Olympus Has Fallen

 Released Year: 2013

Directed by Antoine Fuqua

Casted by:

Gerard Butler as Mike Banning

Aaron Eckhart as Benjamin Asher

Morgan Freeman as Allan Trumbull

Rick Yune as Kang Yeonsak

Angela Bassett as Lynne Jacobs

Dylan McDermott as Dave Forbes

Finley Jacobsen as Connor Asher

Melissa Leo as Ruth McMillan

Ashley Judd as Margaret Asher

Radha Mitchell as Leah Banning

 Story: 

Former Army Ranger Mike Banning is the lead U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to head the U.S. Presidential detail. Banning maintains a personal, friendly relationship with President Benjamin Asher, First Lady Margaret and their son Connor. During a snowy Christmas evening drive from Camp David to a campaign fundraiser, the car transporting the First Family spins out of control on a bridge; Banning pulls Asher from the vehicle, but Margaret falls to her death while inside the car.

Eighteen months later, having been removed from the presidential detail, Banning works at Treasury headquarters. During a meeting between Asher and South Korean Prime Minister Lee Tae-Woo (Keong Sim), terrorists led by Kang Yeonsak, a North Korean terrorist driven to reunify Korea, mount an air and ground assault that results in the capture of the White House. The group is aided by treasonous members of the prime minister's own detail, including Dave Forbes, a former Secret Service agent. Asher and several top officials are held hostage in the White House bunker; South Korean Prime Minister Lee is executed on live video. Before his own death, detail agent Roma alerts the Director of the Secret Service Lynne Jacobs that "Olympus has fallen".

Kang seeks to use Asher's hostage status as leverage to force U.S. officials to withdraw the Seventh Fleet and U.S. forces from the Korean Peninsula, removing American opposition to a North Korean invasion of South Korea. He also seeks to destroy the American nuclear weapons stockpile by detonating them in their respective silos across the country, turning the U.S. into an irradiated wasteland as revenge for the death of his family. To accomplish this, he requires the access codes to a system in the bunker called Cerberus, which are held by three top government officials within the bunker, including the President. Asher orders the other two officials to reveal their codes to save their lives, certain that he will not give up his code.

During the initial assault by Kang's forces, Banning joins the White House's combatants. He falls back into the White House, disabling the internal surveillance and gaining access to Asher's satellite ear phone, which he uses to maintain contact with Jacobs and Allan Trumbull, the Speaker of the House, now the Acting President. Authorized to proceed, Banning’s first act is to save Connor, whom Kang plans to use to force Asher to reveal his Cerberus code. Banning finds Connor hiding in the walls, thanks to the training Banning had given him, and sneaks the boy to safety. Banning begins reconnaissance and reduces the terrorists' numbers. Banning kills Forbes, first convincing the traitor to report to Kang that Banning is dead. Meanwhile, Army Chief of Staff General Edward Clegg convinces Trumbull to order an aerial SEAL assault on the White House. Kang deploys an advanced anti-aircraft gun system in his possession. Discovering the system, Banning advises Trumbull and Clegg to abort the mission, but the new weapon system annihilates the assault force before Banning can stop it. Kang retaliates for the infiltration by killing Vice President Charlie Rodriguez.

After Banning disables Kang’s communications, Kang tries to execute Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan outside the White House in front of the media, but Banning rescues her, taking out several of Kang's men in the process. With his forces dwindling, Kang fakes both his own death and Asher's by sacrificing several of his men and the remaining hostages. However, Banning believes that Kang has faked his death and will attempt to sneak away. Kang eventually cracks Asher’s code using brute-force attack and activates Cerberus. As Kang attempts to escape, Banning kills the remaining terrorists, but Kang shoots Asher in the abdomen when the President tries to resist. Banning and Kang confront each other and a climactic fight breaks out, in which Kang quickly maintains the upper hand. Eventually, Banning kills Kang by stabbing him in the head with a knife and then disables Cerberus with the assistance of Trumbull, with only seconds to spare. During daybreak that day, Banning walks out with Asher and is received by the soldiers posted to await their arrival. After the events, the U.S. begins to heal from the attack, while Banning once again heads the president's security detail. President Asher addresses the public while Banning, Jacobs, Clegg, and Connor observe.

