Mr. Church

One morning Charlie Brooks (Coughlin) wakes up to find a man cooking breakfast in her kitchen.  His name is Mr. Church (Murphy) and he was hired by her mother's, Marie (McElhone), late ex Richard.  Marie has cancer and only has 6 months to live, but has not told Charlie.  Mr. Church will cook and take care of them for that time.  Charlie is icy to him until she tries the food and then she can't wait to see what will come next.

Six years later, Marie's body is starting to break down.  Mr. Church is still taking care of her and Charlie (Robertson) is a high school senior.  Charlie is still best friends with Poppy (Fry) and still in love with Owen (Samuel), but her relationships at home have changed.  She can barely handle being around her mother, unwilling to watch her die.  And her friendship with Mr. Church has grown, he is her confidant, but she still doesn't know anything about his life.  After prom, her mother dies, leaving Charlie alone.  But Mr. Church continues to care for her, as they mourn the loss of Marie.  She leaves everything but her books and friendship with Mr. Church and leaves for college, but when everything around her breaks down, where is home?


This is Eddie Murphy's first feature film in four years (his last film was 2012's A Thousand Words), and he returns with a serious film.  He delivers another excellent performance, in the vein of his Oscar nominated performance in Dreamgirls.  It isn't the performance you expect from Murphy, but it is wonderful and the best part of the film.

Despite Murphy's role in this film, it was not widely publicized.  In fact, I first discovered it through Redbox.  It debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2016, and was released in September 2016.

The story, written by Susan McMartin, is told through Charlie's eyes.  She is the voice-over narration and the audience only knows Mr. Church by the things he tells her, making him a bit of an enigma.  He is a fascinating character, but we don't know much about the character.  Britt Robertson is fine as Charlie, but she isn't the most interesting character... and I would rather learn more about Mr. Church and then explore his lasting friendship with her.  Without Murphy this would be just another lackluster film.

Mr. Church (2016) 104 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements
Director: Bruce Beresford
Starring: Eddie Murphy as Mr. Henry Church
Britt Robertson as Charlie Brooks
Natascha McElhone as Marie Brooks
Xavier Samuel as Owen
Lucy Fry as Poppy
Christian Madsen as Eddie Larson
Mckenna Grace as Izzy Brooks
Natalie Coughlin as Young Charlie Brooks

Hail, Caesar!

"It's complicated."

Eddie Mannix (Brolin) is the head of production at Capitol Pictures.  He also handles the scandals of the studios stars.  His reputation leads to a job offer from the Lockheed Corporation, which he is still considering.  At the same time Baird Whitlock (Clooney), the star of the studios new epic, is missing and is halted.  He was kidnapped by a group of Communist screenwriters, who send a ransom to the studio.

Meanwhile, swimming star DeeAnna Moran (Johansson) is pregnant and unmarried.  She isn't sure who is the father and doesn't want to get married, but the studio can't handle the scandal.  And the head of the studio wants to change the reputation of singing cowboy Hobie Doyle (Ehrenreich).  They want to turn him into a leading man, and cast him director Laurence Laurentz (Fiennes) latest film.  And Mannix has to fend off feuding gossip columnists (and identical twins) Thora Thacker (Swinton) and Thessaly Thacker (Swinton).  Can he save the day and make a decision about his job / future?


Joel and Ethan Coen first imagined making a film about Old Hollywood while filming O' Brother Where Art Thou? in 1999, but didn't actually start filming until 2013.  The story, by the Coen brothers, takes place in 1951.  In was the time of the Cold War and the threat of communism was everywhere, and movies were an escape from reality.  The film focuses on a fictional movie studio that is making a grand Roman epic, an adaptation of a well-known novel, and a musical.  The main characters are reminiscent of 1950s Hollywood stars.  DeeAnna is a swimming movie star, similar to Esther Williams.  Holbie could be any number of southern actors who started in westerns.  The Thacker twins were based on gossip columnist Hedda Hopper and rival columnists / twin sisters Eppie Lederer (who wrote "Ask Ann Landers") and Pauline Phillips (who wrote "Dear Abby").  Burt Gurney is based on Gene Kelly.  And Eddie Mannix is based on MGM producer E.J. Mannix.

