Stop me if you’ve heard this one already: the White House is under attack and the President is the target of a terrorist master plan. Only one unlikely man can save him… sound familiar?
It’s not uncommon once in a while for a few movies to be released with astoundingly similar plots. Remember Dante’s Peak and Volcano? Deep Impact and Armageddon? This year theaters will see two movies about terrorist attacks on the White House and a single man taking on many in the name of patriotism. Earlier this year we saw Olympus has Fallen, but this week we saw White House Down.
One of these things is not like the other.
Starring podcast favorite Channing Tatum, White House Down is an 80’s action movie revival, but not in a good way. Built with the same formula that has made movies like Beverly Hills Cop and Lethal Weapon one would think that it would be a sure thing, but in this new era, action-action-comedy beat feels more like a stutter than a movie making method.
This flaw may fall flat on the head of director Roland Emmerich who’s better known for leveling an entire city (The Day After Tomorrow, Godzilla, 2012) than instead of just the White House; even if he did it better in Independence Day. Still, even with a talented cast, Emmerich delivers a clunky movie that goes on about 15 minutes too long.
What might be most disappointing is what Tatum and his co-star Jamie Foxx could have been. Instead of the “Bad Boys in the White House” audiences could have had, they’re given the standard action hero and his funny sidekick roles. Tatum does all the heavy lifting throughout the movie, taking punches and bullets while Foxx plays a poorly written black president, a little too concerned with his Jordans and determined never to let the people forget where he came from.
Both of these actors are better than their roles and have proved it multiple times before. Their talent is squandered.
White House Down still has some fun moments. James Woods gives a solid Woods performance, and Jason Clarke and Richard Jenkins also help fill out a talented cast of actors. It’s the plot holes, seemingly altered ending, and of course the inconsistent rhythm of the film that makes it not worth the price of admission.
Wait for it to pop up on Netflix and watch this on a lazy Sunday.