Rated
PG-13 (Prolonged Sequences of Action and Violence including Intense Gunfire and
Explosions, Some Language and a Brief Sexual Image)
Running
Time: 2 Hours & 17 Minutes
Cast-
Channing
Tatum-John Cale
Jamie
Foxx-President James Sawyer
Joey
King-Emily Cale
Maggie
Gyllenhaal-Secret Service Director Carol Finnerty
Richard
Jenkins-Speaker of the House Eli Raphelson
Jason
Clarke-Emil Stenz
James
Woods-Martin Walker
Jimmi
Simpson-Tyler
Nicolas
Wright-Donnie Donaldson
Rachelle
Lefevre-Melanie Cale
Lance
Reddick-General Caulfield
Michael
Murphy-Vice President Alvin Hammond
Garcelle
Beauvais-First Lady Alison Sawyer
Andrew
Simms-Roger Skinner
Jackie
Geary-Jenna
Directed
by Roland Emmerich
 |
| President Obama, is that you? |
Note: Screened on Thursday, June 13, 2013 at Regal Union Square Stadium 14.
Channing
Tatum has certainly come a long way from his days as male stripper 'Chan Crawford.'
The former model-turned-actor/producer didn't exactly make the best impression
when I first saw him back in 2009's "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" (I
have not seen "Step Up" nor any of its sequels), where I described
him as 'a macho-man cardboard cutout.' What a difference three years makes as 2012
proved to be a banner year for Tatum, with "The Vow," "21 Jump
Street," and "Magic Mike" all grossing over $100 million. Hoping
to continue his leading-man hot streak, Tatum once again flexes his muscles in
the action genre in Roland Emmerich's "White House Down," which also
stars Jamie Foxx. The film focuses on a paramilitary group who take over the
White House and…wait a minute, doesn't this all sound really familiar? Yes, it does
because March's "Olympus Has Fallen" featured the exact same premise! This isn't the first
time something like this has happened as last year saw the release of two Snow
White films, Tarsem Singh's "Mirror Mirror" and Rupert Sanders'
"Snow White and the Huntsman." What's really ironic is that both the
scripts for "Olympus Has Fallen" and "White House Down"
were purchased by their respective studios around the same time. I found Antoine
Fuqua's film to be a rather mind-numbing experience and I didn't really have high
expectations for Emmerich's version either. Well, color me surprised because
"White House Down" turned out to be better than I hoped it would be.
Although overlong and downright silly, Emmerich's film manages to deliver as a dumb
but fun summer action flick thanks to the enjoyable interplay between its two
leads.
U.S.
Capitol Police Officer John Cale (Channing Tatum) spends his nights protecting
House of Representatives Speaker Eli Raphelson (Richard Jenkins) but dreams of becoming
a Secret Service agent assigned to the Presidential Detail. He manages to
sweet-talk a White House aide named Jenna (Jackie Geary) into pulling some
strings and successfully lands an interview with Carol Finnerty (Maggie Gyllenhaal),
the Director of the U.S. Secret Service. Unfortunately, Cale's application is
rejected due to his problems with authority and lack of responsibility. Not wanting
to disappoint his estranged daughter Emily (Joey King), he lies that he 'has a
shot' at getting the job. On a whim, Cale takes Emily on a tour of the White
House as she is an avid follower of American politics but their visit couldn't
have come at a worse time. A paramilitary group led by ruthless mercenary Emil
Stenz (Jason Clarke) infiltrates and takes over the White House, with President
James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) held hostage by veteran Presidential Detail leader Martin
Walker (James Woods), who has turned traitor. Emily is separated from the tour group
during the chaotic attack, forcing Cale to battle his way through the
terrorists in order to save his daughter and the Chief Executive.
If
"Die Hard with a Vengeance" and "Air Force One" got married
and had a baby, it would look a lot like Roland Emmerich's "White House Down."