The film is filled with Coen regulars.  Frances McDormand, who is married to Joel Coen and has appeared in 7 of their other films (Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, Fargo, The Man Who Wasn't There, Burn After Reading), has a small role as editor C.C. Calhoun.  This is their 4th collaboration with George Clooney (O' Brother Where Art Thou?, Intolerable Cruelty, Burn After Reading) and 3rd with Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men, True Grit).

The has promise and a great cast... but it never amounts to anything.  The best scene is Channing Tatum tap dancing in the musical.  Other moments are ok and make you think the film will be build to something great, but it never does.  It feels like a bunch of disjointed stories... Eddie Mannix is an interesting character, but they tried to throw too many characters / plots together.  It isn't terrible, but it isn't great either.

Hail, Caesar! (2016) 106 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some suggestive content and smoking
Director: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Starring: Josh Brolin as Eddie Mannix
George Clooney as Baird Whitlock
Alden Ehrenreich as Hobie Doyle
Ralph Fiennes as Laurence Laurentz
Jonah Hill as Joseph Silverman
Scarlett Johansson as DeeAnna Moran
Frances McDormand as C.C. Calhoun
Tilda Swinton as Thora Thacker / Thessaly Thacker
Channing Tatum as Burt Gurney
Michael Gambon as Narrator

Ghostbusters (2016)

"Why am I operating the untested nuclear laser?"

"You have the longest arms."

Dr. Erin Gilbert (Wiig) was a paranormal expert and even co-authored a book on the subject.  But she gave up that dream, and her best friend / co-author Dr. Abby Yates (McCarthy), for a prestigious career in academia.  Her past with the paranormal is jeopardizing her tenure.  She goes Abby to get the book removed from Amazon, when they are contacted about a ghost.  Abby has kept studying the paranormal and now has the help of engineer Dr. Jillian Holtzmann (McKinnon).  The three witness a ghost and video the encounter.  Their experience gets them all fired and mocked, so they start a paranormal investigation above a restaurant.

Their hire actor/model Kevin (Hemsworth) as the receptionist and are called to the subway for their first official call.  Subway worker Patty Tolan (Jones) shows them the ghost and then joins their team as their New York expert.  Ghosts begin appearing more and more around the city.  Can they find a way to stop the onslaught of the ghosts and save the city?


The Ghostbusters premiered in 1984.  It was the brainchild of Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis.  The co-wrote the script and starred in the film, alongside Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson.  The film, directed by Ivan Reitman and co-starring Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, and Rick Moranis, was a success.  Five years later the original cast and Reitman reunited for a sequel Ghostbusters 2 (again written by Aykroyd and Ramis).  Since then fans have been asking for a third film in the series.

In 2012, Reitman suggested a reboot for the franchise.  He would direct and the original cast would cameo.  After the death of Ramis, Reitman stepped down as the director and was replaced by Paul Feig.  Feig also served as a co-writer for the film (alongside of Katie Dippold).  The surviving cast members, with the exception of Moranis (who retired from acting), all have cameos in the film.  They are not playing their characters from the franchise.  Ramis' son Daniel Ramis has a brief cameo in the film.  And there are several call-backs to events from the original series (the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man even makes an appearance).

Since Feig announced his plans to have an all female cast, the internet has been a-buzz with opinions.  Some people applauded the change and others hated the new direction of the film... these strong opinions only intensified when the first trailer was released.  I love the original films and I wasn't sure how to feel about the reboot.

I was pleasantly surprised by the film.  The cast is filled with talented comedians and it is funny.  Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Cecily Strong are (or were) cast members on TV's SNL.  Aned Melissa McCarthy has headlined many comedy films, including several successful collaborations with Feig.  The chemistry is good... and while the jokes / premise doesn't live up to the original films, it is still an entertaining ride.

