This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

You get yourself a hot young lead actor, a musician turned Oscar winner, a director who essentially ejaculates shoddy visual effects that reek of mediocrity and top it off with a story that feels reminiscent to 'Die Hard'...however feels more like 'Die Soft'. Put them all together and you get White House Down, a film so unnecessary and unfortunate with the timing of its release (the same year as 'Olympus Has Fallen') that you start to question its existence. The White House is under attack, the president and government officials are held hostage as terrorists cause havoc and seek demands. John McClane was busy in Moscow, so they got Channing Tatum instead...honestly, I've already forgotten his character's name. Right, so here's the problem. There are unrealistic films that are fun, and then there are fun films that are unrealistic. This falls into the former category. Why? Well alright, here we go! One scene in particular: the president and a "secret service agent" are driving around the front lawn in an armoured limousine being chased down by three SUVs with machine guns, rocket launchers and assault rifles. The president, and I kid you not, gets a rocket launcher as he peers out of the passenger window and fires it. Seriously? Could you imagine Trump doing that? Sweet lord his hair would be all over the place. To conclude, this film is a visual effects mess weighed down by a "comedic" screenplay that hosts an uninspired plot and derivative action. Foxx and Tatum have good chemistry sure, and Clarke still remains decent (although always chooses poor films). And yes, you could say some parts are enjoyable. But Emmerich is so stuck in the past, that the film immediately feels outdated. It's not 1996 anymore, come on! His excessive patriotism is just too much for me. Don't even get me started on the comedic relief that constantly missed, much like the mercenaries who can't fire their weapons for toffee! Just go watch 'Olympus Has Fallen' instead, as this White House is staying down.

This is a FANTASTIC film! All the nit-picking aside, I just re-watched this film and I was thrilled AGAIN, even though I sort-of remembered the outcome. The suspense is absolutely biting right up to the end. I don't really care that "Olympus Has Fallen" came out at roughly the same time -- leave that to someone who cares -- this film stands on its own! Great film, don't pass it up. Those who made this film really cared to make the best action film they could, and it shows. Besides, what's wrong with the US completely pulling out of the Middles East? Sounds good to me. Are you listening Mr. President?

The year 2013, three months after "Olympus Has Fallen" had been released, Director Roland Emmerich presents another 100+ Million U.S. Dollars production with "White House Down" after his low-budget-excursion with a surprisingly compelling "Anonymous" in 2011. "White House Down" has not the wit nor the hard-boiled consequence of Antoine Fuqua's "Olympus Has Fallen", nevertheless Emmerich's picture, teaming up once again with cinematographer Anna Foerster, creates some face-paced action scene editorials with slow-motion shot integration, having pushed the stunt coordinating department to the maximum with water falling from sprinkler security systems, splintering wood appliances, sparks flying and hand-to-hand combats.Director Roland Emmerich utilizes simply any weaponry from the property box. Knifes, pistols and rifles are all in to keep the action factor high enough to sit through a two-hour movie, which could have been entertainment of the highest level, if the main characters of President Sawyer and Agent Cale - a getting together match with potential deeply beating actors Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum - would have received an edge of vulnerability and uncertainty in their introducing scenes instead of being unbeatable charming already. But the director falls in his old traps again, which happened frequently as in "10,000 BC" and "2012" produced between 2007 and 2009, where driving characters get reduced to puppets on a special-effects-plate.Director Antoine Fuqua handled the White House attack scenario with half the budget too a much grittier visuals and managed an electrified cast. Roland Emmerich decided to use an all over cleaned-up and polished digital look for his picture, which underlines the idealistic stereo-separated antagonist cast, bringing actors together as match-point up-playing actor James Woods, accompanied by a to an right-hand animalistic mercenary reduced Jason Clarke, who unfortunately have been left alone on set for too long and hardly come out of the comfort zone to act into a full-frontal psyche confrontation against the opposing team-mates Foxx & Tantum, which are split apart most of the time, not only in tension points as well as in a spacious White House sound stage location anyways.The uneven entertainment factor of "White House Down" points mainly to missed opportunities of screenwriter James Vanderbilt to be an active member of the production team, where eventually two or three re-written scenes would have done the trick for the movie to become a box office success and further could have make look director Roland Emmerich look better; does not make "Anonymous" (2011) being a lucky strike of directorial sophistication on acting subtleties.© 2017 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC)

​Plot Overview: When terrorists attack the Whitehouse, it's up to John Cale(Channing Tatum), a bodyguard looking to join the secret service, to save the president and stop the terrorists.Directed by Roland EmmerichStarring Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx and Maggie Gyllenhaal# NO SPOILERS!Overall: This movie has some mild entertainment but I think it was unlucky to be released the same year as 'Olympus has Fallen'. I know it may seem unfair to compare the two because of different tones and whatnot but it's hard not to when they came out in the same year, with the same premise. Taking 'Olympus has Fallen' out of the equation, this movie has some fun, stupid action moments with a decent series of performances and some re-watch value but I don't think it will last long. In conclusion, it's a pretty entertaining movie and I can recommend it.I think that the people who will like this movie will be fans of stupid, harmless action and people who like a more light hearted and less serious action movie.Would Recommend.# POSSIBLE SPOILERS!Channing Tatum was pretty good as John Cale. John Cale was an underdog which was a good idea because it made him seem more human. Giving him a daughter also gave him motivation and gave him more leeway with what he did, even if his daughter was really annoying. Jamie Foxx was good as President Sawyer and he provided a fun, unique take on a previously serious role. Maggie Gyllenhaal was fine as Carol Finnerty. James Woods was good as Agent Walker as was Jason Clarke as Stenz. The villains were reasonably strong. Richard Jenkins was fine as speaker of the house. Nicholas Wright was great as Donnie. Joey King was terrible as Emily Cale and I really, really hated her character. The motivations for the villains were also very weak. They tried to make it personal and I understand that but it was still not an excuse to play with a 'nuclear football'.The overall story was fine but the ending was particularly satisfying. The story is pretty slow starting off and can be pretty boring at first.It was a little hard to see during some action scenes but for the most part the cinematography was fine.The success rate for the effects was around 50/50. Some of them looked pretty good whereas some of them looked terrible.It was fun and mindless entertainment. It only gets properly enjoyable after the first 45 minutes. Some of the jokes worked and I laughed once or twice. ​It includes a scene were Jamie Foxx hangs out a limousine, holding a RPG shooting at the front gate of the Whitehouse while they're shot at by Jason Clarke! You should watch just for that scene.The music was pretty cool. The unit of terrorists felt more like a team than a group of just hired guns which one ups 'Olympus has Fallen' in that category. The actual endgame weapon was pretty weak. Personally, I enjoyed the movie from 45 minutes onward but before that I didn't enjoy it that much.7/10