Olympus Has Fallen - Recensioni

una prima recensione del film...non mi sembra entusiasta ma pare comunque salvare la recitazione di tutto il cast
(se salva altro,si pregano le anglofone di aiutarmi a capirlo thanks io mi sono un pò persa :S )


Gerard Butler stars in "Olympus Has Fallen."

LOS ANGELES — In a week when North Korea posted a homemade video showing the U.S. Capitol building being destroyed by a missile, what more logical response could Hollywood offer than a macho thriller about a Secret Service agent who takes on North Korean terrorists who attack the White House? The first of two similarly themed action dramas set for this year ("White House Down" arrives in June), "Olympus Has Fallen" will put to the test the question of whether American audiences are ready, 12 years after 9-11, to watch, strictly as disposable popcorn entertainment, a film in which the United States and some of its most prominent landmarks are devastated by foreign terrorists.

The answer almost undoubtedly will be yes, as the tough-guy former agent played by Gerard Butler gets to kick a whole lot of badass butt while trying to rescue the president. Although this is the sort of film in which the fate of the world hinges, when all is said and done, on the outcome of a one-on-one martial arts contest, director Antoine Fuqua's notably bloody child of Die Hard still generates a fair amount of tension and produces the kind of nationalistic outrage that rock-ribbed Americans will feel in their guts. Foreign revenue should be hefty as well, especially in countries where many viewers will get a thrill watching Washington get the sort of treatment usually reserved for places like Baghdad and Kabul.

Either due to incredible clairvoyance on the parts of first-time screenwriters Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt or just through one of those twists of fate, the film arrives just as North Korea has made anti-U.S. saber-rattling an almost daily exercise. So it seems uncannily timely that the brilliant bad guy here is a (supposedly) rogue North Korean who leads a bunch of skilled commandos on a raid of the White House that nets them the president and several key members of his staff as hostages. No doubt bootleg copies of the film will make their way to Kim Jong Un, who might be simultaneously offended and delighted at the opportunity to further rouse his subjects by showing them how much the enemy hates them.

At its core, however, "Olympus" is like an `80s or `90s genre item in which Clint Eastwood, Bruce Willis or Mel Gibson outwitted and outmuscled shrewd, more formidably armed opponents. Like Eastwood in "In the Line of Fire," Butler (who also produced) plays a disgraced presidential agent sidelined and haunted by a fluky failure (detailed in a 10-minute prologue) who suddenly and inadvertently finds himself back in the thick of a crisis.

If seemingly far-fetched, the attack by the North Korean paramilitary team is nonetheless ingenious and pulled off with somewhat disturbing ease, given that the White House is described as the best-fortified location on Earth. It's also quite violently staged. While President Asher (Aaron Eckhart) receives the South Korean premier and his entourage, a C-130 comes roaring in very low over Virginia and D.C. Knocking out two Air Force fighter jets, the terrorist-piloted plane heads down the mall and over toward the White House, strafing civilians while a second wave of gunmen launch a ground attack on the presidential mansion.

Inside, the premier's alleged head of security shows his true colors as the plot's mastermind. Kang (Rick Yune) quickly displays the diabolical genius worthy of any Bond villain (which Yune once played, as another North Korean in "Die Another Day"). He rounds up the president, Secretary of Defense (Melissa Leo, in an enjoyably fierce performance) and a bunch of other top officials and takes them down to the White House's massively secured emergency underground bunker, where he tortures and kills some of his hostages and dictates terms, the keys being the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from near the Korean demilitarized zone and the removal of the Navy's 7th Fleet from the area.

Enter Mike Banning (Butler), who knows the White House inside and out due to his years serving not only the president but entertaining his young son Connor (Finley Jacobsen), who's somewhere in the building and whom Kang wants as the ultimate bargaining chip. The bulk of the film thus becomes an elaborate cat-and-mouse game between Banning, who, against great odds, taunts Kang and gradually reduces his minions' numbers in several ambushes and one-on-one struggles, and the North Korean megalomaniac, who begins extracting the secret codes that will allow him to control the American nuclear arsenal.

Meanwhile, stuck with sedentary roles as officials sweating it out at the Pentagon heavily linked by video, phones and computers are, among many others, Speaker of the House (and acting President) Trumbull (Morgan Freeman); Secret Service director Jacobs (Angela Bassett); and Gen. Clegg (Robert Forster), the gung-ho head of the Joint Chiefs.

