White House Down

You have to give director Roland Emmerich the Chutzpah Award. His action movie “White House Down” competes not just with the recently released film “Olympus Has Fallen,” which has a similar concept, but also with him: How can you top your own iconic sequence from the movie “Independence Day,” where the president of the United States’ house is destroyed by an extraterrestrial spacecraft? He departs from the apocalyptic mood he is renowned for in “The Day After Tomorrow,” depicting catastrophe caused by climate change. In “2012,” he pays blatant yet astute self-homage. In “White House Down,” someone says “Just like in ‘Independence Day'” just before the Capitol building is demolished.

This time, it’s an inside job; foreign agents are not needed because there are right-wing sociopaths, white nationalists, and other dishonest bureaucrats in our own country. The headline “Is the White House Really Our House?” strikes us subconsciously. Its attack harms us significantly.

Channing Tatum portrays John Cale in “White House Down,” a divorcé, veteran of Afghanistan, and Capitol Hill police officer. His Secret Service interviewer (Maggie Gyllenhaal) reminds him that he was a bit of a slacker, which is why he can’t make the grade of security guard for the President. So when he needs to pick up his waiting daughter Emily (Joey King), it’s a heartbreaking time. He gives a tour of the White House instead of breaking the bad news. Abruptly, a paramilitary group seizes control of the area and makes threats to ignite the Third World War. For Cale, it’s the perfect storm of circumstance and timing when he emerges as the unofficial presidential guardian—albeit one forced to balance the impossible roles of protecting the President and saving Emily from captivity.

An excellent motivator is regret. One of these guilt-ridden security guys would be nice to have watching over me: Clint Eastwood, who played John F. Kennedy in “In The Line of Fire” (1993); Gerard Butler, the bodyguard from “Olympus Has Fallen,” who saved the president but not the first lady; and Channing Tatum, for all the reasons that make him the “Sexiest Man Alive,” in addition to his agility from dance training and his desire to win back and connect with his daughter, who he has estranged.

You can’t help but think of the “Die Hard” franchise in other near-clone parallels, with its alienated kids (in the most recent “Die Hard,” Emily even calls her father John for a period before transitioning to “Dad.”) The only genuine enjoyment remaining in the “Die Hard” franchise is seeing how much more punishment McClane can withstand. Even though people frequently hit him, Cale is not as severely injured in combat as John McClane is.

Also Watch: John Wick 4

There are a lot of wisecracks in “White House Down,” but Tatum is too much of a darling to deliver them all. A nasty computer genius takes over Norad, screaming, “Don’t touch my toys.” Sawyer fires when he realizes that sitting shotgun in the rear of the Presidential limousine is inappropriate, after the President and Cale take it (what a car chase upgrade!). “It’s something you don’t see every day,” remarks a stunned assistant who is observing from a distance. James Vanderbilt, the writer of “The Amazing Spider-Man,” wrote a hip script. A White House tour guide (a genuinely funny turn by Nicolas Wright) cautions the marauders to be mindful to the national artifacts. Bad enemy guys can be diabetic.

Foxx exclaims “I’m not doin’ that shit!” as he watches Cale handle hazardous cables in the elevator shaft, portraying President Sawyer hilariously. The president also extends Nicorette a most kind welcome, expressing a deeply humanitarian political vision with the common touch of a true politician. Any likeness to the White House occupant currently occupying the space is deliberate. With about equal screen time, Sawyer and Cale become friends and team up as action heroes to take on the world.

As Agent Finnerty, Gyllenhaal sets the proper tone at first, dismissing Cale with a cold demeanor while sympathetically observing his departure. Take note, New Woman: here’s one technique to let your nurturing side emerge a little bit while managing work-related responsibilities with style. However, following the takeover, she gives instructions like a zombie out of a stupor in a covert bunker/War Room. As her boss and the chief of the Secret Service, James Woods delivers a stunning performance that propels the movie. However, there is a light touch even in this scene as we watch him grab for his Lorazepam.

The sufficiently spooky and hairy special effects satiate the summertime “I wish to go to the moon” impulse. Cinematographer Anna Foerster and his visual effects team, Volker Engel and Marc Weiger, are Emmerich’s regular crew members. They deliver the whirlwind of panic, collisions, and impending catastrophe. CGI can be amazing when used for the seven plagues; naturally, it also works well in the action movie. The good news for this viewer, though, is that it’s not as bad as expected, and some of the touches are very smart. A sneaky cinematic history reference leads you to unexpectedly witness an airplane destruction.

Whatever your feelings about the Oval Office, our nation, or any of the movie’s jingoism, young Emily is worth saving. “White House Down” is still too long and too gun-happy. King is an actress who, without ever becoming sentimental, can convey bravery, devotion, and understandable dread. Emily, the real hero of “White House Down,” is incredibly brave, but you still have to believe her. She’s adept at using technology and snapping photos even in the worst of situations, just like all kids these days. She inspires optimism for the generation that will soon govern the nation.