This Rotten Week: Predicting Admission, Olympus Has Fallen And The Croods Reviews

Olympus Has Fallen
Gerard Butler has been having a rough couple of years. Recently Chasing Mavericks (33%), Playing for Keeps (4%) and Machine Gun Preacher (29%) stunk up the big screen. Before those he threw in Coriolanus (94%) but that was just to wash off the stink of The Bounty Hunter (13%), Law Abiding Citizen (25%), Gamer (29%) and The Ugly Truth (13%). That’s an average of 30% without even counting Movie 43 because half of Hollywood made that mistake. Now granted Tinsel Town is nothing if not forgiving (just ask Adam Sandler), but I tend to think Butler’s got to be nearing the end of his leash.

Let’s look at the roles Butler’s proven he can’t play: surfer, ex-soccer player, gun-toting clergy, bounty hunter, criminal, video game avatar, morning show host. That eliminates quite a few movie options. Roles he can play: Roman-style gladiator type. That’s it. What’s a guy to do? Save the President of course. He’s about to cross government agent off his inept acting resume. (That’s going to only leave washed up actor roles-coming soon for sure).

Olympus Has Fallen, directed by Antoine Fuqua (Brooklyn’s Finest-42%, Shooter-48%), has Butler as a disgraced Secret Service agent galavanting around the White House thwarting a terrorist plot hell bent on getting a full tour of the grounds (impossible right now, damn you Sequestration!). It looks like your standard action fare with explosions, shooting, bad guys and undoubtedly a twist in the final act. Nothing new or particularly interesting, though it doesn’t look completely irredeemable-- which means it could be Butler’s finest work in years. Not saying much. The Rotten Watch for Olympus Has Fallen is 49%