The ordeal is an all-night affair, and unfortunately much of the White House action plays out in a murky, muddy darkness that has a very washed-out look; cinematographer Conrad W. Hall could have taken a tip or two from the incredible nocturnal, low-light-level work his father Conrad L. Hall did two decades ago in "Jennifer Eight." Quite a bit of the action is obscured as a result.

To his credit, though, Fuqua sustains the suspense until near the end of two hours; only in the final confrontation between Banning and Kang does the face-off seem over-extended and borderline risible. Willing to go for an R rating when a more inclusive one might have increased box office, the filmmakers deliver some pretty tough and brutal scenes, not the least of which has Kang mercilessly kicking and beating Leo's defiant Secretary of Defense.

After a string of increasingly lame and embarrassing projects, Butler took charge on this one as a producer here in a role carefully crafted in a time-honored action-hero mold. He comes off pretty well, as a sort of junior-league Mel Gibson with a bit less of the fiery-eyed craziness and wacky humor but plenty of grit and no shortage of appeal. In one-dimensional generic roles, most of the other performers deliver as expected, though Yune's exceptional looks and air of piercing intelligence pretty much maxes out what anyone could do with this sort of laser-focused villain figure.

The extensive CGI work is variable – pretty good where it counts most but sketchy around the edges. Trevor Morris wallpapers the action with a constantly churning score.

"Olympus Has Fallen," a FilmDistrict release, is rated R for strong violence and language throughout. 120 minutes.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/20/o..._n_2915007.html

un articolo italiano sull'ottimo primo weekend di programmazione per OHF

Film: 'Attacco al Potere' conquista il box office Usa

Risultato al di là di ogni aspettativa per il nuovo film di Antoine Fuqua con Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman e Aaron Eckart – Al suo successo ha contribuito la stringente attualità della minaccia sempre più seria di un attacco nordcoreano al Campidoglio testimoniato da un video amatoriale diffuso sul web – Il film uscirà in Italia il 18 Aprile.

Un trionfo, negli Stati Uniti, l’uscita di ATTACCO AL POTERE – OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, che venerdì 22 marzo è approdato nelle sale americane per raccontare l’assalto terroristico ad uno dei più importanti simboli del Paese, La Casa Bianca. Con 30.5 milioni di incasso nel primo week end, la risposta del pubblico ha superato ogni previsione al box office, che attestava il film di Antoine Fuqua tra i 21 e i 23 milioni di dollari (fonte: www.comingsoon.net).

Una partenza così esplosiva per Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart e Morgan Freeman che fa pensare ad un incasso totale del film attorno ai 100 milioni di dollari. Se si considera, ad esempio, che un film come “I Mercenari 2” con un debutto da 28 milioni di dollari riuscì a incassarne circa 85.

Il risultato al botteghino del film è addirittura migliore di quello di GIUSTIZIA PRIVATA che in Usa aprì a 20 milioni di Dollari e in Italia incassò oltre 4 milioni e mezzo di euro.

L’autorevole Hollywood Reporter, aveva già previsto una risposta molto positiva dal pubblico: “In una settimana in cui la Corea del Nord mostra un video amatoriale in cui un missile distrugge il Campidoglio (..)12 anni dopo l’11 settembre, il pubblico americano è pronto a guardare un prodotto di grande intrattenimento ma che mai come in questo caso si dimostra di stringente attualità”.

Per il San Francisco Chronicle “E’ un ottmo film che suscita ammirazione per la messa in scena e un cast superlativo. Speriamo soltanto che non sia troppo profetico…”

Roger Ebert del Chicago Sun Times apprezza “la cura del dettaglio dell’interno e dell’esterno dell’edificio più protetto al mondo. Le scene di distruzione non potrebbero sembrare più realistiche”. (PRIMAPRESS)

www.primapress.it/index.php?option=...ice-usa&lang=it

un'altra buona recensione

Costello: Gerard Butler gives strong performance, "Olympus Has Fallen" gets intense

The North Koreans had it all planned out.

They took control of the streets in packs after jumping out of vehicles for surprise attacks. They timed the bombing of the White House’s gate as soon as they all arrived at their checkpoint, ready to sprawl onto the lawn. The U.S. military tried to make a stand at the front door, but the Koreans had the right gear and firepower to blast their way in.