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016) 116 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for supernatural action and some crude humor
Director: Paul Feig
Starring: Melissa McCarthy as Dr. Abby Yates
Kristen Wiig as Dr. Erin Gilbert
Kate McKinnon as Dr. Jillian Holtzmann
Leslie Jones as Patty Tolan
Chris Hemsworth as Kevin Beckman
Cecily Strong as Jennifer Lynch
Andy Garcia as Mayor Bradley
Neil Casey as Rowan North

Mascots (2016)

Every year, professional mascots vie for their spot in the Fluffy Awards.  The awards show is run by Langston Aubrey (Hitchcock) and the top 20 contestants compete for the top prize: the Gold Fluffy.  Two TV executives, Upton French (Higgins) and Jessica Mundt (Blasucci), are attending the festivities and will potentially broadcast the competition in the future.  The competition is judged by sponsor Buddy Campbell (Lake), celebratory mascot A.J. Blumquist (Begley) who wore an anatomically correct costume, and celebratory mascot turned author Gabby Monkhouse (Lynch).

Owen Golly Jr. (Bennett) is a third generation mascot.  He inherited the character of Sid from his father, Owen Golly Sr. (Jim Piddock), and his grandfather created the character.  Owen is trying to get out of the shadow of his family.  Phil Mayhew (Moynihan) is the plumber mascot for the local football team.  He hopes to win over his old high school crush and win the competition.  Mike (Woods) and Mindy Murray (Baker) are a married couple and the joint mascots for a minor league baseball team.  They don't agree on anything, including their act.  Cindi Babineaux (Posey) is the mascot at a women's college.  She loves to dance and brought along her sister and best friend Laci Babineaux (Yeagley).  Tommy "Zook" Zucarello (O'Dowd) is the bad boy of mascoting.  He is the Fist, a hockey mascot that is suspended from his team for his antics.  As the competition begins, who  will rise to the occasion and who will fold under the pressure?


Director Christopher Guest turns his attention to the world of professional mascots.  The result is a film that fits the mold of a Christopher Guest film... but isn't as good as his previous films.

The film is formatted like a documentary, with the characters speaking directly to the camera.  The characters are quirky, but there aren't many laughs.  The cast is great, and many have appeared in other Guest films.  But something is missing.

The most interesting characters are underutilized and the annoying characters have more screen time.  The competition is entertaining, but even falls flat.  Check out Best in Show or Waiting for Guffman instead.  Guest appears briefly in this film as Corky St. Clair, the character he played in Waiting for Guffman and on TV's SNL.

Mascots (2016) 89 minutes
Director: Christopher Guest
Starring: Sarah Baker as Mindy Murray
Ed Begley Jr. as A.J. Blumquist
Tom Bennett as Owen Golly Jr.
Maria Blasucci as Jessica Mundt
John Michael Higgins as Upton French
Michael Hitchcock as Langston Aubrey
Don Lake as Buddy Campbell
Jane Lynch as Gabby Monkhouse
Christopher Moynihan as Phil Mayhew
Chris O'Dowd as Tommy "Zook" Zucarello
Parker Posey as Cindi Babineaux
Zach Woods as Mike Murray
Susan Yeagley as Laci Babineaux

The Lion in Winter

"What family doesn't have its ups and downs?"

In 1183, King Henry II (O'Toole) of England is staging a family reunion for Christmas.  He gathers his three surviving sons and estranged wife, Queen Eleanor (Hepburn), to name his successor.  He and Eleanor do not get along and he had her imprisoned years before.  Their sons are Richard (Hopkins) the oldest son who is a soldier, scheming middle son Geoffrey (Castle), and spoiled youngest son John (Terry).  John is Henry's favorite and his choice as heir to the throne, but Eleanor favors Richard.

