Every once in a while it seems that Hollywood gets more than
one movie based on the same idea produced. Coincidence? Chances are but it
always seems odd when they come out at nearly the same time. The good news
happens when both movies are actually well made and enjoyable. The bad news is
when the second doesn't quite match up to the first. This is the case with
WHITE HOUSE DOWN, a movie that is quite enjoyable on it's own but doesn't quite
compare to the earlier released OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN.
WHITE HOUSE DOWN features Channing Tatum as John Cale, a
D.C. policeman assigned to the protection of the Speaker of the House (Richard
Jenkins). Divorced Cale is the typical absent father who is trying to get back
in his daughters good graces. Not an
easy task seeing as how she's your typical pre-teen. When he tells her he has
an interview to be a Secret Service agent working at the White House her
attitude changes. She's a political junkie, especially when it comes to the
home of the President.
Two other main characters come in to play about this time.
Jamie Foxx is President Sawyer, determined to provide peace in the Middle East.
He's just announced plans to bring every single military person back from that
location to do so, something that doesn't sit well with the military industrial
complex. The second person of interest is Secret Service agent Walker (James
Woods). It's his last few days and Walker is set to retire. But something
doesn't seem quite right with him.
Cale's interview doesn't go near as well as he had planned,
especially since the person in charge of hiring him is agent Finnerty (Maggie
Gyllenhaal) an ex-flame of sorts from his college days. Knowing him for the
goof that he was then as well as noting his penchant for not following orders
(even though he's a decorated war hero), she passes. Rather than let his
daughter know, he instead takes her on a tour of the White House while they're
there.
It's at this time that a group of mercenaries explode a bomb
at the Capitol, bringing down the famous dome. But this is just a distraction.
Their real intent is to capture the White House and the President. For ransom
or for some other nefarious reason? All is revealed as the film moves forward
and as the traitor in the White House is revealed.
Separated from his daughter since she went to use the rest
room, Cale sets out to find her before harm can come to her. Along the way he
rescues the President and sets up communication with the outside. His first
priority is supposed to be Sawyer and for the most part he follows this. But
his daughter takes precedence when push comes to shove. Even the President
agrees. A fight for the White House and control of the country follows in the
building as well as outside. It isn't until late into the film that the reason
for this whole take over is brought out into the open and before that happens
plenty of explosions and gunfire takes place.
The good parts of the movie are the action sequences, all of
which are well staged and set up. The acting is nothing outstanding but is well
done. The bad parts are those that seem completely unreal. To think that
removing all troops from the Middle East will result in peace is the first item
on hand. The President choosing to run around the White House in Air Jordans
(which leads to a joke) is another. And worst of all is the attempt to take
something which should be a serious matter and trying to turn it into a buddy
cop flick with lots of in jokes and offhand comments. It doesn't work.
OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN took the material seriously and not only
played at your patriotic heartstrings but got you involved in the story. You
wanted to get the bad guys and reclaim the country. This film tends to take the
Hollywood notion that right wing fanatics want to blow up the world and that
just by being nice the world will become a better place. I'd say that's a bit
of a stretch of the imagination. The movie does offer a nice piece of
entertainment but compared to the earlier film using the same backdrop it falls
far short of being something worth watching several times. In the end it might
be worth watching but maybe not owning.
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