One of the best scenes of “Olympus Has Fallen” was when the Koreans executed this plan of warfare to perfection as they took control of the president and the White House. “Olympus” is a classic action film, but the action was on-point, direct and choreographed in a way that, at times, painted the bigger picture of the battle. It’s unlike most action films where the camera work is sloppy, the editing is poor and it becomes unclear what exactly is going on.

While the notion of taking over the White House sounds silly – it is, after all, one of the most heavily guarded buildings on the planet – the precision of the attack sort of neutralizes the disbelief of the whole notion.

“Olympus” definitely deserves its comparisons to “Air Force One,” the classic thriller that starred Harrison Ford as the president whose plane is taken hostage. This time around, it’s the White House that’s taken over. The Koreans’ primary goal is to force the United States to withdraw a stronghold in Korea. Doing so, of course, would undo years’ worth of fighting and sacrifice by the United States. If the United States don’t cooperate – and remember, we don’t negotiate with terrorists – then the consequences would result in nuclear detonation as a result of a brilliantly conceived plan by the Koreans. While the story can hit close to home with what’s going on in the real world today, especially with the real tension Korea has created, the film doesn’t seem too subliminally political in nature.

In the midst of the situation, the United States has an ace up its sleeve: secret agent Mike Banning. Played by Gerard Butler, who delivers a solid performance where he doesn’t overdo his toughness (like, say, Sylvester Stallone or Bruce Willis can do), but definitely gives a sense of confidence and tough-guy attitude, Banning is a former secret service agent who used to protect the president before a major incident (in the opening scene) relegates him to take a desk job. But when he gets called upon again, he shows he hasn’t lost a step (actually, there’s a funny scene where he has to “shake off the rust” while interrogating a couple Koreans).

One-man army movies (or video games, for that matter) aren’t usually that believable, but Butler’s performance gets as close as possible. The fact that he used to work in the White House helps with this; he knows all the tricks to the building, such as secret passageways and hidden safes behind pictures.

Another great scene of choreography is toward the end when the U.S. army uses night vision to scout the Koreans’ lookouts on the roof for a covert escape mission. Even when the lights are taken out or while outside during the night, the camerawork during the shootouts stands out.

And finally, going after the president – played by Aaron Eckhart (one of my favorites) – becomes the toughest mission of them all. Eckhart does a great job of portraying both the tough leadership role you’d expect from the president and the sympathetic role as hostages are beaten up or interrogated. There should’ve been more with Eckhart, especially with the rest of the hostages, played by great supporting actors who do a great job of showing their pain and torment of not giving in to the terrorists’ demands. Another comparison to “Air Force One” is when Morgan Freeman, who plays the secretary of state, is appointed to be acting Commander in Chief after it was determined that the president’s ability to rule had been compromised.

“Olympus” might not be a Hall-of-Famer, but the film’s direction, story, action and acting all are way above par and worthy of the big screen.

http://www.augustagazette.com/article/2013...0329308#art-tit

chi ha mai messo in dubbio che non fosse un grande attore a partire da TR2?

altra buona recensione

Film Review: Olympus Has Fallen
By Kam Williams


While serving as the President’s (Aaron Eckhart) personal bodyguard, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) grew very close to the First Family. During his tenure at the White House, the dedicated, detail-oriented Secret Service agent also familiarized himself with every aspect of the building’s layout.

Nevertheless, Banning was reassigned to a desk job after failing to rescue the First Lady (Ashley Judd) before the presidential limo plunged off a bridge into an icy river en route to a Christmas party. Although the accident wasn’t his fault, he was left agonizing over a snap decision that might have been the difference between her living and dying.

A year and a half later, we find Banning still riddled with guilt despite receiving assurances from the Secret Service Director (Angela Banning) that there was nothing he could have done. However, he soon gets that sorely needed shot at redemption when a swarm of ninjas from North Korea attack the White House, taking the President and his Cabinet hostage.

With the President and Vice President (Phil Austin) abducted, the line of succession dictates that the Speaker of the House (Morgan Freeman) assume power from a well-fortified bunker. Meanwhile, the maniacal leader (Rick Yune) of the bloodthirsty terrorists proceeds to torture his hostages, hoping to learn the codes controlling America’s nuclear arsenal.

