White House Down

Who would have thought that Emmerich’s classic approach to the action movie genre would suit Roland’s “turn on the computers and generate me destruction of world monuments" approach so well? If you took the best from White House Down (that being Butler with Eckhart and R`s uncompromising nature) and got rid of occasional infantility and family escapades, it would be enough for the local John to say “Yippy-ki-yay motherfucker" and it could make a dignified Die Hard sequel. (10/12/2013)

The hardest job interview ever. Emmerich is a destroyer, but doesn’t let the smaller scale restrict him, in fact he enjoys the destruction even more this way. White House Down is on a par with erm... Olympus Has Fallen, in fact both are more or less equally enjoyable. Butler relies on bloody inevitability, while Tatum relies on hamfistedness and frivolous fun that to entertain the whole family. His loquacious sidekick is the president (entertainingly ham-fisted Foxx) and wears red and white Jordans (he’s got what it takes). Vanderbilt’s screenplay contains lots of refreshing elements, absurd lines and unexpected twists (credit card not working at the end) and it’s not the president, but the main protagonist’s daughter who gets saved. It was good to see the unusually eccentric Jason Clarke. Simply another variation on Die Hard (yep, the hero talks to himself, as well into his walkie-talkie/cellphone and sneers at the baddies’ dead bodies), but this time Emmerich-style. An ideal, relaxing family movie with a happy ending that leaves you with that great feeling that everything ended happily (even though the whole government and a load of other people died). P.S.: Probably the most entertaining tour of the White House and surroundings. (08/20/2013)

Maybe if "White House Down" came out in theaters later and Gerard Butler didn't play in it, I would have liked the movie "Olympus Has Fallen". Having two identical movies in one year is just poor production. Couldn't they have moved the second one? Emmerich's bad luck. This is a financial mess and eventually a film mess as well. The occasional attempt at a cool joke definitely doesn't overshadow the patriotism that oozes from it in all directions. Just another American destruction of American values presented by a native German. (10/22/2013)

A big surprise for me. The Americans finally make fun of themselves too, and it has to be said that they do it very well. Emmerich has made an utterly easygoing action film that, while it has, as always, a dire plot in the background, is otherwise taken with a lightness I've never seen from him before. Thanks to this, even Jamie Foxx, whom I normally don't like very much, is really comical as the president together with his bodyguard Tatum. It's a pity about the somewhat uneven pace and the related contrasting transitions between genres, when sometimes the fun is lost. The plot then has to be handled by bad guys with nerves to spare, led by Jason Clarke. (07/18/2013)

The most honest and entertaining action movie of recent years. Unlike other films winking at the action glory of years past, White House Down has one big advantage - it feels completely natural, unforced, not trying to tell us in every other minute: "Look, we borrowed this scene from here and this one from somewhere else. Laugh, please." And it was made by Roland Emmerich, who may be the last person from whom anyone would expect such excellent and imaginative shootouts (which this time play a bigger role than mammoth digital destruction)... But just think of his Universal Soldier and it becomes clear that the director is at home here too. But besides action, he brought out another important weapon - humor. Lots of humor. Perfectly timed gags (zombies in a limo), verbal shootouts, funny characters that aren't stupid (the White House tour guide). I don't even have a single complaint about the actors, starting with Channing Tatum (he earned McClane's undershirt) and ending with James Woods and the whole charismatic bad guy gang. Not to mention a cleverly written story that can surprise. I give it five stars, and I'd love it if Roland Emmerich made Tom Clancy's “Rainbow Six". (07/23/2013)