Olympus Has Fallen Review by Dio Rochino

       I've said it before.  If a movie does a good job of explaining a poorly contrived story, I'll accept it.  I just need a reason to invest in the concept.  As unashamed of being a brainless action flick this movie is, it actually has plot.  Albeit ridiculous and predictable, it does drive the film which is more than ample.

      The concept of Olympus might be hard to take seriously.  The story involves a Korean terrorist organization that seizes control of the White House taking the President and his staff hostage.  Their purpose is to eliminate all U.S military presence on the border between North and South Korea, allowing the North to invade thus attempting to fulfill their plan to unify Korea.  But a well placed script and balls to the wall action make this an extremely fun flick to watch.  Even with laughable plot devices such as a three part code that can detonate every nuclear missile in America possibly turning the country into a wasteland.  Believe me, disclosing this information isn't ruining anything.  However, it seems we're willing to accept silly explanations like this to give everyone what they really want.  Chances to see Gerard Butler systematically bash terrorists' brains in and annihilate them in the most brutal ways.

      Butler's portrayal of Mike Banning makes the film.  Being the sole survivor of an all out attack on the White House, people can't help but cheer when he assassinates bad guys with contentment.  With the convictions of his character relayed with a strong and hearty screw you, Banning's the type who would tell villains that he's going to mess them up and holds true to that promise.  He even has the smug look to support it and does it all to the tune of a patriotic score blazing in the background.

      Make no mistake, this movie is a poor Die Hard clone with a one track notion whose only point is to see Banning kick ass in the name of the U.S.A.  It's evident upon viewing the film that the plot is a bit clumsy but let's be realistic.  People who are watching this aren't expecting anything complicated.  It's an absurd action film which pulls out every patriotic cliche to put America on the foreground and supplies the audience with an insatiable need for cinematic blood lust.  Sure the filmmakers would've been just as successful if they had Gerard Butler standing on a mountain of dead evildoers in front of the American flag, holding an assault rifle and waving the middle finger around for two hours, but it honestly wouldn't be as much fun.

Jack the Giant Slayer Review by Dio Rochino

     

       It’s an old Hollywood motto.  If something is successful, you repeat the formula over and over again.  Therefore, after the success of Snow White and the Huntsmen and Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters, tinseltown has decided to release the latest cracked out retelling of a fairy tale.  Much to my dismay, my initial exposure to this fad never worked for me.  I spent the whole duration of Snow White bored and picking apart scenes which were blatant rip offs from other fantasy films while snickering at it’s forceful melodramatic dialog.  This horrendous experience turned me off to the point where I never gave Hansel and Gretel a try.  So when Jack the Giant Slayer arrived, I was reluctant to go see it.  But after having my arm twisted I can honestly tell you that I was pleasantly surprised.

      Jack the Giant Slayer is a great piece of escapist film making.  The movie clocks in at two hours which go by extremely fast since the film doesn’t waste time getting to the point.  Within the first few minutes, it doesn’t take long to be enraptured with the world the story presents.  The beginning which chronicles the humans first encounter with the giants, cleverly gives enough information for the audience to go on while the movie progresses and as the rest takes place several years after this tale has fallen into myth, the twists that drive the plot amusingly reference back to the film’s primary history fable.

      Unlike Snow White and the Huntsmen, it doesn’t attempt to create complicated personalities through sluggish, drawn out narratives.  In fact, the story is adequately simple with just enough dialog given to care about the motives of each character.  Sure, some of the lines were a little hokey but that was to be expected.  But it didn’t detract from the film’s solitary premise which is to give the audience a great time.  There is no complexity here, just the visual equivalent of relaxing and having a tall tale read to you.  It’s a fun, awesome piece of popcorn entertainment that looks gorgeous and it doesn't pretend to be anything else other than that.