London Has Fallen (2016)
Dir: Babak Najafi
Cast: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman
Plot Summary
As world leaders gather in London for the funeral of the British Prime Minister, terrorists launch a devastating attack. Amid the chaos, Secret Service agent Mike Banning must protect President Benjamin Asher, eliminate the threat, and return home to his pregnant wife.
Plot Synopsis
In Pakistan, terrorist mastermind Aamir Barkawi is hosting his daughter’s wedding at a heavily guarded compound. A covert operative posing as a waiter transmits the compound’s coordinates to the U.S. military, prompting a drone strike that seemingly kills Barkawi and much of his family.
Two years later, U.S. President Benjamin Asher and his loyal Secret Service agent, Mike Banning—soon to become a father—are informed of the British Prime Minister’s sudden death. They travel to London for the hastily arranged state funeral, joining other global leaders.
Once in London, it becomes clear that the funeral is a trap. Terrorists launch coordinated attacks across the city, assassinating the leaders of Canada, France, Japan, Germany, and Italy. Banning manages to get President Asher to the relative safety of Marine One, but the helicopter is soon targeted by stinger missiles, plunging the President back into danger.
From Washington, Vice President Allan Trumbull watches events unfold in horror. After receiving a call from Barkawi—who survived the drone strike—it becomes clear that the attack is revenge for the deaths of his family. As London burns, Banning and Asher are thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse, doing all they can to avoid capture and the President’s public execution.
Review
On the surface, London Has Fallen delivers exactly what one expects from a high-octane action flick: relentless pace, a wildly implausible plot, a grizzled wisecracking hero, and even a hint of bromance between Mike Banning and President Asher.
The action sequences are serviceable, if uninspired, and the film adheres to the genre’s standard formula. But what truly undermines the experience isn’t the cliché-ridden plot or predictable dialogue—it’s the film’s heavy-handed xenophobia and crude generalisations. What might pass for satire in a more self-aware film instead comes across here as tone-deaf and offensive.
Much of the humour relies on gratuitous profanity masquerading as character banter, and while some moments might raise a chuckle, others simply fall flat or feel uncomfortable. The film occasionally dips into caricature—such as the Italian Prime Minister being killed while sneaking off to meet his mistress—but then it crosses the line completely with throwaway lines like “Fuckheadistan,” which feel more like adolescent provocation than satire.
And as for Morgan Freeman—why is he here? Picking up a paycheck? Funding a kitchen remodel? His presence adds gravitas, but in a film this absurd, it’s hard to see why he bothered.
(Originally Published June 2016)
