The Secret Service is a very unique form of law enforcement, and there are a lot of myths about them and the jobs they perform. At one time, I was actually looking into going into the agency myself because of that image of standing in front of The President in the suit wearing those sunglasses. Unfortunately, it is not all fun and games; imagine having to stand outside in Fairbanks, Alaska at three o’clock in the morning where it is forty degrees below zero protecting dignitaries while they are snuggled inside the cabin in a warm bed. Actually, protection is only a small part of their job because they are actually in charge of combating counterfeiting. With the popularity of films that deal with the Secret Service in “Olympus Has Fallen” and “London Has Fallen,” this series gets another installment with “Angel Has Fallen”.
This particular chapter is directed by Ric Roman Waugh (Snitch, Felon) and stars Gerard Butler, Piper Perabo, Morgan Freeman, Jada Pinkett Smith, Danny Huston, Nick Nolte, Lance Reddick, and Tim Blake Nelson. This time around, Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Butler), who is still assigned to protecting President Trumbull (Morgan), is with him on vacation and while fishing, there is an attempt on the President’s life. With the bad guys using drones, the entire protection detail is killed with only Banning and the President surviving, with the latter in a coma Banning in the hospital with him. The group that committed the attack set up Banning to make it look like he was behind the attempt. and Banning is taken into custody. After a daring escape, he sets out to expose the real assassins and clear his name.
There are a lot of good outside shots that showed the Appalachian area of the country well, with a lot of CGI that is blended well with the practical scenery. I truly enjoyed the sound editing and effects and effects here, especially during the action scenes. The main cast does what they have done before, with the addition of people like Nolte and Reddick.
I enjoyed the first two films in this series (especially “Olympus”), but with this one, it was a bit long and somewhat predictable. The big reveal I saw coming a mile away, but this your regular shoot-‘em-up like the ones before it. The action is good and if this is your cup of tea, I will recommend “Angel Has Fallen” in the theater in the cheapest way possible in Dolby format.