He Who Dares: Downing Street Siege is a 2014 British action thriller film directed by Paul Tanter and released by Gauntlet Releasing in DVD format on January 5, 2015. The film follows the story of Christopher Lowe, a former SAS commander who is dismissed from the military after saving the British Prime Minister’s daughter. Meanwhile, Holt, who has escaped from the hospital, plans an attack on Downing Street. When the Prime Minister is taken hostage during the attack, Christopher finds himself in the building and steps up to stop Holt’s actions.
Synopsis
The film takes place in London where Holt, a former military soldier, is being treated in a hospital after being shot by Alice on Christmas Eve. A few days later, a group of armed men storm the hospital and kill everyone there, including Holt’s guards, to rescue him. Six months later, Holt shows up at a friend’s party, who is a government official, and kills him, taking his access card.
On the other hand, Christopher Lowe, who seems to have failed in his love life, is summoned by his superior to Downing Street. Despite saving the Prime Minister’s daughter, he is considered to have disobeyed orders and is temporarily dismissed from the military. During the same time, Holt’s gang, disguised as police officers, enters Downing Street and starts a terrorist attack. Christopher finds himself inside the building and tries to defend himself against the attackers, who are holding the Prime Minister hostage.
Chris contacts the government for backup, but he is denied permission to intervene. Ignoring the Vice Prime Minister’s orders, Chris continues to take down terrorists one by one. Meanwhile, Holt realizes that Chris is still in the building and tries to recruit him to join their cause, which Chris refuses. Holt then spreads a video of Chris beating up terrorists dressed as police officers to frame him as part of the terrorist group.
Despite being labeled a terrorist, Chris continues to move from one room to another in an effort to save the hostages. Holt instructs Cassie to hunt down Chris, but Chris fights and defeats her. Holt then attempts to escape the bunker with the Prime Minister, but Chris confronts him. The two engage in a fight, with Chris ultimately emerging victorious.
Review
He Who Dares: Downing Street Siege starts where the first film left off, with Holt and Chris reaping the effects of their actions. Holt has been on the run for six months and returns with a bigger plan, while Chris’s military status is suspended, and his life seems to be in disarray.
Director Paul Tanter opted to showcase only one hero in this film to avoid criticism of the poor portrayal of the SAS team in the first film. While this was a safer choice, the film’s action scenes were not exciting, unlike the previous film. The much-anticipated fight scene between Chris and Cassie was a letdown.
The film’s other action scenes were even less impressive. The terrorist gunshots aimed at the head show special effects that are downright cheap. If observed in detail, many of the gunfire wounds appear to be leaking blood into the clothes, though the wounds are located in the head and should have flowed downward.
However, there was one spectacular scene that saved the film, which was the explosion of the door at the front of Downing Street. The explosion was not computer-generated and was convincingly done, as evidenced by Merissa Porter, who was standing close to it unflinching.
Conclusion
He Who Dares: Downing Street Siege shows promise in continuing the story of Holt and Chris, but the film’s execution leaves much to be desired. The storyline was not engaging, and the action scenes were disappointing, with the exception of the door explosion. Overall, the film may appeal to die-hard fans of action films, but most moviegoers may find it lacking in excitement.
