Angel Has Fallen

The long-awaited movie is here and it did not disappoint me at all. I choose to disregard the negative reviews from the critics because I honestly doubt we saw the same movie...lol. Angel has fallen is an action thriller movie with a run time of 2 hours and 1 minute which was released on the 23rd of August 2019 in Nigeria. The film stars Gerard Butler (Mike Banning; Secret Service Agent), Morgan Freeman (Allan Trumbull; US President), Jada Pinkett Smith (Helen Thompson; FBI Agent), Lance Reddick (David Gentry; Secret Service Director), Piper Perabo (Leah Banning; Mike’s wife), Nick Nolte (Clay Banning; Mike’s father) and Danny Huston (Wade Jennings: Salient Global head).

I saw it at the Filmhouse cinema, Samonda on Monday and it blew me away just like it's first 2 sequels/installments. The experience of watching it was like riding out on a rollercoaster of emotions for me; from intense heart-racing moments of wild suspense to moments of pure thrilling fear and silence to periods of loud cheers and laughter. I loved the way director Ric Roman Waugh made Butler's personality more relatable and human in this installment. In the last 2 sequels, he was god-level awesome, kinda like a super-man of some sort. Regardless of how relatable he appeared though, Gerard Butler nailed this role yet again and as a matter of fact, this is the best of all the three movies in my opinion.

In this sequel, Mike Banning, is accused of making an attempt on the life of the President of the United States, Allan Trumbull. He is considered guilty based on the overwhelming evidence against him. He has to prove that he is innocent even as he battles health issues that severely complicate his situation and make his job much more difficult. FBI Agent, Helen Thompson, is tasked with taking Banning into custody but as the case evolves, she begins to find it difficult to determine if Banning is guilty of the crime he is accused of or if he's being set up.

I'm not quite sure how I felt about having Jada play this role though. I would have liked to have someone like Angelina Jolie, that would have been a sight to behold. I particularly loved the way Morgan Freeman played the President Trumbull part to the hilt. It was perfectly reminiscent of what a true leader should be; caring for his people, understanding them, vouching for them whenever the need arises and trusting them even in the face of opposition. Introducing Mike's father into the fray was a stroke of genius and his presence gave the movie that much needed homely feel.

Angel Has Fallen is filled with all and more of the kind of action the first two sequels had. From Olympus Has Fallen to London Has Fallen, Butler keeps proving to us again and again that he is the best agent around when it comes to keeping presidents alive. The movie is even more extraordinary as Agent Banning is tasked with 3 responsibilities; protect his president, protect his family and clear his name to prove that he was framed! Crazy uh? He aced the performance, bringing a lot of grit and realism to the role that made the movie rather satisfying and refreshing. It was a class act that was absolutely worth waiting for.