Thu. Oct 10th, 2024

Renowned For Sound

For the latest music reviews and interviews

Film Review – White House Down

2 min read

*SPOILER ALERT*

President-in-jeopardy film White House Down stars Channing Tatum as a veteran and secret service wanna-be who happens to be on a tour at the White House with his young daughter when it is attacked by a paramilitary style terrorist group.  Preceding the White House attack, the group blows up the US Capitol building in spectacular fashion, which turns out to be only a distraction for the true purpose which was to attack the White House, kidnap the President and demand a $400 million ransom from the Federal Reserve Bank.  But as it turns out, that was ALSO a distraction from the TRUE, true purpose which was to attack the White House, kidnap the President, make it appear he had been killed so that Vice President would be sworn-in as president, kill the former Vice President (now President) so the Speaker of the House would be sworn-in, and unleash the US nuclear arsenal on the Middle East as revenge for one soldier’s death in the middle-east conflict. I’m not kidding. That’s the plot.

White House Down

Actually, that’s only part of the plot in this drawn-out, bloated action film that stretches for 2 hours. As the story drags on and gets ever more convoluted, the action progresses to a point of near ridiculum with such antics as the President of the United States (Jami Foxx) firing a rocket launcher at the terrorists while hanging out the side of the presidential limo being driven by Channing Tatum doing doughnuts on the White House lawn. I may sound like I’m giving away a lot, but really…this is only the half of it.

Obviously, the film shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Foxx and Tatum do have a good comedic chemistry, there are a few funny moments, and the set rendering of the White House is very realistic.  The action sequences, however, are relentless and a little far-fetched. So if you are a die-hard action movie fan, who doesn’t mind suspending all disbelief, then you will probably enjoy this movie.  Oh…but you also have to like kids.

[youtube id=”WLeTzahIW8o” width=”620″ height=”360″]