WHITE HOUSE DOWN

WHITE HOUSE DOWN 

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Coming to theatres from disaster director Roland Emmerich and Columbia Pictures is a tale of actions when it comes to WHITE HOUSE DOWN.

This film tells the story of John Cale (Channing Tatum), a prior soldier who is now applying for a job with the Secret Service at the White House. Trying to impress his young daughter Emily (Joey King), who is not only politically savvy but also sees President Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) as her hero, Cale takes her to the interview.

Once their Cale runs into Finnerty (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who calls out all of his imperfections and reasons he wouldn’t be right for the job. Walking out with a straight face, Cale takes Emily on the tour. What they don’t know is what is going on around them – yet!

A group of men have infiltrated the White House led by Stenz (Jason Clarke) along with computer whiz Tyler (Jimmi Simpson). In a blink the whole building breaks out into chaos as Vice President Hammond (Michael Murphy) is whisked away and others go into lockdown.

President Sawyer doesn’t stay with the bad guys long as Cale jumps into action in a game of cat and mouse. But the bad guys aren’t the only ones dodging and weaving in this dangerous game with Walker (James Woods) and General Caulfield (Lance Reddick) trying to call the constitutional shots!

But keeping the President safe isn’t Cale’s only mission as daughter Emily is somewhere in the White House and he must find her before the bad guys do! Chaos outside and chaos inside have the world holding its breath to see who walks out the front door of the most historic house in history!

FINAL WORD: Channing Tatum as Cale is going to keep audiences on their toes. Trying to do what’s right by his family turns into doing what’s right to protect our nations leader. Tough role with light-hearted moments Tatum has become a fan favorite to watch and his rise has been slow and steady. Not new to the action hero genre of film, this time all eyes on are him to carry the film.

Playing opposite Jamie Foxx, this dynamic duo keeps the action going! As President Sawyer, Foxx doesn’t hesitate to get right in and do whatever it takes to keep the government in tact. There are moments of a smooth talking politician here and Foxx plays it well. Everyone catches on quickly that Foxx has portrayed a slave in DJANGO UNCHAINED to now a President, but remember this is also the Oscar winning actor of RAY so recognize!

Gyllenhaal is the strong female presence here surrounded by high officials who think they know better. Woods gets a chance to make the audience react on so many levels and it works beautifully. King as young Emily is smart and on the ball with no fear, which gives her an edge.

Other cast include: Nicolas Wright as the White House guide, Rachelle Lefevre as Melanie, Peter Jacobson as Wallace, Barbara Williams as Muriel Walker, Kevin Rankin as Killick, Garcelle Beauvais as Alison Sawyer, Falk Hentschel as Motts, Jackie Geary as Jenna, Romano Orzari as Mulcahy and Vincent Leclerc as Agent Todd.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give WHITE HOUSE DOWN four tubs of popcorn out of five. I do so for several reasons. This film is action packed, with humorous moments and everything director Roland Emmerich brings to his films. Maybe I’m nostalgic for the crazy days when a summer blockbuster film meant fun, laughing, action, heroes and crazy car chases along with an underlying who-dun-it that add to the suspense.

That’s what WHITE HOUSE DOWN is in its core. A good ole’ fashioned sit back and enjoy the ride kind of film. Although there are special effects it isn’t central to the film, instead they add tension to a film already filled with it. It was easy to look around at the audience and watch their reaction staring at the screen and munching on popcorn, cheering, laughing and totally getting their money’s worth.

The cast digs deep and dodges well but everything isn’t as it seems in this action film. If you’re looking for a summer blockbuster to cheer about then WHITE HOUSE DOWN is it!

In the end – it will start like any other day!