 L² Scored: 8.5/10

L² Comment:

There's really not much fate between me & this movie actually. I remember the first time when I bought the movie ticket to watch this movie, within the first half an hour, a friend called me and say he needs help due to an accident, i ditched the movie and went for rescue. The friend whom i offered my help treat me to cinema to watch this movie on the following week, but i was forced to cancel it because i got high fever at that time...

When i wanted to watch this movie with my friends after a year through blu-ray, when we open the DVD, we realize it was not "Olympus Has Fallen" in it, instead it was a thriller movie that time lol~ Finally when i was alone in a quiet night, i managed to finish this movie :p

It was nice, very exciting as well. But of course i understand this is just a movie, but the attack of the terrorist is too powerful and it make me scared ~ Gosh... who can protect us if the US white house is down too? Lol~ i'm just being a bit too drama myself haha...

I, Frankenstein

 Released Year: 2014

Directed by Stuart Beattie

Casted by:

Aaron Eckhart as Adam Frankenstein/Frankenstein's monster

Bill Nighy as Charles Wessex/Prince Naberius

Yvonne Strahovski as Terra Wade

Miranda Otto as Leonore

Socratis Otto as Zuriel

Jai Courtney as Gideon

 Story: 

In 1795, Dr. Victor Frankenstein creates a monster, a soulless creature patched together from corpses, and then rejects it. In a fit of rage, the creature kills Victor's wife Elizabeth and Victor chases it to the Arctic to get revenge, but succumbs to the weather. The creature buries his creator and is then attacked by demons before being rescued by the gargoyles Ophir and Keziah, who bring it before the gargoyle queen Lenore and their commander Gideon. Lenore explains that they were created by the Archangel Michael to battle demons on Earth and protect humanity. They name the creature "Adam" and invite him to join them, but he declines and departs after being given weapons that allow him to "descend" demons (destroying their bodies and trapping their souls in Hell) as they have the symbol of the Gargoyle Order carved on them.

Throughout the centuries, Adam fends off the demons that pursue him. During a modern-day confrontation at a nightclub, a human police officer is killed. While Adam is summoned by the gargoyles once more, the demon Helek reports that Adam is alive to his leader, the demon-prince Naberius, who is disguised as billionaire businessman Charles Wessex, and his right-hand man, Dekar. Wessex has employed scientist Terra Wade to conduct experiments with reanimated corpses, and sends a group of demons led by his most formidable warrior, Zuriel, to attack the gargoyles' cathedral and capture Adam so he can unlock the secret to giving life.

Before Lenore can punish Adam for the police officer's death, the cathedral is attacked, and Adam convinces Ophir to release him. In the ensuing battle, a number of gargoyles, including Ophir and Keziah, are "ascended" (returned to and trapped in Heaven) while Lenore is captured and brought to an abandoned theater. Adam and Gideon head there where Gideon exchanges Lenore for Victor Frankenstein's journal, containing the secrets of the experiment. Adam follows Zuriel to the Wessex Institute, where he learns that Naberius plans to recreate Frankenstein's experiment and create thousands of reanimated corpses as the souls of the descended demons will be able to return from Hell if they have soulless bodies to possess. Adam retrieves the journal and escapes and later confronts Terra before they are attacked by Zuriel. Adam manages to "descend" Zuriel.

Adam warns the remaining gargoyles of Naberius' plan and Lenore sends Gideon to kill him and retrieve the journal. After a violent fight, Adam is forced to "ascend" Gideon and then decides to burn Frankenstein's journal and destroy its secrets before the gargoyles come after him. Adam evades them, leading them to the Wessex Institute where they join battle with Naberius' demons, descending Dekar early in the fight. While the battle progresses, Adam ventures into the Institute to rescue Terra, who had been kidnapped by Naberius, who takes his true demonic form and activates the machine. Naberius overpowers Adam, and tries to have one of the demon spirits possess him, but Adam proves immune as he has grown his own soul. As the gargoyles attempt to stop the reanimated demons, Adam carves the symbol of the Gargoyle Order on Naberius, sanctifying his very body and utterly destroying it, descending Naberius alongside all the other demons in his army, and causing the entire building to collapse.

