is a complete 180 for him.  As you'd expect as the class clown, he's very funny, but there's more to Patrick than being the clown.  The movie explores that, as well, without it feeling like a thrown in plot point.

It's nice to see Emma Watson moving on from Harry Potter.  She had a small, almost forgotten, role in My Week with Marilyn last year, but has a more substantial role this time around.  Sam is a sensitive, yet damaged young woman who admits her issues with picking the wrong men, and you really feel the vulnerability in Emma's performance.  Plus, I almost forgot Emma Watson was British, as she pulls off a pretty good American accent.

Adapted from his novel of the same name, writer/director Stephen Chbosky wrote a wonderful story.  I can't think of too many times where the writer of a novel ended up writing and directing the movie as well, but it worked here.  Obviously, it's a faithful adaptation, but it doesn't feel indulgent. The movie isn't melodramatic or cheesy, but rather very sincere and realistic.  It's also much funnier that I was expecting without being too indie or quirky.  Just when you think it's going to end, it takes a darker turn and gives you more insight into Charlie's past that makes it all that much more poignant.  I heard many sniffles in the audience in the third act and it was earned, rather than something that was contrived.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a very heartfelt and honest look at friendship, first love and finding yourself.  "Perks" is well written, directed and acted.  It's a very nostalgic look at high school, and if you've ever felt shy or out of place I think this will really speak to you.  I strongly recommend checking it out.

4.5 (out of 5) Death Stars

The Campaign (2012) - Movie Review

Hooray for low expectations.  I have to admit that The Campaign was yet another movie I was not looking forward to watching.  The trailers looked too silly, and I didn't think this was going to amount to much. Fortunately, The Campaign, while not a particularly good movie, managed to be much funnier that I could have hoped.

Will Ferrell stars as Cam Brady, a North Carolina congressman that's had the good fortune to have been running unopposed for several terms.  He's had his share of slip-ups though.  Two wealthy business owners (John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd) have plans for the area and see Cam's current weakness as an opportunity to back a candidate they can manipulate and essentially buy the election.  They decide to back the odd son of a friend of theirs, Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis).

Marty is naive, and a little weird, but he genuinely cares about his community and thinks he can do some good.  With some coaching, he gains support and moves up in the polls, which throws Brady into attack mode.  The mudslinging begins!

The Campaign does take some shots at our system with regards to dirty campaigning, rhetoric and political manipulation.  However, it doesn't have quite the bite of other political satires, but I don't think you watch a movie starring Ferrell and Galifianakis and expect it to be heady.  One thing I did enjoy about the movie, is while Brady is a Democrat and Huggins is a Republican, the movie is free of any partisanship.  They don't talk about any issues, and I didn't see any shots taken at either side.  This genuinely sticks to 'the campaign', and not much else.

Like many comedies, The Campaign is a mixed bag and the humor has varying levels of success. I imagine when filming, there was lots of improvising and throwing stuff out there until they found something that either stuck or worked well enough to get by. This is rated R, so you do get a lot vulgar and goofy humor, but it has its laugh out loud moments. This is what I expected from director Jay Roach (the Austin Powers series, Meet the Parents), and he sticks to what he knows.  I think the movie would have benefit from a stronger screenplay though (written by Shawn Harwell and Chris Henchy).

If you're worried that this is just about the leads doing voices and not much else, it's a little more than that. Zack Galifianakis actually played a character, and I enjoyed him where I was initially worried he might annoy me. Will Ferrell's basically doing a variation of his George W. Bush impression, but not quite as dumb.  You pretty much know what you're going to get when it comes to Ferrell.  Fortunately, I'm a fan, so it worked for me.

One thing I always enjoy about movies like this are how you always seem to get a few standout or scene stealing performances from the supporting cast.  For example, Dylan McDermott has a great role as a campaign manager who's job is basically to make Huggins 'not suck'.  He has many of the best moments in the film and was a character I wish they could have found more ways to use.  Karen Maruyama pops up from time to time in a hilarious role as a maid.  I always like seeing Jason Sudeikis and he has a straight-man role as Brady's campaign manager.  Much of his best moments simply come out of him being the voice of reason.

With how John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd's characters were always trying to manipulate behind the scenes, I got a bit of a Trading Places feeling from the movie.  It probably doesn't help that Aykroyd was in Trading Places.  I'm not saying The Campaign is anywhere in that league though.

Much like I said about The Watch, it all depends on how much you like the cast or movies like this.  If you've grown tired of Ferrell's man-child shenanigans, or aren't a huge fan of vulgar humor, then there's probably nothing here that's going to win you over.  For fans, The Campaign has enough funny moments that made it worth watching.  It's also a shorter more, only 85 minutes, so it lets you off easy by not dragging the movie out or running it into the ground.   While I think this is more in the rental category, it's one you can watch with a few friends and have a good time with.

3 (out of 5) Death Stars