Review of White House Down (2013) by Bruce722 — 16 Nov 2013

This year there were two films made that were strikingly similar in concept. Both featured the white house being taken over and one man going John McClane on everyone and saving the day. The first film was Olympus Has Fallen and the second film was this one, White House Down.

Like Olympus Has Fallen, White House Down had a lot of great action and some cool special effects. Also like it, this movie was a ridiculously unrealistic premise the was the foundation of the entire film and made the immersion nearly impossible.

I'm sorry but a handful of guys are not going to single-handedly take over the most secure building in the world, especially not by force. Unlike the other movie, however, this film doesn't take itself too seriously.

Mostly thanks to Jamie Foxx, there is a lot of subtle humor that adds a certain sense of comedic relief. While that is a strength, it is also a weakness because it, once again, breaks the immersion in the setting.

World War 3 is about to happen and you've got jokes? Sorry, not buying it. Still, it's a decent movie but fails to deliver the intensity and edge of your seat thrill that movies like Die Hard 1 and Speed excelled at.