They are joined by Alais (Merrow), Henry's mistress.  Alais is the sister of the King Philip (Dalton)of France and is betrothed to Richard.  Henry also invited Philip to join the festivities to argue terms.  Henry is determined to hand the throne to John, while keeping Alais as his mistress.  But his decision is opposed by the rest, who all have deals and double-deals in place to get their way.  Will everyone survive the holiday?


In 1966, James Goldman wrote the play "The Lion in Winter" about King Henry II, Queen Eleanor of Aquitane, and their sons.  The play premiered on Broadway in March 1966, with Robert Preston and Rosemary Harris in the lead roles.  Harris won the Tony Award for Best Actress for the role.  Goldman adapted his play for the screen, with Anthony Harvey serving as the director.

It helps to have at least a passing familiarity with the history of these characters.  Henry and Eleanor had 5 sons: 1 died before reaching adulthood, Henry died shortly before the events of the film, Richard the Lionheart, Geoffrey, and John.  They also had daughters, and Eleanor had 2 daughters from her marriage to the King of France (Philip and Alias' father).  It also helps to know the events that happened later: Richard the Lionheart was the King of England during the time of Robin Hood.

Katharine Hepburn won an Oscar for her performance as Eleanor.  The film was nominated for 7 Oscars and won 3 (Hepburn for Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay for Goldman, and Best Music Score for John Barry).  Hepburn commands every scene she is in and deserved her win.  She is evenly matched with Peter O'Toole and their battles are fascinating to watch.  O'Toole played King Henry II four years before in the film Becket and he was nominated for Oscars for both performances.  The was also the film debut of Timothy Dalton and Anthony Hopkins.  John Castle is conniving as Geoffrey, Hopkins is imposing and passionate as Richard, while Nigel Terry is juvenile and cocky as John.  Jane Merrow is annoying as Alais, and I was not impressed by the character or her performance

Despite the stellar performances of the leads, I didn't love the film.  I didn't like some of the choices of the director and thought some places dragged... but it is still a good film.

The film was remade in 2003 as a TV movie starring Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close.

The Lion in Winter (1968) 134 minutes
Director: Anthony Harvey
Starring: Peter O'Toole as King Henry II
Katharine Hepburn as Queen Eleanor
Anthony Hopkins as Richard the Lionheart
John Castle as Geoffrey
Nigel Terry as John
Timothy Dalton as King Philip II of France
Jane Merrow as Alais

The Adventures of Robin Hood

"Why, you speak treason!"

"Fluently."

In 1191, while fighting in the Crusades, King Richard (Hunter) of England is taken captive.  His younger brother Prince John (Rains) claims the throne, kicking out the regent that Richard left behind.  Prince John raises the taxes, oppressing the Saxons, to build his support.  His oppressive laws are carried out by Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Rathbone) and the High Sheriff of Nottingham (Cooper).  He also counts the Bishop of the Black Cannons (Love) among his followers.  When he travels to Locksley, he brings along Richard's ward Lady Marian (de Havilland).

Sir Robin of Locksley (Flynn) is sick of the tyranny and has given up his lands and position to live in the forest and defend the Saxons.  Known as Robin Hood, he is the best archer in England.  He is joined by minstrel Will Scarlett (Knowles), Much (Mundin) the Miller's son, Little John (Hale) who is deadly with a staff, and Friar Tuck (Pallette) an expert swordsman.  As Prince John's men continue to oppress the people, Robin Hood and his men defend and provide for the Saxons.  Can they stay one step ahead of the tyranny and protect the country until King Richard returns?


The legend of Robin Hood has been adapted to film and TV numerous times, but for me, this will always be the quintessential version.  Everything about this film works.  The cast, action, and pacing are all perfect.

