London Has Fallen (2024)

Just when you thought the world had run out of cities for terrorists to blow up, London Has Fallen (2024) charges back into the chaos with a vengeance. This sequel, a direct continuation of the 2016 film of the same name, reimagines the franchise for a more modern geopolitical age—one where the enemies are smarter, the politics more complex, and the body count just as high.

Gerard Butler returns as the indestructible Mike Banning, now semi-retired and recovering from the physical toll of years of frontline service. But when a mysterious cyberattack disables London’s entire security infrastructure during a global peace summit, Banning is once again pulled back into the action—this time not just to protect the President, but to stop a tech-driven insurgency from plunging Europe into war.

Directed by Ric Roman Waugh (Angel Has Fallen), the film keeps the franchise’s signature brutality intact—gunfights, rooftop chases, close-quarters combat—but layers in a surprisingly relevant theme: the rise of artificial warfare and the danger of decentralized terrorist cells fueled by AI, deepfakes, and misinformation.

Banning’s mission takes him from the underground of the London Tube to the ruins of Parliament and beyond, all while racing against a ticking clock to stop a rogue former intelligence operative (played chillingly by Cillian Murphy) from triggering a false-flag nuclear event.

Visually, the film is slicker and sharper than its predecessors, with tighter cinematography and less shaky-cam chaos. London becomes both battlefield and character—its landmarks not just targets, but symbols of global stability under siege.

Butler, as always, delivers gravel-voiced intensity with moments of vulnerability that hint at a man nearing his limit. His chemistry with the returning Morgan Freeman, now portraying an aging but wise President Trumbull, adds emotional weight to what could’ve been just another shoot-em-up sequel.

While the plot isn’t groundbreaking, and some dialogue still leans into action-movie cliché, London Has Fallen (2024) knows exactly what it is — a high-octane thriller that delivers on action, raises its stakes, and gives Mike Banning one more mission worth watching.

Whether this marks the end of the franchise or the beginning of a new chapter, one thing’s clear: Mike Banning may be tired, but he’s not done yet.