Here's What It Takes to Be a Badass Action-Movie President

For an role player , being an action - movie chairman is the ultimate challenge . Not only do you have to be presidential , but you never know when you might be called upon to fire a auto gun , outrun a fireball , or toss off pithy one - liners sans teleprompter . And that ’s what makesLondon Has Fallen , the sequel to 2013’sDie Hard - in - the - White House thrillerOlympus Has Fallen , such a flailing , derisory misfire . It ’s an embarrassment to the fictional chairperson of America ’s activeness - movie past .

Like the original , the movie stick with Gerard Butler’sTrumpian oafof a Secret Service agent as he protect the blandest activeness - movie president in the history of picture palace , toy by a second power - jawed , drained - eyed Aaron Eckhart . The theatrical role is the action - picture show combining weight of a warm up - over stump speech . Everything from his name ( Benjamin Asher ) to his interests ( running ) to his one flaw ( he never has meter for his kid ! ) is tedious and forgettable . He make Mitt Romney look like Arnold Schwarzenegger .

But there ’s still promise for President Asher . Olympus Has Fallenwas a hit , andLondon Has Fallenwill likely be one , too , take in this theTakenseries for presidents . I can already see the poster for the next sequels –Paris Has Fallen , Australia Has fall , Earth Has Fallen– so , if Eckhart and the writers of these movies study the example I ’ve outlined below , they can turn President Asher into an ass - kicking , world - redeem action mechanism - hero POTUS . I extend these suggestions below not to denigrate a fictional president , but to put him on the right path . Like George Washington , I do this for my country .

Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen, Aaron Eckhart, Action Movie President

Olympus Has Fallen | Film District

Independence Day(1996)

The president : Thomas J. WhitmoreThe role player : Bill PullmanThe type : The immature hotshotThe lesson : Give killer speeches , but also be a fighter pilot .

easily enough , right ? ill-timed . Thomas J. Whitmore might be our best - activity moving picture prexy , so he ’s the perfect model to study up on . He ’s a magnificent rhetorician , crafting the most moving , inspirationalpresidential motion picture speechof all meter , and he ’s a bloody good cowcatcher , lather on his flight courtship to aid Randy Quaid stick it to those alien mother fucker in the sky . Plus , I mean , look at that well - coiffed hair . That ’s some presidential hair . Seriously , if you have hair like that , you probably do n’t need the fighter - archetype acquirement .

Air Force One(1997)

The president : James MarshallThe thespian : Harrison FordThe type : The testy dadThe lesson : Get off his planer .

If you ’re an action - movie president , terrorists are probably going to take over your plane . There ’s nothing you may do about it . You probably have a jetty in your Secret Service , perhaps one dally by character actor Xander Berkeley , and that guy cable will permit a bunch of Russian goon on your planing machine , and they will kidnap your family . Just accept it . What can you do ? Be like James Marshall , and transform into President Rambo ; and when the clip come , check that to say,“Get off my carpenter’s plane . “It ’s essential .

Escape from New York(1981)

The President of the United States : The presidentThe histrion : Donald PleasenceThe eccentric : The calculating dirtbagThe lesson : Shoot the Duke .

OK , so the president inEscape from New Yorkis really a jolt . John Carpenter ’s satiric action movie is anti - authoritarian down to its eye - patch - loving core , so of course the president is n’t go to be some charming , kindhearted do - gooder . The cat is so intrigue that he does n’t even get a name in the citation . But he doesshoot the Duke of New York(Isaac Hayes ) at the end of the flick , saving theultimate badassSnake Plissken , so he ’s not unworthy .

White House Down(2013)

The President of the United States : James William SawyerThe histrion : Jamie FoxxThe case : The cool customerThe lesson : Always have your Jordans ready to hand .

The otherDie Hard - in - the - White House movie from 2013 may not have been as financially successful asOlympus Has Fallen , but it had a better president and a playful sense of humour . Like our current commander - in - head , Foxx ’s James Sawyer is a calm , collected nerd who reveals himself to be pretty badass when the passing experience tough . How else can you explainthis scenewhere Foxx kicks a terrorist in the face and yells , " Get your hands off my Jordans ! " ? Like Lil ' Bow Wow inLike Mike , it ’s not the shoes that make the man ; it ’s what ’s within .

Big Game(2014)

The Chief Executive : William Alan MooreThe actor : Samuel L. JacksonThe eccentric : The Samuel L. Jackson typeThe lesson : Befriend a cunning kid .

This under - seen activeness - comedy atavist from Finnish director Jalmari Helander has a lot of things lead for it : beautiful shots of Finland ’s wild , Jim Broadbent as an outmoded - CIA PI , and the president kicks a terrorist in the nuts at one point . But the big takeaway for any action - motion-picture show - prexy hopeful is the interplay between a cute shaver ( Onni Tommila ) with a bow and arrow and Samuel L. Jackson . It ’s the legal action - motion picture eq of kissing babe on the campaign trail : if you ’re fighting terrorist in the woods , find an adorable partner .

My Fellow Americans(1996)

The president : Russell Kramer and Matt DouglasThe thespian : Jack Lemmon and James GarnerThe type : The kvetching grandpaThe example : come up a worthy partner .

Fine , I ’m cheating here . My Fellow Americansis more of a comedy than an natural process movie , but these former geezer do have a buddy - cop energy going for them , and they pass away from an explosion at one point . But watchthis scene about coffee . That ’s the case of bickering energy that could make an action movie work – or at least raise the next [ Blank]Has Fallenmovie beyond the lineal - to - videodisc bin . Let ’s get Aaron Eckhart on the footrace with an old president . Is Bill Pullman useable ? America demand him .

fictional movie president - independence day