Recognizing Adam's bravery, Lenore rescues him and Terra and forgives Adam for Gideon's death. Adam retrieves his weapons. After bidding farewell to Terra, Adam departs to begin an immortal quest to protect the humans of the world and hunt demons for selfless reasons, the attitude that had earned him his soul in the first place. In so doing, he embraces his role and his true name of "Frankenstein".

 L² Scored: 5.5/10

L² Comment:

Well well well, first time i saw a movie with gargoyle and i kinda like it, the movie is a bit too short and predictable, but overall i still able to accept the movie. Though i may not read the fiction version from Kevin Grevioux before, but i doubt i will lol~ Overall its ok but wont consider to rewatch it again~ Coz this is not how i picture Frankenstein in my head :p

World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles

Released Year: 2011
Directed by Jonathan Liebesman

Casted by:
Aaron Eckhart as Michael Nantz
Ramon Rodriguez as William Martinez
Will Rothhaar as Lee Imlay
Michelle Rodriguez as Elena Santos
Story:

On August 11, 2011, mysterious objects thought to be meteorites crash into Earth's oceans near several major cities. These objects are revealed to be spacecrafts, containing hostile alien forces. The U.S. Marines from Camp Pendleton arrive in Los Angeles to defend against alien ground forces and assist in the evacuation of civilians, in preparation for a bombing campaign. Among the military's forces are Michael Nantz, a U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant who had planned to retire, and his new platoon.

The Platoon Commander, 2nd Lieutenant William Martinez, attends a briefing at a FOB (Forward Operating Base). The platoon's mission is to rescue civilians from a LAPD police station with a three-hour time limit before the Air Force bombs the area. They are ambushed by aliens multiple times and suffer casualties. They also encounter a group of U.S. Army soldiers from the 40th Infantry Division, including an Air Force intelligence Technical Sergeant Elena Santos. Eventually, the combined team reaches the police station, finding five civilians inside. A helicopter arrives and attempts to evacuate some of the wounded Marines, but it is destroyed by the aliens upon takeoff.

The Marines commandeer a bus for evacuation. During this ordeal, they learn of the aliens' weaknesses and military tactics, finding that alien infantry have a weak point in the torso and that the alien aircraft are remote-controlled drones. The Marines speculate that there must be a central command center, and that the destruction of this command center would cripple the enemy forces. On a freeway, the bus is attacked and the Marines begin rappelling the civilians off the side of the freeway. One of the civilians, Joe Rincon, is wounded after firing on the aliens. Martinez is also wounded and sacrifices himself by detonating explosives inside the bus shortly after placing Nantz in command of the platoon.

Nantz leads what remains of the platoon outside the bombing zone, and they rest at a convenience store. A news report speculates that the aliens have attacked Earth for its water supply. The team waits for the bombing to begin, but nothing happens. They arrive at the FOB, only to discover that it has already been destroyed by the aliens, nullifying the airstrike. They decide to head for another extraction point, where a helicopter should be available to evacuate them but Rincon dies before they reach the new extraction point. As they are being evacuated, Nantz spots a large black area on the ground, where electric power seems to be disabled. Nantz believes the black area to be the location of the alien command center, and that it is hidden underground. Nantz disembarks from the helicopter, his platoon follows, planning to find the exact location of the command center so they can call in a missile strike.

Going underground, the Marines confirm the presence of a large alien vessel. They return to the surface and succeed in calling in a missile strike. However, the command center remains intact, and rises from the ground. The Marines repel alien forces as more missiles are launched at the hovering command center and, eventually, they are able to destroy it and alien ground forces begin to retreat.

Soon after, the team is extracted to a temporary base in the Mojave Desert, where they are greeted as heroes for their outstanding bravery. All other cities under attack now plan to emulate their strategy, destroying the alien command center in each city. More forces are being sent to Los Angeles to finish off the aliens there. Despite orders to rest, Nantz and the platoon instead rejoin the fight.

L² Scored: 4/10

L² Comment:

Military film is always not my choice of movie, but well... i can't waste a free ticket if somebody is buying me one, right? lol... Well, the movie is ok. A bit boring in the 1st 20-30 minutes. The whole film did not really make you "No~~" "Wow~~" or anything like this. But i love their aliens :)