I was deeply impressed by Olympus Has Fallen. Lo and behold, the follow-up entitled London Has Fallen proves to be as good if not better. A new director makes the difference here as Babak Najafi acknowledges the craftsmanship of Antoine Fuqua. Crucially, Najafi combines action in clear focus against an underbelly of deep emotional resonance.

The world’s leaders converge on London to mourn the passing of the British Prime Minister. Given little time to prepare, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) organises the security detail for American President Benjamin Asher (a formidable Aaron Eckhart). Although Banning takes his job seriously, he's considering a career change. It’s a good thing he sticks around because terrorists led by Aamir Barkawi (Alon Aboutboul) seek retribution following a botched assassination attempt.

While originality might not be strong here, London Has Fallen pushes the envelope on a different level. For instance, the emotional content appears convincingly etched, especially during one early action sequence.

Notably, Butler moves his character into unfamiliar territory. The way he deals with loss, providing solutions to various obstacles continues to excite. It helps that he looks like a heavy, rather than a tailored gentleman under duress. Meanwhile, his pregnant wife played by Radha Mitchell offers hope in a bleak world. Looking closer at Butler’s performance, I noted his awkwardness about being a first-time parent. Ultimately, this element anchors the storyline in a proactive sense. We hope that he stays alive in order to fulfil this destiny.

Admittedly, such a huge canvas might lead to some downsizing. On that note, Robert Forster and Melissa Leo achieve only modest goals. That’s not a terrible thing because newcomer Charlotte Riley scores vital points. She contributes efficiency and intelligence as an MI6 agent, becoming an indispensable narrative force.

Anything less than total immersion would prove unsatisfactory. Therefore, Najafi earns my congratulations for achieving incidental and appropriate humour in the face of grand spectacle.

By the end of 2016, London Has Fallen could find its way into my annual Ten Favourite Films.

(Released by Focus Films and rated "R" for strong violence and language throughout.)