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Starring : Gerard Butler , Aaron Eckhart , Morgan Freeman , Alon Moni Aboutboul , Angela Bassett , Robert Forster , Melissa Leo , Radha Mitchell Director : Babk Najafi Millenium Films , Nu Boyana Film Studios Cert : R ( Imdb ), 15 ( Cineworld ) 1hr 40 min

By Mithunya Appudurai

This much hyped sequel to 2013 ’ s hit action thriller Olympus Has Fallen , sees Gerard Butler ’ s return as US Secret Service agent Mike Banning , fresh from rescuing the President from North Korean terrorists at the White House . But if you ’ re expecting another , all-action adrenalin-rush studded with extraordinary visual effects and drama , you ’ re going to be disappointed .

This time , Banning is in London along with the President to attend the funeral of

the British Prime Minister , who has died in mysterious circumstances .

With the world ’ s most powerful leaders attending to pay their last respects , London becomes the focus of another , super-ambitious terrorist plot that aims to assassinate all VIP mourners – and blow up most of London ’ s important landmarks on the way .

But if you ’ re prepared to swallow that scenario , you ’ ll believe anything . Like how Mike Banning single-handedly saves the day . Mercifully , the producers have kept running time down to a crisp 99 minutes . So the climatic explosions at landmark locations all over London , including Westminster Abbey , though making for engaging viewing throughout , did come to an end with the movie .

But explosive special effects , no matter how well-crafted , are not enough , and presidential bodyguard Gerard Butler not only saves little ol ’ London town , but also the film . It ’ s a pity many of his co-stars were unable to make a similar impact .

Actors like Morgan Freeman and Aaron Eckhart weren ’ t done any favours with a two-dimensional script . Nor were the female characters , leaving the three main female leads Charlotte Riley , Angela Bassett and Radha Mitchell desperately trying to engage with the story .

And although Butler holds his own well enough , he sometimes fails to convince as a superhero and his monotonal emotions become tedious . And the story is similar to the prequel and lacks clarity and depth .

For example , how come

Banning can find his way around London , knows precisely where to go , if he ’ s never lived there ? And how could the intelligence services screw up security at an important event , like the funeral of the Prime Minister ?

These loose ends were magnified by some formulaic stereotyping amid all the car bombs and gunshots . In Olympus Has Fallen , it was the Korean people who were demonised . Here it ’ s the people of the Middle East , and especially Pakistan . They ’ ve all got brown skin , so are

Starring : Robert De Niro , Zac Efron , Aubrey Plaza , Zoey Deutch , Julianne Hough , Jason Mantzoukas , Danny Glover , Dermot Mulroney Directed by : Dan Mazer BillBlock Media , Josephson Ent , QED Intnl

By Noor Bahman

In what could be the remaining shambles of Robert De Niro ’ s acting career , this take on Hollywood ’ s clichéd Spring Break theme is a cringeworthy melange of

bare butts , breasts and halfdead gags .

Zac Efron and De Niro star as grandson and grandfather with relationship problems , as in victim and sexual harasser . Sure it ’ s sick humour when mates stick their thumbs up each other ’ s rectums , but , hey , if that ’ s grandpa ’ s way of teasing , you ’ ve sure missed the healthy relationship thingy .

Following his wife ’ s funeral , Dick ( De Niro ) tricks his corporate lawyer grandson Jason ( Efron ) into going