Today’s quick review: White House Down. John Cale (Channing Tatum) is a Capitol police officer, an aspiring Secret Service agent, and a divorced father of one. He also becomes the last hope for President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) when Secret Service head Martin Walker (James Woods) stages a coup. With the White House overrun by armed mercenaries, Cale must figure out a way to get the President to safety before Walker’s plan reaches fruition.
White House Down is an action thriller that pairs unlikely hero John Cale and innovative president James Sawyer as they attempt to escape from a takeover of the White House. The movie takes a basic premise and spins it into a solid action flick, one with plenty of action, a few good plot twists, and a suitably large sense of scope. However, weak characters, mediocre dialogue, and a slow setup keep it from living up to its full potential.
To its credit, White House Down gets most of the basics right. The action has the usual mix of guns, explosives, and hand-to-hand combat, as well as a few treats that make use of the White House grounds. The plot juggles quite a few characters with a reasonable amount of success. What starts as a straightforward coup becomes more complicated as the movie goes on, raising the stakes nicely and giving the movie a strong sense of momentum.
But the film has enough shortcomings to keep it from joining the best of the genre. Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx make for lukewarm protagonists: Cale is consistently behind the curve, while Sawyer’s character never quite clicks. The script also tries to sprinkle in some comedy, but it lacks the skill to pull it off. The lighter moments don’t go too far awry, but they contrast oddly with the dramatic events of the plot.
Watch White House Down when you’re in the mood for straightforward action with competent action and a good sense of scope. Though not a perfect execution of the premise, White House Down is a worthwhile popcorn watch that will keep action fans entertained. For an action thriller with a suspiciously similar premise, check out Olympus Has Fallen. For one with a bit more bite, try Shooter. For one that gets the lighter tone right, try Live Free or Die Hard.
6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for solid action held back somewhat by its characters and writing.