White House Down, directed by Roland Emmerich, is nothing more than an elaborate plot of craziness, which is surprisingly littered with quite a few A-list actors. Channing Tatum plays John Cale who hopes to become a Secret Service agent for President Sawyer, played by Jamie Foxx. Unbeknownst to Cale, the day of his job interview, which he brings his 11 year old daughter to, coincides with a group of domestic terrorists’ plan to take over the White House. Once the first bomb destroys the Capitol Building, ridiculousness ensues and Cale stumbles into his role as the president’s personal protector.
Rounding out the cast is Maggie Gyllenhaal, Richard Jenkins, and James Wood, to name a few, but do not be fooled. Their previous Oscar nods cannot save this beautifully bad film. White House Down is comprised of so many different plot components that it's almost hard to keep them straight, and no amount of good acting will make up for that.
While it's understood that President Sawyer's hatred of the military industrial complex has a lot to do with why his office is overrun, it does not fully explain the actions of the terrorists. It remains a central aspect of the plot, yet provides no real support for the movie. Furthermore, there are many occasions throughout White House Down that the terrorists themselves don't seem to fully understand the extent of their own plans. I was left with more questions than amusement by the film. Why was it so easy to take over the most well protected house in America? What do these terrorists actually want? Where was Seal Team Six? Where were the drones?
The premise of the movie is intriguing; however its execution is highly flawed. The film is completely absurd and only continues to become more foolish after each explosion. Given that the director's previous movies include Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and 2012, what else can really be expected? Emmerich films are full of over the top destruction, and this film is no exception. There are movies out there that are much worse, but comparing this film to other bad movies doesn’t make White House Down any better. The only way to get through its idiocy is to sit back, enjoy the ride, and forget everything you know about what makes a good film.
That being said, White House Down was at least fun to watch, although I’ll more than likely never need to see it again. The explosions were fun, the acting wasn’t all that bad, and it was actually a bit humorous. Of course, I’m sure I was laughing during scenes that weren’t necessarily meant to be funny. Watching Tatum and Foxx together was honestly entertaining. Nonetheless, after leaving the theater and looking back on the experience, which was about 30 minutes too long, I could have lived without it.
