SYNOPSIS: The sequel to the worldwide smash hit “Olympus Has Fallen,” a non-stop, suspenseful action thriller that delivers high-octane excitement through a heightened sense of authenticity. The visceral intensity springs from a timely premise: after the British Prime Minister passes away, his funeral becomes a target of a terrorist organization to destroy some of the world’s most powerful leaders, devastate the British capital, and unleash a terrifying vision of the future. The only hope of stopping it rests on the shoulders of the President of the United States (Aaron Eckhart) and his formidable Secret Service agent (Gerard Butler), and an English MI-6 agent (Charlotte Riley) who rightly trusts no one. Morgan Freeman also stars as the Vice President of the United States.

REVIEW: Rarely does a second iteration of a film series outdo its predecessor, but every so often they get it right and this happens to be the case here. And while it seems like part one paid homage to the ’90s action films in the tone of “Die Hard,” this sequel appears to have up the ante with the action, more humor and mega-disaster sequences. Subsequently, little-known (Swedish) Director Babak Najafi proves to be a formidable player when it comes to comparing his work with director/writer Antoine Fuqua’s work on the original.

The action and dialog seems much more tightly crafted in comparison to the initial film (though I thought the original was pretty good already). Furthermore, the sequel does continue the great chemistry between Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart, whose charisma and surprising dramatic prowess elevate the material to the next level. I was especially impressed with the choices made to have the president engage the bad guys directly, rather than him just be another “damsel in distress needing to be saved.” This isn’t something we see in action movies often enough, if at all.

On the downside, it appears as though the producers shopped at 7-Eleven when it comes to their over reliance on the CGI in comparison to practical effects. Things were much too obvious, as being computer generated, and were worse than what one would expect from a B-movie or low-budget.

Nevertheless, on the basis of pure entertainment, “London Has Fallen” is quite rewarding and completely enjoyable, though one shouldn’t think too hard or look for anything but action and well placed comic relief. It’s merely for the action and entertainment value not some ground-breaking sub-plot or storyline.

All in all, I absolutely enjoyed this latest release. It’s an excellent mix of humor, action and great filming locale. It’s a fast paced flick which keeps one captivated throughout the ninety-nine minute runtime. Needless to say, this is certainly an excellent follow up to “Olympus Has Fallen.” So my hopes are for the folks behind this franchise are to ensure there will be a third installment. Four and a half stars out of five are well deserved here, with half star being taken away for sub-par CGI sequences