Film Review: White House Down

Earlier this year, Olympus Has Fallen was released showcasing a lone hero rising to one of the boldest and most terrifying challenges: saving an entire nation when the White House and its members fall under attack. It's not a terribly great or well-made film, but it sure was entertaining, representing the essence of action cinema.

Strangely, White House Down was released just a few months afterward, also portraying the White House and the President under attack. Coming from director Roland Emmerich, the man behind Independence Day and 2012, WHD embodies the thing that Emmerich does best: the essence of blockbuster cinema.

In spite of that, you can expect plentiful amounts of action: there are numerous thrilling shoot-outs and crisis situations. Special effects are moderately-used, but look pretty decent. Witty quips and humor break up nearly every scene. It takes a little while in the first act for the action to pick up, but once it does, it's a very evenly-paced and satisfying thrill ride.

The story in this movie bears much in common with OHF, but with enough subtle differences to warrant endless comparisons. Basically, WHD follows several characters, who are all endearing, but show minimal development. The film does a great job of establishing the main hero, his dilemmas, and his bonds with the other characters, which ultimately raise the stakes on a more personal level. The story may cover some unlikely ground (and it gets a little pushy with the left-wing politics), but the plot is well-structured. It's actually quite an improvement from OHF, which presented problems that were solved one-after-another; WHD keeps all the conflicts running hard and fast until the very end, making it all the more gripping.

This film looks decent, with quality photography and editing. Acting is generally good; nobody puts on a serious face here, but everybody works to make the film fun and light. Writing is good and seems well-researched (another improvement from OHF). This production has nice-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects. Music is good too.

OHF was good as an action movie for tough guys, but WHD works best as an audience-friendly popcorn flick. In fact, OHF reminded me so much of action movies of the 80s and 90s (like Die Hard, Under Siege, etc), but WHD reminded me more of the great thrillers and blockbusters of the 90s (such as a Jack Ryan feature, or the earlier works of Emmerich). Between the two, I actually do prefer WHD by a slight margin, and of the two, it comes the most recommended.

4/5 (Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Good)