The film is essentially a throwback to the blockbuster action pictures of the late
1980s and 1990s, and once again, Emmerich displays his penchant for blowing up
American landmarks, particularly the White House (this marks his third time but
who's counting?). Given how similar they are, it's inevitable that comparisons
to "Olympus Has Fallen" will be made but at least Emmerich tries to
create a sense of plausibility by having the terrorists (who are surprisingly
not foreigners in a nice change of pace) utilize an 'inside man' within the
Secret Service rather than resorting to an unbelievable brute force attack. Of
course, there are some eye-rolling moments, such as when a hacker breaks through
the U.S. firewall by literally pressing the number keys one through nine while
listening to Beethoven. James Vanderbilt's script takes quite a number of cues
from John McTiernan's "Die Hard," such as setting the action in one
location and giving the main hero a strained relationship with one of his family
members. Of course, that family member eventually gets taken hostage, providing
the hero with the necessary motivation and emotional attachment from the audience
to make the film work. In that regard, the story is rather derivative and delivers
very few surprises but the material is thankfully elevated by the buddy
chemistry between Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx. The two actors are clearly having
fun in their roles and what makes this film better than Antoine Fuqua's is that
it doesn't take itself too seriously. Their banter is reminiscent of Bruce
Willis and Samuel L. Jackson in "Die Hard with a Vengeance," only
they're not at each other's throats all the time. Presidents are often depicted
as either very stoic or very solemn in Hollywood films but Foxx behaves unlike any
President I've seen and I have to say, I enjoyed it. This guy's running around kicking
terrorists in the face with his Air Jordan's and even wields a rocket launcher at
one point during one of the film's most ridiculous action scene set on the
White House lawn! It's all appropriately cheesy and I mean this in the best possible
way.
Vanderbilt's
script may be nothing more than a hodgepodge of action movie clichés from the 90s
but his economical approach to storytelling does ensure that no line of dialogue
is wasted. When a White House tour guide mentions a seemingly frivolous factoid
about the historic building, it actually sets up a plot element that later
comes into play, lending the film a logical consistency even if it is far from
what we would call reality. Emmerich's tight handle on the action and where each
set-piece takes place creates a nice sense of flow, which is helped by the accurate
recreation of the White House by set designers Marie-Soleil Dénommé and Paul
Hotte. Unfortunately, the action scenes, particularly the various shootouts that
Cale finds himself in, are rather generic. They're competently staged but ultimately
aren't all that imaginative, with the violence all bloodless due to its PG-13
rating. Emmerich is clearly more at home when he's destroying something, like demolishing
Capitol Hill or firing a nuke at Air Force One. The various visual effects are good,
if somewhat behind the curve for a film budgeted at $150 million, although we also
have to take into account that it's only fourteen months from script to release.
I'm frankly amazed it's coming out so soon!
A
film like "White House Down" isn't really meant to showcase one's acting
abilities but the performances here are more than satisfactory thanks to the talented
cast Emmerich has assembled. Channing Tatum looks credible as an action hero and
shares an excellent rapport with Jamie Foxx. The way they play off each other keeps
the film light and fun despite the often dark subject matter. Although
relegated to sitting behind a computer screen at the Pentagon (or a facsimile
of it), Maggie Gyllenhaal and Richard Jenkins manage to lend some weight to
their roles and prevent the tension from deflating. Jason Clarke snarls for the
camera as vengeful mercenary Emil Stenz while James Woods pretty much chews the
scenery as Secret Service agent-turned-traitor Martin Walker. However, it is
thirteen-year-old Joey King that makes the most memorable impression as she
adds a human face to the film and keeps it from being overwhelmed by all the
action and silly banter.
"White
House Down" won't be released until June 28, 2013, which makes this one of
the first reviews you'll read on the film. Columbia Pictures/Sony had just started
screening it this past week and the initial buzz has been positive, with many
calling it a fun summer popcorn movie. Critics aren't exactly the biggest fans
of Roland Emmerich but it's likely this film will land just slightly on the
positive side at 60% on Rotten Tomatoes. It surely can't be worse than 2008's
"10,000 B.C." or even "Godzilla." Box office wise, it's
competing with Paul Feig's buddy cop comedy "The Heat" and although both
are action films featuring buddy elements, they're fortunately aimed at
different demographics, which will prevent them from cannibalizing each other.
A final tally of $100 million is already a given for "White House
Down" and it should turn a solid profit once worldwide grosses are
factored in. Sometimes you just want to sit down and watch a film where you
don't have to think too much, and thankfully Emmerich's latest more than fits
that bill. You could definitely do a lot worse than this film.
Final
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
"Ow!
Could you not hit me in the head with
a rocket while I'm trying to drive?!"
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