More dollar-store knockoff than sequel, London Has Fallen sends secret service agent-cum-one man army Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) and his charge, President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart), to London for a well-protected state funeral that is naturally infiltrated by the most capable terrorists of all time. Having wormed their way into every level of London’s emergency services—even the Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace!—the terrorists are able to take over the entire city. 

Buying a terrorist takeover of the White House is one thing; suspending my disbelief enough to think they could take control of the capital city of a G8 country is another. Antoine Fuqua is no John Ford, but he stages his R-rated action with a lot more fun than replacement director Babak Najafi. Butler continues to do this kind of retro-’80s action in his sleep; were he 20 years older, he probably would have been a fourth partner in Planet Hollywood. Butler and Eckhart have a believable chemistry, but the one-liners range from stale to offensive. Despite their successes, the cartoonish bad guys are subpar “24” villains. Without a showstopper like Melissa Leo’s recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, the only thing this weak-quel has to offer is its R rating.