White House Down
Emmerich has produced a competent (read: not essential) blockbuster thriller that is likely to satisfy filmgoers who were intrigued by the trailers and/or core premise.
Roland Emmerich’sWhite House Down(not to be confused with Antoine Fuqua’sOlympus Has fall ) follows John Cale ( Channing Tatum ) , a US Capitol Police officer assigned with protect the Speaker of the House ( played by Richard Jenkins ) . Cale ’s estranged girl , Emily ( Joey King ) , is a political nut and in an effort to win her favour , he apply for a position with the U.S. Secret Service - and joins her for a tour of the White House .
However , when a outer boundary terrorist grouping lay besieging to the White House , Cale contend to discharge U.S. President James Sawyer ( Jamie Foxx ) from his captor - unfortunately , Emily is taken surety in the cognitive process . As the paramilitary intruders abrade the White House in search of Sawyer , Cale becomes the only person who can both redeem Emily and escort the President to safety - not to remark , stand between the hostile force and their goals of global destruction .
As a director and manufacturer , Emmerich is recognize for his extensive resume of blockbuster action movies , with enormous CGI spectacle and ensemble cast , includingStargate , Independence Day , Godzilla , The Day After Tomorrow , and2012 , among others . As a result , many motion-picture fan will likely be expecting the same over - the - top approach and prominent - scale CGI destruction that has become a basic in his action movie offering . However , even thoughWhite House Downincludes memorable blockbuster moments , it ’s much more straightforward and focused ( though just as flaky ) - sell primarily by the team of Tatum and Foxx , notexplosive visuals .
As a result , the film is much more akin to the one - man - army normal seen in favorites likeDie Hard , as Foxx and Tatum part their metre between sneaking in the shadow and gun / fist fight ( with mass of purgative one - liner thrown into the mix ) . A couple of extravagant set - pieces punctuate the core hide - and - shoot rule to ratch up the excitement and explosion to summer spectacle layer , but anything in between is mostly fragile filler designed to move the plot forward to the next legal action encounter . The result is an gratifying action fighter circuit of the bullet - riddeled White House grounds - albeit one that will ask viewer to switch - off their mastermind on more than one function .
Despite some lingua - in - face give-and-take between Cale and Sawyer ( as well as the independent villains ) , theWhite House Downstory take itself pretty seriously at metre - defecate an effort to ground the proceedings in contemporary geo - politics . Attempts to center the movie around present - day issues help make twist and turns in the patch relevant , but Emmerich ’s sometimes on - the - nose subject matter results in predictable Revelation of Saint John the Divine and side effect that might be off - putt to sure viewers ( especially anyone who disagrees with the manager ’s banal personation of the political arena ) .
Of of course , White House Downis not designed to be a provocative drama about political maneuvering , it is ( above all else ) a silly summertime action film . In service of that goal , the core story and characters are competent in their jobs - even if Emmerich spend a flake too much metre spinning a World Wide Web of political corruption .
Channing Tatum brings an entertaining mixture of campy humor and unrelenting action chop , which should not descend as a surprise to viewers who enjoyed seeing the actor flex his comedy learning ability and/or muscle in21 Jump Street , Magic Mike , orHaywire , in add-on to others . Cale is n’t the most nuanced character that Tatum has played , but he ’s a serviceable ( although ultimately forgettable ) leading man - one that consultation should have no job follow from firefight to fistfight for the legal age of the film .
Jamie Foxx is equally entertaining as President Sawyer , deliver play twists to standard commandant - in - chief tropes while serving as an particularly comical transparency to Cale . Sawyer is behind a number of theWhite House Down ’s best moment and even though he ’s accountable for a few centre - rolling setbacks , his personal quirkiness and bold stance in the facial expression of uncertainness countervail any derivative patch frame-up .
Supporting player are also strong and include Jason Clarke , Maggie Gyllenhaal , James Woods , and ( as advert ) Richard Jenkins , along with several other conversant faces ( such asThe Wire , Lost , andFringealum Lance Reddick ) . After a string of standout side roles ( inZero Dark ThirtyandLawless , to name a few ) , Clarke begin to relish a bit more screen time this cycle as freelance leader , Emil Stenz - a sharp counterpoint to Tatum ’s John Cale in both ingenious and forcible strength . Several fundamental scenes rely heavily on thirteen - year - old Joey King and the immature actress is a solid add-on - whether chastising daddy Cale or staring down terrorist bad guys . alas , one of her net contribution will , without question , result in middle rolls and unintended laughs - serving as an model of the gulf that exists when the film pays homage to its camp action Cuban sandwich pedigree in the middle of bloody life history - and - death dramatic event .
Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum in ‘White House Down’
Emmerich has produced a competent ( read : not essential ) blockbuster thriller that is likely to fulfill filmgoers who were intrigued by the poke and/or core premise - and the pairing of Tatum and Foxx provides plenty of worthwhile reference instant to transmit the film through any predictable or underwhelming story beats . However , even with those well points , White House Downultimately falls myopic of classic films in the musical style ( i.e. ,Die Hard ) .
If you ’re still on the fencing aboutWhite House Down , check out the trailer below :
White House Downruns 131 minute and is Rated PG-13 for prolonged sequence of action and violence including intense gunshot and explosion , some language and a brief sexual image . Now playing in house .
James Woods as Martin Walker in ‘White House Down’
Let us know what you think of the picture show in the commentary segment below .
For an in - depth discussion of the film by the Screen Rant editors hold in out ourWhite House Downepisodeof theSR Underground podcast .
While split up veteran John Cale is taking his daughter on a head tour of the White House , a terrorist attack is made on the building . Soon , it ’s up to Cale to save both his daughter , and the President of the United States himself .
Nicholas Wright, Joey King, and Channing Tatum in ‘White House Down’