Errol Flynn is effortlessly Robin Hood, and every man that has taken on the mantle since has to live up to his performance.  In fact, it is hard to picture anyone else in this role.  Olivia de Havilland is gorgeous and feisty as Maid Marian (billed as Maid Marian, but called Lady Marian in the film).  She is more than just the beautiful damsel in distress, she isn't afraid to speak her mind.  Claude Rains is perfect as Prince John, he's authoritative and cunning and a real threat.  Bail Rathbone imbues Sir Guy of Gisbourne with a menacing nobility and you can't wait to see what he will do next.  Melville Cooper makes the Sheriff a braggart and a coward, and it works.  Patric Knowles, Alan Hale, Eugene Pallette, and Herbert Mundin work well as the merry men: capable of fighting alongside Robin, and quick with a sarcastic comment.

The script by Norman Reilly Raine, Seton I. Miller, and Rowland Leigh is a swashbuckling adventure that isn't afraid to show lighter moments.  It moves at a brisk pace, but never feels rushed.  The duels were choreographed by swordmaster Fred Cavens, who paced them like a dance to add to the excitement.  Professional archer Howard Hill, who appeared in the film as archer Elwen the Welshmen, made all of Robin Hood's shots and used a specially designed bow to make a distinct sound for the soundtrack.  The score by composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold is memorable and fits perfectly with the story.  It might not be iconic, but it holds its own in the film.

Originally, the film was planned as a remake of the 1922 Robin Hood film starring Douglas Fairbanks.  However, they ultimately chose a different path.  Alan Hale also appeared in the 1922 film as Little John.  They also planned to make a sequel, after this film became a huge success, but it was never developed.

The film won 3 Academy Awards (it was nominated for 4): Best Art Direction - Color, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score (it was also nominated for Best Picture).  It has also appeared on many top film lists and several AFI top 100 countdowns.

It is a wonderful film and the best of the Robin Hood films / television series.  I grew up watching this film and loved it as a child.  Decades later it still stands as an excellent film.  Everyone should see this film.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) 102 minutes
Director: Michael Curtiz & William Keighley
Starring: Errol Flynn as Robin Hood
Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian
Basil Rathbone as Sir Guy of Gisbourne
Claude Rains as Prince John
Patric Knowles as Will Scarlett
Eugene Pallette as Friar Tuck
Alan Hale as Little John
Melville Cooper as High Sheriff of Nottingham
Ian Hunter as King Richard
Una O'Connor as Bess
Herbert Mundin as Much
Montagu Love as Bishop of the Black Canons

La Leyenda de la Llorona

After successfully defeating the Nahuala, Leo San Juan (Prado) and his friends are sent to Xochimilco to stop the Llorona.  The Llorona is stealing children from the town, including Beto (Canete), while he is trick or treating with his sister Kika (Del Carmen).  Leo is joined by his friends Don Andres (Couturier) the knight, colorful dragon Alebrije (Inclan), vain ghost Teodora (Cordeiro), and sugar skulls Moribunda and Finado.  As they approach the town by balloon, Leo is thrown out by a storm.  He falls into the boat of Kika, who is trying to find her brother.

Kika takes Leo back to her house so her mother, Rosa (Zuniga), can nurse him back to health.  Rosa tells Leo that the Llorna was a woman from the town, Yoltzin (Hernandez) who lost her children.  She refused to accept their deaths and now steals the children from the town to replace her children.  Leo is given the journal of Padre Tello (Humberto Solorzano), the priest who went missing while trying to stop the Llorona.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group crashes into the nearby forest.  They are on the island of puppets, and are condemned by Pecas (Jesus Guzman), the puppet that is in control.  With his friends in danger and Kika taken by La Llorna, can Leo save the day?

 

After the success of La Leyenda de la Nahuala, Anima Estudios and Eficine 226 produced a sequel.  The film picks up where the prior film ended: with our heroes heading to Xochimilco to stop the Llorona.


The film is in Spanish, but I watched it with English subtitles.  The story is based on the Mexican legend of La Llorona and features other important symbols from Mexico, like sugar skulls and alebrijes.  It is not necessary to know the legend (or the symbols) to understand / enjoy this film.

