Movie Review w/Spoilers: Angel Has Fallen - Loathsome
Bit of a rant.
While in Los Angeles the other day, I saw a new part III entry of an action series, w/of course Morgan Freeman as the President. I'll not name the hero, so this may not be a true spoiler, but if you catch on and somehow are too naive to know how it will end, STOP HERE.
....
Okay. Sufficient warning?
Now, we know from the trailers that 1) Hero is a big deal in the Secret Service 2) The President is attacked by drones or flying space monkeys or... 3) Somehow, Hero is framed for pile of slagged helicopters and crispy Secret Service agents, and must redeem himself.
(Sigh). I should have known: classic Three Act.
1) ACT 1: Good guy with attractive family is over the hill, but still fighting the good fight. Beloved by all...seemingly. Big chance is laid before him, Truth, Justice, and the American Way.
2) ACT 2: Good guy kicked to curb, becomes instantly and ridiculously excoriated by closest allies. Bad Guy, disguised as good guy, gives evil chuckle in background. Good guy is at his nadir.
3) ACT 3: Good guy starts kicking names and taking ass. He shoots everyone up to and including Bad Guy's dog, seems like, en route to saving (some minor plot point character precious to him, or others. In this case, Morgan Freeman (riiiiiiggghht) as "the President'. Oh Jesus Christ...can it get any worse).
END: all are redeemed, good guy hugs wife and baby, maybe/maybe not takes that big job w/huge accolades.
My issue: okay, it had been a long day already (go Dodgers) and I went to see the film anyway. Not surprisingly, after this big setup, I nodded off. I woke up later and...Second act in full swing. He's shooting everyone, out of prison.
Okay, moving along. Oh, the good guy, long term friend met early in the setup as enjoying retirement with his Blackwater buddies down in (wherever, Texas or god knows where else). Well gosh, let's see...yes, he's the evil kingpin behind the whole thing.
I promptly nodded off again. Some time later, dozing, I awaken for final time: turns out last ten minutes of the film before credits! Just in time: hand to hand fight (of course) with the bad guy, played by an actor who is freakin ALWAYS a bad guy (ditto), long soliloquy w/said bad guy as he and exhausted hero rest at the end, bad guy with knife buried in chest. Wow.
Yet again, a massive flop in the making. But I did get not one but two c. 20-30 min naps out of it. I missed nothing. The plot kept rolling along. I followed all that was happening and "relevant" (more or less) to the plot.
So, if I swept through about half to two thirds, it might have make a good 45-60 minute short instead, in my view. Can they refund half my $19?
This dreck is really tiresome. Do studios review this, and go, "Hey! B-list star (okay), plot line that worked once, sort-of twice, might work three times! ( = safe bet). Let's build it in the formulaic three-act structure!" Are they playing it that safe?
I went because I needed a way to kill some time. Just don't see films like this. Please. After the trailer , you know what will happen from Square 1 to the Grand Finale, it's inevitable.
Plus one star due to the time savings: I fell asleep twice for maybe 45-60 min, and missed nothing when I woke up.
Minus four stars due to everything else.
1/5 stars
While in Los Angeles the other day, I saw a new part III entry of an action series, w/of course Morgan Freeman as the President. I'll not name the hero, so this may not be a true spoiler, but if you catch on and somehow are too naive to know how it will end, STOP HERE.
....
Okay. Sufficient warning?
Now, we know from the trailers that 1) Hero is a big deal in the Secret Service 2) The President is attacked by drones or flying space monkeys or... 3) Somehow, Hero is framed for pile of slagged helicopters and crispy Secret Service agents, and must redeem himself.
(Sigh). I should have known: classic Three Act.
1) ACT 1: Good guy with attractive family is over the hill, but still fighting the good fight. Beloved by all...seemingly. Big chance is laid before him, Truth, Justice, and the American Way.
2) ACT 2: Good guy kicked to curb, becomes instantly and ridiculously excoriated by closest allies. Bad Guy, disguised as good guy, gives evil chuckle in background. Good guy is at his nadir.
3) ACT 3: Good guy starts kicking names and taking ass. He shoots everyone up to and including Bad Guy's dog, seems like, en route to saving (some minor plot point character precious to him, or others. In this case, Morgan Freeman (riiiiiiggghht) as "the President'. Oh Jesus Christ...can it get any worse).
END: all are redeemed, good guy hugs wife and baby, maybe/maybe not takes that big job w/huge accolades.
My issue: okay, it had been a long day already (go Dodgers) and I went to see the film anyway. Not surprisingly, after this big setup, I nodded off. I woke up later and...Second act in full swing. He's shooting everyone, out of prison.
Okay, moving along. Oh, the good guy, long term friend met early in the setup as enjoying retirement with his Blackwater buddies down in (wherever, Texas or god knows where else). Well gosh, let's see...yes, he's the evil kingpin behind the whole thing.
I promptly nodded off again. Some time later, dozing, I awaken for final time: turns out last ten minutes of the film before credits! Just in time: hand to hand fight (of course) with the bad guy, played by an actor who is freakin ALWAYS a bad guy (ditto), long soliloquy w/said bad guy as he and exhausted hero rest at the end, bad guy with knife buried in chest. Wow.
Yet again, a massive flop in the making. But I did get not one but two c. 20-30 min naps out of it. I missed nothing. The plot kept rolling along. I followed all that was happening and "relevant" (more or less) to the plot.
So, if I swept through about half to two thirds, it might have make a good 45-60 minute short instead, in my view. Can they refund half my $19?
This dreck is really tiresome. Do studios review this, and go, "Hey! B-list star (okay), plot line that worked once, sort-of twice, might work three times! ( = safe bet). Let's build it in the formulaic three-act structure!" Are they playing it that safe?
I went because I needed a way to kill some time. Just don't see films like this. Please. After the trailer , you know what will happen from Square 1 to the Grand Finale, it's inevitable.
Plus one star due to the time savings: I fell asleep twice for maybe 45-60 min, and missed nothing when I woke up.
Minus four stars due to everything else.
1/5 stars
