Starring: Gerard Butler, Frederick Schmidt, Danny Huston Director: Ric Roman Waugh AFTER the events in the previous film, Secret Service agent Mike Banning undergoes training in a private military facility and is recommended for the position of director by the President of the United States Allan Trumbull to replace retiring Secret Service director David Gentry. Banning hides the fact that he is suffering from migraines and insomnia and visits several doctors to treat these maladies. He starts taking medication to cope with the pain from two fractured vertebrate. When the president goes on a fishing trip to a rural area, a drone attack kills the entire Secret Service protection detail. Banning survives. He saves the president but both are incapacitated. President Trumbull is more seriously injured and comatose. FBI Agent Helen Thompson finds substantial evidence that Banning is responsible for the attack. The discarded van used to carry out the massacre contains Banning’s hair and DNA. Thompson is also suspicious in that Banning survived the attack. He is subsequently arrested and ordered incarcerated. While Banning is being moved to a detention facility, his transport is ambushed. Banning escapes after killing the assailants, who are revealed to be agents who took part in the training exercise at the beginning of the film. Banning makes a call to his wife Leah and lets her know he is alive. This call alerts Thompson to Banning’s location which leads to a car chase. Banning escapes again and goes to his father Clay Banning’s house in the woods. Meanwhile, Vice President Martin Kirby is sworn in as acting president due to Trumbull being in a coma. It is revealed that Wade Jennings, Banning’s friend and the CEO of paramilitary company Salient Global, is the person who framed him. Banning and his father observe Jennings’ men through surveillance cameras approaching Clay’s house; Clay detonates explosives around the perimeter of the house, killing all the would-be attackers. They escape and Banning reveals to Clay that he has a wife and daughter. Leah and her daughter are on the verge of being kidnapped when Clay saves them. Kirby reveals to the press that Banning is responsible for the whole fiasco with support from the Russian Government. Thompson finds the bodies around Clay’s cabin and deduces that Banning was set up. Along with another agent, she goes to meet Jennings, but both are killed by him. Trumbull comes out of his coma and Kirby is revealed to be involved with Jennings. He plans to retaliate by attacking Russia due to the “assassination attempt” on the president. Banning reaches the hospital where Trumbull is being treated after realizing it is unsafe for the president to remain there, but is captured and arrested. After an argument, Trumbull orders Banning released. Banning leads Trumbull to safety with help from Gentry and other agents as Jennings destroys the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital by increasing the oxygen and nitrogen supply to unstable levels, causing an explosion. The two hide in a corner office of the next building as Jennings’ men pursue them. After a long gun battle, Jennings attempts to escape via helicopter, but Banning destroys the helicopter and kills Jennings. Banning is exonerated while Trumbull and Gentry arrest Kirby for treason thanks to the evidence uncovered by Thompson. Clay decides to live with Banning and his family. Feeling guilt over his failure to protect Trumbull as well as his undisclosed ailments, Banning offers his resignation. President Trumbull forgives his mistakes and offers Banning a promotion to Director of the Secret Service, which he accepts. The movie is now being screened in Shenzhen. (SD-Agencies) | 