The animation is gorgeous and the characters are fun.  Almost all of the characters from the original return for this film, with a few additions.  Once again the sugar skulls are hilarious, without saying a word.  Leo is a strong lead, and Don Andres and Alebrije get to do more in the film.  The new characters work with the story, although Kika does get grating.  Once again, it is a funny and energetic film with aspects of horror.  Again, not for young children.

To date, they have made 2 more sequels (La Leyenda de las Momias de Guanajuato in 2014, and La Leyenda de las Momias de Guanajuato in 2016) which take Leo and his friends to tackle more Mexican legends.

La Leyenda de la Llorona (2011) 81 minutes
Director: Alberto Rodriguez
Starring: Yair Prado as Leo San Juan
Andres Couturier as Don Andres
Rafael Inclan as Alebrije
Monica Del Carmen as Kika
Erick Canete as Beto
Rosario Zuniga as Rosa
Mayte Cordeiro as Teodora
Mercedes Hernandez as Yoltzin
Rocio Lara as La Llorona

Keanu (2016)

"Oh, my God, that’s the cutest cat I’ve ever seen in my life!"

Rell (Peele) is depressed after getting dumped, until a kitten shows up on his porch.  He names the kitten Keanu and finds a new reason to get up in the morning.  A few months later, while having a guys weekend with his cousin/best friend Clarence (Key), his apartment is vandalized and Keanu is taken.  His drug dealer neighbor Hulka (Forte) says the kitten was taken by a local gang called the Blips.

Rell and Clarence go the Blips headquarters and take on new gangster personalities: Tectonic and Shark Tank.  They are taken to the Blips leader, Cheddar (Man), who has Keanu, now named "Low Jack."  Cheddar mistakenly believes Rell and Clarence are the notorious "Allentown Boys" and makes a bargain with them: give the gang some pointers as they prepare to sell their newest brand of weed and they will get the kitten as a sign of respect.  Can they survive the gang and get Keanu back?


Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele are big names in comedy.  Both appeared on the sketch show MADtv and took the world of sketch comedy by storm with their show Key and Peele.  The show ended in 2015, and since then expectations have been high for their first film.

When the film was first announced, people believed it was a parody of Keanu Reeves' latest film John Wick, but the similarities are just a happy coincidence.  Reeves even reached out to the producers to cameo in the film (he voices Keanu in a dream sequence).  The story was written by Peele and Alex Rubens, who was a writer and co-producer on Key and Peele.  Director, Peter Atencio, also worked on Key and Peele as the director (on all episodes).  The film capitalizes on the comedic talents of the stars and the cuteness of the kitten.  The supporting cast are game for anything thrown their way.  Method Man, Jason Mitchel, Darrell Britt-Gibson, and Tiffany Haddish are great as the gangsters.  And Will Forte is funny in a small but memorable role.

A funny film with a stellar cast.  Check it out.

Keanu (2016) 99 minutes
Rating: R for violence, language throughout, drug use and sexuality/nudity
Director: Peter Atencio
Starring: Jordan Peele as Rell / Oil Dresden
Keegan-Michael Key as Clarence / Smoke Dresden
Tiffany Haddish as Hi-C
Method Man as Cheddar
Jason Mitchell as Bud
Luis Guzman as Bacon Diaz
Nia Long as Hannah
Will Forte as Hulka
Darrell Britt-Gibson as Trunk
Jamar Malachi Neighbors as Stitches

Ride Along 2

"Since you've been here, I've had a nightclub shooting, 20 trespassing complaints and a car blew up."
"We didn't plant the car bomb."

"Yeah, but we did the other stuff, James."

Atlanta police detective James Payton (Cube) is trying to crack a drug ring.  He and his partner Mayfield (Tyrese Gibson) go undercover to find a drug dealer, Troy (Glen Powell).  Ben Barber (Hart) just finished his time at the police academy and is eager to get out into the field.  James allows him to sit in the van during the mission, but when things go sideways, Ben blows their cover.  Mayfield is shot and forced to take a leave of absence.  But James finds a clue about the supplier and wants to go to Florida to follow a lead.

