The Has Fallen series has grown to become a full-blown franchise in recent years. When the first film Olympus Has Fallen was released in 2013, fans were introduced to a new action hero in Mike Banning (played by Gerard Butler). The former Army Ranger turned Secret Service agent is always quick to run into danger for the President, making for some memorable and not-so-memorable action. Aside from Butler as the leading man, the trilogy of films also bolsters world-class talent with Morgan Freeman as Speaker of the House Allan Trumbull and Aaron Eckhart as Benjamin Asher, the President of the United States.
This Has Fallen series has its rough edges, but it found its footing over time and effectively defined itself as a thrilling action franchise. Despite following a cast of characters in a set universe, neither film in this franchise is like the other. Each one comes with a different director who brings a different feeling. No one can say these films are repetitive. Their success has attracted a loyal following that keeps Banning in theaters to continue entertaining moviegoers, and he’s set to do it again. A new trilogy is reportedly in the works, with Night Has Fallen already in production and Butler returning as Banning. Until it's released, here is a ranking of every movie in the Has Fallen action franchise.
3 London Has Fallen
Following the mysterious death of the British Prime Minister, the world's leaders gather for the funeral. In attendance is President Benjamin Asher and his Head of Secret Service, Mike Banning. When the event is suddenly attacked, Banning springs back into action to save the President, who is the only survivor of the world leaders. They are not out of the woods yet, however, as the attackers give chase.
London Has Fallen has several things going for it that improve on the original. For one, the action is better. The film losing 20 minutes of the first film's runtime could have hurt this sequel, but director Babak Najafi makes it work. It doesn't take long to get into the action, and Banning hits the ground running. Fans of the first movie were pleased with the escalation of hard-hitting action and gory kills as this outing sees the series find a more comfortable rhythm. Furthermore, the chemistry between Butler and Eckhart is palpable as they share more scenes. Where the film falters is that there's no substance or depth in the story: it's simply another explosion and guns-blazing action flick. Most of the characters outside Asher and Banning are utterly lifeless and only serve to either die or run away. The bad guys are about the same as well, which shouldn't be a case for a film's main antagonist. Despite the improved action sequences, the film falls short of surpassing its predecessor, which contributed to its holding the lowest audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
2 Olympus Has Fallen
Mike Banning was a Secret Service agent for President Asher and was close to his family. That changed on a fateful night when he was forced to choose between saving Asher or The First Lady, choosing the President as his wife fell to her death. Almost two years later, Banning is working a desk job after being reassigned following his failure. However, he has a front-row seat to a terrorist attack on the White House as delegates from South Korea take the President and his staff hostage. With all other agents killed in the conflict, Banning is the only one who can save the President and prevent further catastrophe.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Olympus Has Fallen was pleasing for fans of action films. Butler is the perfect American action hero, which is ironic as he hails from Scotland. The first act was great. The attack played out like a harrowing disaster film. The only downside to the sequence was the cartoonishly bad CGI. The second act was a falling-off point as it dives into a Die Hard-esque adventure that doesn't lend any memorable fights or scenes to really stand out from other action films. There's also a cringe-worthy amount of melodramatic patriotism and conflicting tones throughout. Things come back around for the final act, though, as we get the film's best action, which includes a fun knife fight between Butler and Dylan McDermott. While not the best film in the Has Fallen franchise, Olympus Has Fallen is a solid action flick.
1 Angel Has Fallen
The best film in the Has Fallen franchise goes to the most recent installment. Angel Has Fallen sees the President attacked once again, this time leaving him in a coma. Mike Banning is forced to go on the run as he's been framed for the attack. The only way to save the President and prevent further chaos is to find the true culprit and clear his name.
It's a basic premise, and one that fans have seen before, but the franchise steps its game up to deliver a more well-rounded and action-packed thrill ride. As said above, each new director brings their own style and flavor to the series. Ric Roman Waugh changes up the formula by starting things out slowly and lending more depth to Banning. This time around, we see the former Army Ranger feeling the effects of his long years of service as he battles a painkiller addiction and struggles with his mental and physical health. This makes for some good scenes, but this plotline is forgotten once the story takes off. To make up for it, there are the additions of Nick Nolte as Banning's estranged father and Danny Huston as an old friend turned enemy. The chemistry Butler has with both actors is palpable and is a highlight. This goes more so for Huston's character as the franchise had never seen Banning face off with an enemy who knew him, adding a genuine emotional weight to their conflict. The acting and intense action caries this movie home to the very end. It's not a perfect film, and it's not likely to gain many new fans, but it's enough to leave the already invested fans itching for more. It's not a perfect movie. Critics score it as the worst in the trilogy, but the fans have scored it as the best with an astounding 93%. The fans are always right.