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Submitted by Steve

POOPER
US President Benjamin Asher, as well as other world leaders, are in London for the funeral of the UK Prime Minister. Once there, terrorists led by Aamir Barkawi and his son Kamran attack the city, killing many of the world leaders, but the President is able to escape thanks to his top Secret Service agent/best friend Mike Banning. After several attempts on his life, the President is kidnapped. As his public execution is about to occur, Banning and the Delta Force rescue the President and kill Kamran. Barkawi is later killed in a drone strike, and MI-6 agent Jax Marshall kills his mole in the British Government, MI-5 Intelligence Chief John Lancaster. Back home, Banning is about to quit his job when he hears an inspiring speech by the Vice President, causing him to change his mind.

LONG VERSION
The movie opens in Pakistan, where arms dealer Aamir Barkawi has been identified as the mastermind behind several terrorist attacks around the world. A drone strike at his compound occurs during his daughter’s wedding, seemingly killing Barkawi and his entire family. Two years later, Barkawi and his son Kamran, both of whom survived the attack, are now in Yemen and they decide their revenge for the deaths of their family members is ready to proceed. Meanwhile in Washington, US President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) learns of the sudden death of the UK Prime Minister. He tasks his top Secret Service agent/best friend Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) to head his security detail while he is in London for the funeral, even though Banning’s wife is due to give birth to their first child. Banning, along with Secret Service Director Lynne Jacobs (Angela Bassett), escort President Asher and his staff to London, where they will be joined by many other world leaders at the funeral. Now in London, Banning has pushed up the arrival of the President at St. Paul’s Cathedral. As they arrive, several coordinated terrorist attacks begin, all being done by men disguised as London Police, the Queen’s Guardsmen, and other first responders. These attacks kill many of the other world leaders and destroy numerous London landmarks, such as Westminster Abbey, but President Asher’s early arrival throws off the attack on him. Banning is able to get the President and Jacobs to Marine One, the President’s personal helicopter, and they escape. However, the terrorists use missiles to shoot down the helicopter, and it crash lands. The President and Banning survive, but Jacobs is killed.

Back in Washington, US Vice President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman) begins working with British authorities in investigating the attacks and to find President Asher. At this time, Trumbull receives a call from Barkawi, claiming responsibility for the attacks. He says he poisoned the Prime Minister in order to lure the world leaders to London to attack them, and he also knows that the President is still alive. He then says that if the President is found, his son Kamran will broadcast his execution on the internet. While Trumbull orders all intelligence agencies to find Barkawi, the British authorities have ordered all first responders to stand down so they are not mistaken as terrorists. In London, Banning is fighting off the terrorists while looking for a place to hide the President. He eventually takes him to a MI-6 safe house, where they are met by one of their agents, Jacqueline “Jax” Marshall (Charlotte Riley). After Banning leaves a message to be picked up passing satellites telling of their location, they learn about Barkawi’s involvement in the attacks. A short time later, Marshall gets a message from Vice President Trumbull saying that they received the message and a Delta Force team is en route to rescue them. But when they arrive, Banning determines they are actually terrorists and he and Marshall (and the President!) kill them all. Banning then attempts to drive away from the safe house with the President, but their car is crashed into by the terrorists, and they kidnap the President. Banning is later rescued by the real Delta Force, and he learns from them and Agent Marshall that there must be a mole inside the British Government helping with the attacks, because how else would the terrorists know where the President was hiding and who was coming to rescue them.

Trumbull and his staff learn of a building in London owned by Barkawi, and they determine that’s where Kamran will have the President publicly executed. They pass that along to Banning, and he and the Delta Force prepare to storm the building. At that building, Kamran is broadcasting to the entire world on the internet and just as he is about to behead the President, Banning and the Delta Force arrive and kill Kamran and the terrorists. After rescuing the President, Banning orders the building to be blown up to kill the remaining terrorists still hiding inside. Meanwhile, Agent Marshall has successfully restored the city’s power and security system, and then learns that MI-5 Intelligence Chief John Lancaster (Patrick Kennedy) is the mole. She tries to apprehend him, but his actions in attempting to escape forces her to kill him. In Washington, Trumbull has learned that Barkawi’s compound in Yemen has been found, so Trumbull calls him to tell him that he has lost and to look outside. Barkawi does and sees another drone strike occur, destroying the compound and killing him and many other terrorists. The movie ends two weeks later. Banning is back home after spending time with his wife and newborn daughter Lynne (named after his now-deceased boss), and is writing a letter of resignation on his computer. Before he can send it, the Vice President appears on television talking about the events in London, then gives an inspiring message to his fellow Americans. After hearing the message, Banning decides to delete his letter.