Despite his wedding in a few days, Ben wants to go on the trip and prove his worth to James.  His fiance, Angela Payton (Sumpter), convinces James to take him along.  James intends to prove that Ben will never become a detective.  In Miami, they meet no-nonsense detective Maya Cruz (Munn) and her boss, Captain Hernandez (Carlos Gomez), and get their permission to find hacker A.J. (Jeong).  A.J. coded Troy's flashdrive.  A.J. is on the run from businessman Antonio Pope (Bratt) who rules the drug trade.  Can James and Ben stop Pope's operation in time for Ben and Angela's wedding?


Prior to the 2014 release of Ride Along, Universal ordered a sequel.  The sequel would reunite the main cast from the first film, along with director Tim Story, with a script by half of the original screenwriters (Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi).

The script has the same format as it's predecessor. Kevin Hart talks a mile a minute as Ben. And Ice Cube looks angry and shoots things as James. They still have good chemistry. Ken Jeong adds to the mayhem as A.J.

Tika Sumpter and Olivia Munn don't have much to do. They exist to wear tight clothes.  Benjamin Bratt is the mustache twirling villain, but doesn't add too much to the film.

It is a decent comedy, but basically a retread of the original (but not as good).

Ride Along 2 (2016) 101 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of violence, sexual content, language and some drug material
Director: Tim Story
Starring: Ice Cube as James Payton
Kevin Hart as Ben Barber
Tika Sumpter as Angela Payton
Benjamin Bratt as Antonio Pope
Olivia Munn as Maya Cruz
Ken Jeong as A.J.

London Has Fallen

"The car is bullet proof, not politician proof.

After the death of the British Prime Minister, several world leaders converge on London for the funeral.  U.S. President Benjamin Asher (Eckhardt) also plans to attend.  His security team is led by Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Butler), who is eagerly anticipating the birth of his first child.  Banning does not feel it is safe to travel to London on short notice, but agrees to protect the president and Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs (Bassett).  As the world leaders make their way to the funeral, they are ambushed.

Banning changed their itinerary at the last minute, which allows them to get away.  Lynne is killed in a helicopter crash, but Banning and Asher survive.  Meanwhile, Vice President Allan Trumble (Freeman), is contacted by Pakistani terrorist Aamir Barkawi (Aboutboul).  Barkawi claims that their main target is Asher, and they plan to execute him on live television.  Banning and Asher are cut off from their allies and trying to stay one step ahead of the terrorists.  Can they get to the US embassy safely?


The sequel to director Antoine Fuqua's Olympus Has Fallen in 2013.  The writers (Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt) and main cast returned for the sequel.  But director Fuqua was unable to return and directing duties were given to Babak Najafi.  This was Najafi's first English language film.  Prior to this he was a well-known director in Sweden.

Like its predecessor, this film is explosive.  It is bigger, louder, and more destructive.  The first film destroyed the White House.  The trailers (and posters) for this film, look like they will destroy well-known landmarks in London, but that is only at the beginning of the film.  The majority of the film involves the main characters running through back streets in London on the way to the embassy.  The film is an excuse to blow-up things and beat-up people.

London Has Fallen (2016) 99 minutes
Rating: R for strong violence and language throughout
Director: Babak Najafi
Starring: Gerard Butler as Secret Service Agent Mike Banning
Aaron Eckhardt as President Benjamin Asher
Morgan Freeman as Vice President Allan Trumble
Alon Moni Aboutboul as Aamir Barkawi
Angela Bassett as Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs
Robert Forster as US Army General Edward Clegg
Melissa Leo as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan
Radha Mitchell as Leah Banning
Charlotte Riley as MI6 Agent Jacqueline Marshall
Jackie Earle Haley as White House Deputy Chief of Staff DC Mason
Sean O'Bryan as NSA Deputy Director Ray Monroe
Waleed Zuaiter as Kamran Barkawi
Mehdi Dehbi as Sultan Mansoor