“Olympus Has Fallen” is a variation of “Die Hard” with Gerard Butler substituting for Bruce Willis. This time the villain is a renegade North Korean terrorist with a grudge against the USA for “murdering” his wife. He and a team of commandos attack the White House and capture its inhabitants. The hero, a former Presidential body guard, Mike Banning (Butler) has to single-handedly save the day by rescuing the president, his son and the entire USA. Spoiler alert — He accomplishes exactly that with 3 seconds to spare.
There is plenty of drama, violence, and action to keep the heart beating fast. But the story itself is so far fetched that it’s hard to get involved without an occasional eye-roll. Obviously, this movie was never intended to appeal to the family audience, and for that it succeeds. So it comes as no surprise that Dove is unable to reward this R-rated blood-fest its Family Approved Seal.