Is 'White House Down' worth your time?

Remember when I said that it seemed like White House Down was just like Olympus Has Fallen? No? Well, I definitely did. The two films came out earlier this year, within a few months of each other, and while I really liked Olympus, I just didn't see the point in spending more money to see it remade. I was kind of wrong. These two movies are just different enough, and I saw them far enough apart, that the similarities weren't a huge issue for me.

White House Down just came out on DVD a week or so ago, so I took a chance. I had a free rental from Redbox, so I figured I had absolutely nothing to lose (but time). The weather here is icky, there's no football at the moment, and I'm all caught up on my favorite TV shows for the time being. In other words, I had no excuses left. With that, I popped in White House Down and settled in, fully prepared to watch a craptastical movie - one that bombed as a summer blockbuster.

You know what? It's not that bad. I mean it's not the greatest action movie I've ever seen, but it's perfectly fine on the surface. It's a pretty basic setup: Channing Tatum is U.S. Capitol police officer John Cale. He's served several tours in Afghanistan, and seems to have turned his life around (after years of being a screw up). Cale wants more. He wants to work for the Secret Service. Unfortunately, the Secret Service doesn't want him. As he and his daughter are touring the White House after his disastrous interview, terrorists stage an attack.

I'll let you guess who gets to try and save the day. If you said John Cale, bravo! Yes, Cale winds up trying to keep President James W. Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) safe as the onslaught continues throughout the White House. And that's that. I'm not saying any more, because I hate spoilers and I'm sure you do too.

Here's what I liked about White House Down: The chemistry between Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum is fantastic. The two of them are actually really funny together. It just works. I've got to give credit to Tatum - he's good at buddy stuff (I also liked him in the 21 Jump Street remake with Jonah Hill). Sure, the plot is absurd, the action scenes are way over the top (Roland Emmerich, what can you do?) and the lines are downright ridiculous at times, but this film isn't terrible. If you're in the right mood, it can be pretty darn entertaining.

Just know going in that White House Down falls somewhere in the middle of the pack where action films are concerned, and you'll be fine. Pop some popcorn and watch Roland Emmerich destroy the White House...again. Don't think too hard. If you do, you're certain to be irritated at some of the utterly preposterous plot points.

Roland Emmerich movies, especially of late, are just meh for me, but this one's better than some (2012 and certainly The Day After Tomorrow). If you can rent this like I did, for free from Redbox, do it.

Photo courtesy of The Movie Blog