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OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN script analysis

OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

Secret Service agent Mike Banning leads the President’s family on a routine Camp David outing before a North Korean plot overtakes the White House. Stranded outside, Banning must infiltrate the occupied residence, rescue hostages, and thwart geopolitical catastrophe. The film follows his descent into enemy territory, a moment of utter despair when the President is captured, and Banning’s final push to save the day.

50 Save the Cat fit score 12% analysis confidence / 23 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

10%

Shows Banning expertly guiding the President on a snowmobile, establishing his competency and the film’s initial calm.

Impressive riding, Agent Banning --
2

Theme Stated

Scene 5 / 5% target

10%

In the Cabinet Room, dialogue about military deterrence hints at themes of duty and sacrifice.

Nate, you know damn well it’s the nukes of the Seventh Fleet keeping the peace over there, not...
3

Set-Up

Scenes 1-4 / Page 1 / 10% target

15%

Establishes characters and stakes: Banning’s role, President Asher’s family, and rising international tension.

4

Catalyst

Scene 2 / 12% target

10%

Maggie falls through ice, turning a leisurely ride into an emergency and raising tension.

5

Debate

Scene 4 / 20% target

10%

Banning watches news of the President under threat and hesitates over re-engaging in a perilous rescue.

6

Break into Two

Scene 6 / 25% target

10%

North Korean terrorists arrive at the White House, marking the shift into the main conflict.

7

B Story

Scene 3 / 30% target

8%

We see Connor Asher’s youth and innocence on his scooter – a personal thread that humanizes the hostage.

8

Fun and Games

Scenes 11-14 / 40% target

12%

Banning stealthily navigates the White House interior, dispatching commandos in a series of action set-pieces.

9

Midpoint

Scenes 8-9 / 50% target

12%

Kang seizes the PEOC and executes a hostage, raising the stakes to life-and-death.

I’m the man who’s just taken the most secure building on Earth.
10

Bad Guys Close In

Scene 10 / 65% target

10%

In the Pentagon Crisis Room, the enemy tightens its grip by demanding strategic concessions.

I want you to recall the U.S. Seventh Fleet from the Sea of Japan.
11

All Is Lost

Scene 18 / 75% target

12%

Banning kills Cho but witnesses Connor’s capture—a seeming failure and lowest point.

12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scene 19 / 80% target

10%

With an hour to comply, Kang’s ultimatum crushes hope and forces Banning to reconsider his plan.

You now have one hour to recall the Seventh Fleet. When this is done, I want Marine One...
13

Break into Three

Scene 20 / 85% target

10%

An operative inside the White House is revealed, reigniting the rescue mission.

I took the liberty of dispatching an operative -- one of my own -- to go in with...
14

Finale

Scenes 11-21 / 95% target

10%

Banning battles through the compound, frees hostages, and secures a diplomatic victory in a climactic sequence.

15

Final Image

Scene 23 / 99% target

12%

The American flag is raised and the President addresses the nation, closing the emotional arc.

America has withstood many tests in her time. None more trying than this most recent adversity. But together...