MovieChat Forums > Olympus Has Fallen (2013) Discussion > Give up a whole country for one man's li...

Give up a whole country for one man's life?

posted 11 years ago by harahauk
127 replies | jump to latest

Seriously?
I loved this movie, but I think it was just extremely horrid to see the adamant we-dont-negotiate-with-terrorist U.S.A throw South Korea away to save Asher's skin. That is just extremely selfish and plain stupid. No matter how much you love a man or a leader he cannot make up for millions of lives. Better ending he died with dignity - refusing to give up the code that they magically conjured from thin air.

I guess as a Norwegian it's hard to understand, huh? Btw, this is not a anti-U.S.A post, its a stab at the movie - not the country.

[–] harlowfan 11 years ago

I agree, OP.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] fluffset 11 years ago

yes, there is a lot of people who can become a president in the U.S.A!

[–] WorldSacred 11 years ago

It's symbolic. Americans can't walk past their own flag without crying and saluting. They've been indoctrinated to love their country, no matter what, since birth. But I think there's more to it than really can be seen, here.

Calling back the fleet out of Korean waters won't doom South Korea any more than the Americans being there. It wouldn't take a withdrawal of Americans to stop North Koreans to mobilise against the south. The Americans make such a fuss about things that they think everything is all about them. Like the story about how having the inanimate rock keeps away lions, tigers, and bears, because they aren't around when you have in possession that magic rock? Well, Americans have the idea that if they aren't around, then *beep* hits the fan. I believe that withdrawing the fleet is a completely practical solution to appeasing a terrorist in a dealing situation. It's not like the fleet can't be reinstated after the terrorist attack is resolved.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] suednim1960 11 years ago

Yeah, just once I'd like to see a movie where the President grits his teeth into the camera and growls, "The United States of America does not negotiate with terrorists" ... and then lives up to it.

[–] edrisi 11 years ago

I was tortured and gave up nothing.

Given the right training it's not that difficult.
I was trained by the best- both S.A.F. and W.N.C.C.

I look back on those days together with the few colleagues that made it through-we meet every month. We talk a little. We drink a lot. We laugh.
We'll meet again.

[–] Allyson55 11 years ago

Very silly movie with a ridiculous plot and some really ordinary performances.

If you were to list all the movie President's from best to worst I think this guy would be at the very bottom. At least Bill Pullman flew a jet up to engage the aliens in battle. (Independence Day) Harrison Ford physically fought the terrorist's (Air Force One) and James Cromwell was, as the Americans say, kicking ass and taking names. (The Sum of all Fears)

Aaron Eckhart's Pres rolled over and played dead at the first sign of pressure. A lone man (again) is responsible for saving the day against impossible odds. Really!?!? Then there was that wonderfully uplifting scene of Banning and the Pres stumbling out of the demolished White House with bullet riddled bodies all around them and they make a lame joke. Seems some sensitivity training may be in order.

Thank goodness Hollywood writer's aren't in charge of US defense or you guys would be in a hell of a lot of trouble.

[–] Ithilfaen 10 years ago

It's about as ridiculous and unrealistic as the rest of the movie is. They would tell the hostage takers to go *beep* themselves, they'd kill the president and they'd swear in the next guy in line. what's the point of having a president who is alive if he's powerless and you're giving hostiles the keys to everything?

For every lie I unlearn I learn something new - Ani Difranco

[–] Royalcourtier 9 years ago

The title is highly symbolic.

US presidents - elected (more or less) emperors - are treated as Gods. Jingoistic movies like this one show how bizarre the US attitude seems to be towards your presidents. You have the only civilian presidents in the world who believe that they are military leaders - all heads of state are "commanders in chief", but only the POTUS uses that title and acts as if he is a military leader. Only in the USA does the idea exist that the destruction of liberty and democracy (not that you had much to start with) is justified to defend the country and in particular your head of state.

My only major gripe with this poor movie is that the president was not killed.