White House Down – Movie Reviews by Michael E ***
White House Down: John Cale and his daughter, Emily are taking a tour of the White House when unexpected events have him protecting the President of the United States.
Review by Michael E.
White House Down (2013) Michael E’s Rating: ***
(see rating system below)
Run Time: 131 minutes
Rated: PG-13
Director: Roland Emmerich
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I unapologetically love action movies, believability be damned. What self-professed film geek hasn’t dreamed of defeating the bad guys and becoming a hero? Now, director Roland Emmerich (who has made some notable action features himself, such as “2012,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” and “Independence Day.) brings us a new adventure. The verdict: “White House Down” is a joy to watch.
John Cale (Channing Tatum) plays a Washington Capitol policeman who desperately wants to work for the Secret Service as he feels he has all the tools to be a top-notch protector of the President of the United States. He schedules a job interview with Finnerty (Maggie Gyllenhaal) at the White House, but his ex-wife, Melanie (Rachelle Lefevre) tells him he needs to take his daughter Emily (Joey King, in a notable performance) that day. He keeps his appointment, and reluctantly brings her along. John has his interview. Afterwards, he and Emily decide to take a tour of the White House when a group of paramilitary invaders arrive to kidnap the President (Jamie Foxx). <p< < p=””> </p< <>
Joey King stands out as Emily, as she brought forth an intensity that made me a believer. She’s compassionate, caring, very bright, and when things happen throughout the movie, her facial expressions tell the story. This soon-to-be 14-year old has star quality and I cannot wait to see what she does next.<p< < p=””> </p< <>
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Quick rant: My fellow critics lambasted this movie. I’ve seen scores of “F,” some have even called it the worst of 2013. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 47%. People, when are you going to learn that yes, it’s a standard action, blow-it-up, shoot-it-up type of film. It’s fluffy popcorn fun that will never and can never happen. It’s in your face and doesn’t care about the believability aspect. Get over it, watch the film from a different viewpoint and maybe, just maybe, you might see something different like I did.
I enjoyed it, and I’m sticking to my rant. Stay tuned!
Michael’s rating system:
1/2 Terrible movie (Bomb)
Not a good movie, just missed being a bomb
*1/2 Bad movie
** Boring movie
*** Good, solid movie
***1/2 Great movie, just missed being a classic
**** Classic movie
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Movie Reviews by Michael E is a column on Actors Reporter, a channel on the Actors Podcast Network, a Pepper Jay Production
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