Secret Service Agent Mike Banning is framed for the attempted assassination of the President and must evade his own agency and the FBI as he tries to uncover the real threat.
Gerard Butler returns as Secret Service Agent Mike Banning, a nearly indestructible human specimen who dispatches an endless parade of bad guys with the force of at least ten ordinary men. Following “Olympus Has Fallen” in 2013 and “London Has Fallen” in 2016, “Angel” reteams Butler with Morgan Freeman, now President Allan Trumbull, having moved up the ladder from both vice president and Speaker of the House in the previous versions.
What made the earlier films work was the chemistry between Banning and the president, an element that remains true here. Morgan Freeman fills in well for an absent Aaron Eckhart, striking a nice chemistry with Butler’s Banning.
An aging Mike Banning finds himself up for the job of director of the Secret Service. Although he is a field man at heart, the residual effects of so much close combat with so many hostile combatants has taken its toll on Banning’s physique, particularly his head. Guarding the president during a fishing trip, a mysterious attack of drones pummels the landscape and leaves the entire detail dead – except Banning, who becomes the chief suspect as a result.
As usual, the supporting cast anchors the production admirably. Tim Blake Nelson does a nice turn as Vice President Kirby, who acts on behalf of a temporarily incapacitated President Trumbull. Nelson has amassed a fine resume of notable performances in motion pictures such as “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” “Kill the Messenger,” “The Homesman,” and “Syriana” among many others.
Sadly, Radha Mitchell does not return as Leah Banning. The role instead has been turned over to Piper Perabo. Nonetheless, her performance is endearing and empathetic. Danny Huston as Banning’s long-time friend and fellow soldier Wade Jennings adds yet another strong supporting cast member. However, the biggest surprise comes in the middle of the film, as a disaffected Nick Nolte delivers welcome assistance to Banning at a low moment for him.
Integral to all of the “Fallen” movies is the political intrigue surrounding the Secret Service and the nation’s highest office. Simply put, things are not always as they seem, which contributes to the fun.
A not inconsequential element of “Angel” revolves around legitimate policy discussions about how much of the U.S. military-industrial complex the government should delegate to for-profit private contractors. As President Trumbull notes, greater privatization tends to become a self-reinforcing scenario, complete with new armies of lobbyists intent on keeping the war machine running at as high a tilt as possible, while aggrandizing profiteers. With the United States essentially now in a permanent state of war, the subtext of this action flick at least dares to pose some relevant political questions. Policy debate at senior government levels in real life now goes so far as to consider fully privatizing military operations in Afghanistan, for example.
It must be noted that Antione Fuqua, director of “Training Day” and “The Equalizer” also directed “Olympus Has Fallen,” which remains the best of the three installments. This latest rendering, directed by Ric Roman Waugh, could best be described as not great, but not bad. If nothing else, “Angel Has Fallen” suitably fulfills expectations of Mike Banning fans. After all, he’s such a good guy – what’s not to like? At the same time, given that each sequel seems a little less than its predecessor, it’s probably time to retire the series with this most recent iteration.
In Theaters Friday, August 23rd