The unfolding crisis is not lost on Banning who observes the slaughter of his former colleagues from an office window across the street. The disgraced agent springs into action and surreptitiously enters the White House armed only with a handgun and a walkie-talkie. But he still enjoys the advantage over an army of heavily-armed intruders by virtue of his knowledge of the premises’ every nook and cranny.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Olympus Has Fallen is a derivative action flick which might be best described as a cross of Die Hard (1988) and In the Line of Fire (1993), except that instead of Bruce Willis or Clint Eastwood, we have Gerard Butler playing the invincible, two-fisted protagonist. The fast-paced film is engaging and entertaining enough to come recommended provided you’re willing to put your brain on hold and not question any of the picture’s implausible plot developments.

Featuring pyrotechnics worthy of a 4th of July fireworks display, Olympus Has Fallen is an eye-popping, patriotic, high-octane adventure that leaves no doubt about who’s the vindicated hero that kept the world safe for democracy. The Butler did it! Gerard Butler, that is.

Very Good

Rated R for graphic violence and pervasive profanity.
Running time: 120 minutes
Distributor: Film District

http://www.thenewjournalandguide.com/enter...mpus-has-fallen

ancora una buona recensione,che esalta la pulizia della regia di Fuqua e la buona interpretazione di Gerry

'Olympus Has Fallen' review: "Gerard Butler excels in decent thriller"

"Let's play a game of F**k Off. You go first..."

That cracking throwaway line, delivered with zeal by Gerard Butler's brawny hero to the mandatory North Korean baddie, exemplifies the heights occasionally obtained in this reasonably diverting thriller. It lacks the consistency and flair to live up to its attempted 'Die Hard in the White House' premise, for the most part feeling like an extended, bigger budgeted episode of 24 that runs out of ideas before the ticking clock and end credits.

Butler is at his quick-quipping, buttkicking best though, playing U.S. Army Ranger Mike Banning. Demoted from the Presidential Detail and consigned to a desk job after failing to save the First Lady (Ashley Judd) from dying in a car crash, Banning is loaded with guilt - especially as he was a close friend to President Asher (Aaron Eckhart). From that previous sentence alone, you can figure out 85% of the tale of redemption that follows, for the rusty cogs that turn the plot wheels are jarringly audible throughout.

Banning is hurled back into frontline duty when the White House is attacked and taken by North Korean terrorists, with the President taken hostage and forced to spend most of the movie tied up next to an armpit belonging to Melissa Leo's Secretary of Defence.

Using his guile and knowledge of the building, Banning is the typical lone operative whose shoulders the fate of America rests upon, for the bad guys plan to activate the nation's missile system.

He romps around the corridors bashing people up, while in audio contact with a room of fairly nondescript government types played by a heavyweight - but wasted - supporting cast of Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett and Robert Forster.

A woefully underwhelming climax, featuring the inevitable bloody showdown, resoundingly fails to capitalise on the tension and thrills managed beforehand. It involves a few punches and an abundance of nauseating, flag-waving patriotism drenched in an overwrought score that necessitates a sick bag being in close proximity.

Antoine Fuqua's direction is fluid and the action sequences are well conveyed and full of clarity, as opposed to the terrible 'shakycam' tendencies that are becoming the norm in this genre. The initial terrorist attack on the White House is charged with visceral power and clinically establishes the premise, although the symbolic slow-motion shots of an American flag being strewn with bullets are groan-inducing and Zack Snyderesque. The CGI is also strikingly sub-par for a mainstream Hollywood movie.

The movie's best moments belong to Gerard Butler though, thriving in a role that's perfect for his capabilities as he establishes a hero we can't help but root for. Wisecracking and neckbreaking are the order of the day rather than emoting, especially as the token interaction with his wife (Radha Mitchell) is utterly pointless. Rick Yune also provides sufficient menace as the chief villain, while Aaron Eckhart clenches his jaw and channels the humanitarian decency of Bill Pullman's Independence Day President.

The plot is by the numbers and the payoff is unsatisfying, but Olympus Has Fallen packs in enough escapist action and intrigue to ensure a reasonably entertaining trip to the cinema. Plus there's that immortal 'F**k Off' line...

3/5

Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/review/...l#ixzz2QiB451q7

Mi hanno segnalato questa recensione via twitter e la posto, non è male, vista dal punto di vista, meno patriotticamente esaltato, di un Italiano

Attacco al potere.

