A WILD action ride that mixes the gung-ho action sequences, a few ripper laughs and more betrayals than an ALP leadership ballot.
White House Down pits Channing Tatum in the driver’s seat of our wild ride through the heart of Washington DC.
Tatum plays Capitol policeman John Cale with a dream to protect President James Sawyer (played by Jamie Foxx) as part of his Secret Service detail.
Cale’s personal life is a bit more complicated, as he struggles to forge a better relationship with his daughter Emily (Joey King) who conveniently has a love for politics.
Cale’s interview for a Secret Service position is a disaster, but he lies about the outcome to impress Emily. To help his ruse succeed, he secure tickets to a tour of the White House.
Their relationship, as well as Cale’s ability, is put to the ultimate test when a group of mercenaries take control of the White House in an effort to kidnap the president.
White House Down is a much better film than what the trailer gives it credit for.
Where the trailer shows a predictable, action flick filled with cringe-worthy one liners, the film is a fun ride through the heart of American politics.
The jokes are timed to perfection, more of a reflection of James Vanderbilt’s writing (Zodiac, The Amazing Spiderman) than Tatum’s on-screen delivery – though Tatum’s charm and charisma and give them that extra oomph.
Foxx is simply awesome as President Sawyer, portraying an influential president who publicly inspires, but is as laid-back and chilled as everyone imagines Barrack Obama to be.
The trailer shows a sequence where Sawyer drops a rocket launcher from a bulletproof presidential vehicle, but the real gold is where he defends his precious Jordans.(basketball shoes)
Maggie Gyllenahaal supports the leads brilliantly as Secret Service agent Carol Finnerty.
Finnerty has a history with Cale, which is exploited for comic exchanges early on in the piece but becomes a central point of Cale’s evolution.
Joey King’s role as Emily is one to keep and eye out for as well.
Emily is a bit of a rebel without a cause when we first meet her, but she becomes a completely different person before our eyes when she arrives at the White House.
Her obsession with politics is made obvious from the outset, but it’s her undying passion that turns everybody’s life around.
Director Roland Emmerich sticks true to his “let’s blow up iconic American buildings” mantra from Independence Day, 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow, and delivers 130 minutes of awesome.
