Action movies have recently tended to consist of comic book characters. If it’s not “Iron Man” or “The Avengers,” it’s an action film with movie stars that are way past their prime, such as Stallone or Schwarzenegger. This movie just goes to show you that a good action film can still be made.

“Olympus Has Fallen” is made like a “Die Hard” film. It’s one man versus a small army, and he is the last hope. It stars Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, and a huge list of other excellent actors. Antione Fuqua, best known for films such as “Training Day” and “Shooter,” directed this film. He is no stranger when it comes to action movies.

The president’s limo is its the way to a Christmas party when it hits something and starts to fall off a bridge. Banning (Butler) makes a conscientious decision to save the president instead of his wife. 18 months later, Banning has been assigned to a different detail, too disgraced to work for the president directly.

While the president (Eckhart) is in the midst of meeting with the South Korean Prime Minister, Washington D.C. and the White House are attacked. Banning, who happens to see this from his office, runs to help while being shot at by a plane raining bullets on the citizens in the streets. He is the only one who makes it inside.

The main antagonist in this movie is a North Korean terrorist named Kang, played by Rick Yune, who seems to have a knack for playing that role. Yune played virtually the same role in the 2002 James Bond outing “Die Another Day.”

One by one, the secret service members are picked off by the enemy who, you find out shortly after, are the North Koreans. The last one alive, beside Banning, says over the intercom before dying, “Olympus has fallen, repeat Olympus has fallen.” This is codename for the White House being overrun.

For the first half of the movie, you don’t know why Kang and his goons attack the U.S., but as the movie goes on, you start to see that his intentions are far worse than imagined. This film couldn’t have come out at a better time since tensions between North Korea and the U.S. have been rising. There are a lot of patriotic shots in this movie, and it will have you leaving the theater saying “America!”

This film is Rated R for harsh language and strong violence, so don’t bring your kids; but sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the ride, because it’s a nail biter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74F_pts7Uhg