Recently, newly elected U.S. President James Sawyer (Fox) aims to achieve peace in the Middle East and proposes the withdrawal of American troops from the conflict zone. To secure the support of the cabinet and the senate, he gathers the top echelons of power at the White House for a meeting, a convenient opportunity immediately seized by terrorists. With the support of a high-ranking traitor, armed individuals storm the sacred heart of American democracy, taking civilian tourists hostage and threatening to unleash nuclear war. Unfortunately for the villains, former soldier John Cale (Tatum), who dreams of working in the president’s security detail, and his eleven-year-old daughter Emily, a connoisseur of White House secrets and an avid internet user, happen to be in the presidential citadel.
Screenwriter James Vanderbilt took on the task of writing a story about the White House because the building has always sparked his keen interest. On one hand, it is world-renowned; on the other, it is as secretive as can be.
Roland Emmerich long ago formulated his own success formula: “I’ll tear everything up here, but then you’ll be proud of what’s left.” And indeed, he has torn up locations of various scales – from a single New York in “Godzilla” to the entire globe in “2012.” He didn’t hesitate to venture into the past of the American “Patriot,” the British “Anonymous,” or the African “10,000 BC.” He threatened aliens in “Independence Day” and “Stargate.” Just when we thought the director had nothing left to destroy, someone suggested that he didn’t need to inflict multiple blows all over the body to defeat the viewer – a precise strike to the pain center would suffice. The German director chose the American White House as this pain center.
Since filming in the vicinity of the White House was prohibited, and the film crew couldn’t find a pavilion of similar size, they had to work on outdoor scenes in the “Bubble” – a giant indoor golf course.
The Competition
Everything would be fine, but the competition is always awake. This year, the U.S. President has already been targeted at least twice. First, in its usual comic-book style, “power” was seized by “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” and then the story of saving the president from terrorists, led by Antoine Fuqua, was played out by Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart. Thus, Emmerich received a serious setback, not from some trashy Asylum studio, which doesn’t shy away from ripping off potentially hit plots, but from solid colleagues playing on the same field as the German destroyer Roland. But this unspoken confrontation turned out to be all the more interesting.
Roland Emmerich is destroying the White House on screen for the third time. Previously, the U.S. President’s residence was damaged in “Independence Day” (which is even mentioned by one of the characters in “White House Down”) and in “2012.”
The Verdict
It is now known that “White House Down” failed in its opening weekend in the States. A position outside the top three in the weekly box office charts, a “meager” $25 million earned from ticket sales on the first weekend against a $150 million budget, modest audience ratings, and a barrage of criticism are not so easy to explain. After all, the film has everything that Emmerich’s fans love about his work: pathos, jaw-dropping action, chases, destruction, pathos, humor, light romantic relationships, father-son issues, pathos, likable villains, unwavering protagonists, and a little more pathos. In addition, the director had a grand budget and two A-list stars in the lead roles – Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx. This is not counting the supporting actors, including the magnificent James Woods, the always appropriate Richard Jenkins, and the stunning Maggie Gyllenhaal. The film doesn’t stand still but builds up, frame by frame, scene by scene, first the degree of immersion in the world of the characters, and then the intensity of passions. And these passions are quite serious; you might just miss your mouth with the popcorn – the president shoots from a grenade launcher, limousines sink in swimming pools, combat helicopters cut through the streets of Washington, and fighter jets are ready to deliver a crushing blow to the very heart of the state. Everything as Emmerich likes it, everything as Emmerich knows how, everything as it should be in an Emmerich film. And this, in fact, is the main criterion for choosing whether to watch “White House Down.” The film is like okroshka – all the ingredients are well known, the set of products is unremarkable and unglamorous, the host of a lavish party is unlikely to dare to offer such a dish to guests, but at the same time, it is tasty, refreshing, and kind of old-school. And it will end with a happy ending – this is Emmerich’s obligatory pinch of seasoning for any picture.
In cinemas from July 18.