Dopo Elysium, ho visto “L’attimo fuggente” di cui non penso scriverò una recensione, così sono saltato al film successivo che preferisco chiamare col titolo originale ovvero “Olympus has fallen”. Il doppiaggio italiano lo sto trovando sempre più soffocante, di conseguenza anche questo film l’ho visionato in lingua originale.

Un ex agente di sicurezza, molto vicino alla famiglia del Presidente, tenterà di salvare quest’ultimo, preso d’ostaggio da un gruppo di Coreani nel bunker della Casa Bianca. In gioco non c’è solo la vita di un uomo, ma anche gli interi Stati Uniti.

Regista del film è Antoine Fuqua, che già aveva diretto pochi altri film, di cui so poco e niente.

Nel cast, invece, troviamo Gerard Butler, con una recitazione piuttosto monotona e non incisiva, ma sicuramente era la persona più adatta a questa parte, poi c’è Aaron Eckhart neanche egli particolarmente incisivo, ed infine Morgan Freeman, che eccelle nella sua piccola parte. Mi sto chiedendo a questo punto, perché non dare la parte del Presidente a Freeman? Beh, forse perché era troppo anziano per essere padre di un bambino come invece previsto da sceneggiatura, comunque lo avrebbero potuto sfruttare meglio.

La trama è un po’ banale, cioè la trovata del far rapire il Presidente dall’interno è originale, così come l’assalto alla White House, ma nel complesso la pellicola cade nello scontato, con un senso di patriottismo troppo forte, eccessivo quanto il buonismo del film. La banalità della trama si avverte in molte situazioni, basta pensare al sistema Cerbero disattivato all’ultimo secondo, lo scontro mortale con l’antagonista, l’eroe che salva tutti, la morte assente per i personaggi principali e così via.

Il film non permette di legarsi a nessun personaggio, sono tutti molto stereotipi, molto tipi, c’è il classico eroe forzuto ed astuto, il Presidente con il suo forte senso patriottico (così come tutti del resto in questa pellicola), il Cattivo straniero per niente psicologicamente interessante. Per quanto riguarda le ambientazioni, la casa sul lago è molto ben fatta, trasmette un forte senso di sicurezza, un ottimo lavoro è stato fatto anche per la ricostruzione di Washington e della White House, ma c’è un aspetto su cui pecca il film pesantemente ed è la parte in computer grafica, fin troppo evidente in molte scene, basti pensare alla scena sul ponte o dell’attacco alla Casa Bianca, diventa quasi fastidiosa.

Il tema del film? Boh. Salva l’America e sarai ricompensato? Sii patriottico? L’amicizia vince su tutto? Non fidarti dei Coreani? Sinceramente, non lo so. Fatemi sapere qua sotto quali sono i temi di questo film.

Nonostante tutto, questo film ha degli aspetti positivi. C’è infatti una scena in particolare che mi ha colpito ed è l’attacco alla Casa Bianca. E’ una scena sorprendente, molto ben fatta, curata nei minimi particolari, con un’ottima dinamica della situazione, mi è veramente rimasta impressa. Altro aspetto positivo è l’autenticità e la fedeltà con la realtà, infatti il regista ha lavorato molto con i Servizi Segreti, per poter ottenere nella pellicola situazioni fedeli alla realtà, come ad esempio per quanto riguarda le misure di sicurezza della Casa Bianca.

Nel complesso non si tratta di un film brutto, è un buon film, in particolare è un buon action. Nonostante la banalità che ti lascia al termine della pellicola, il film non annoia, intrattiene e non stanca, infatti incuriosisce molto, le domande “Come andrà a finire?” oppure “Cosa accadrà?” non mancano durante la visione, c’è un filo di tensione che ti fa rimanere letteralmente “incollato” allo schermo.

Se volete vedere un buon action, non noioso, in cui ci sono attori come Gerard Butler e Morgan Freeman ve lo consiglio, non vi consiglio di andarlo a cercare appositamente, ma se vi capita tra le mani non perdete l’occasione di vederlo.

Il film che ho visto subito dopo è “Il lato positivo” purtroppo in italiano, quindi appena avrò la possibilità di rivederlo in originale lo recensirò, aspettatevi sorprese per la prossima recensione.

Rateo:***
http://cornfilm.wordpress.com/2014/04/20/attacco-al-potere/