Review - White House Down

White House Down is the sort of film that reminds me of why I love going to the cinema. It knows its limits and sets out to do one thing, entertain. And boy does it entertain.

On a visit to the White House to both try and make it up to his daughter and get a job with the Secret Service, John Cale (Channing Tatum) must fight to keep his daughter and President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) safe from a group of paramilitary invaders that take over the White House.

While it does sound familiar, with Olympus Has Fallen only being released six months before, White House Down is more entertaining. For me, Olympus Has Fallen took itself way too seriously whereas White House Down, while covering a serious subject, is a lot more playful.

I wouldn't expect anything else from Roland Emmerich. After all he did bring us Independence Day, one of the cheesiest and most over-the-top films ever made! White House Down is Emmerich's best work since then.

The explosions come thick and fast meaning that the often suspect dialogue in the script can be forgiven. Some of the lines that the characters were saying had me laughing in disbelief.

Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx do a good job in making the most of the script. Both are very likeable and watchable, Tatum proving he has what it takes to become Hollywood's go-to action hero and Foxx just being the epitome of cool.  

What happens when the President needs a new pair of shoes? Well if they are played by Jamie Foxx the answer is they would grab a pair of Air Jordans. 

John Cale (Channing Tatum) and President Sawyer (Jamie Foxx)

White House Down is not going to win any awards in filmmaking but that was not its intention. It was made to entertain audiences worldwide and with that in mind, White House Down gets a massive thumbs up from me.

It is clear to see the Die Hard is a major influence on the film, with the 1988 action film being channelled throughout. Tatum going for the John McClane look with the white vest and a similar scene involving our hero and a helicopter on the roof just a few examples of how the ultimate action film is having an impact of the action films made today.

Verdict: 3/5