#WHITE HOUSE DOWN CHARACTERS MOVIE#

While its older sibling simply took the bare bones outline from its obvious inspiration, 'White House Down' adapts its structure and its spirit. This was the same problem with 'Olympus Has Fallen,' but itвЂ™s amazing what a little charisma and energy can do for a movie. Vanderbilt and disaster-happy director Roland Emmerich ('2012,' 'Independence Day') follow the 'Die Hard' playbook pretty closely, and when theyвЂ™re not pulling from that вЂ™80s classic, theyвЂ™re copying EmmerichвЂ™s own tried-and-true blockbuster formula.

#WHITE HOUSE DOWN CHARACTERS MOVIE#

The down-on-his-luck hero/father, the noble figurehead, the exhausted ex-wife (barely worth mentioning) and the cocky military head who midway through the movie makes a dumb decision despite everyone knowing itвЂ™s a bad idea all make their scheduled appearances. ThereвЂ™s a punchably smug villainous techie and a heavy that looks like a skinnier version of Bennett from 'Commando.'ДЄll of the characters are pretty much types. ThereвЂ™s a big, ominous red-numbered countdown clock. So instead of playing it straight, they have fun, adding some much-needed humor and personality in between the exciting explosions and rehashed action movie clichГ©s. The movie knows the concept of the White House getting taken over is audience pandering and frankly preposterous (youвЂ™d think the White House would be prepared for the 'sneak-in-as-janitors' approach). ItвЂ™s silly, but unlike its predecessor, 'White House Down' owns its silliness. With escape impossible, the two team up to fight the terrorists as James VanderbiltвЂ™s script turns into a 'Die Hard'-buddy cop lovechild (so 'Die Hard with a Vengeance'), with Tatum playing the action savvy hero and Foxx as the stodgy, peace-seeking partner.Д®ven the most peace-loving of presidents, however, can get pushed too far, leading to, yes, repeatedly kicking a terrorist for touching his Jordans. Luckily, Tatum does his best John McClane impression (he even strips down from his GQ-approved, undone top button suit and tie to a white wifebeater) and intervenes, saving the peace-seeking Commander-in-Chief, played by Jamie Foxx.

A silver-haired James Woods plays the mastermind Jason Clarke from 'Zero Dark Thirty' is his steely second-in-command. In the middle of a failed job interview and White House tour with his history buff daughter (Joey King, who played the young Talia al Ghul in 'The Dark Knight Rises'), a group of terrorists take over the building and plot to capture the President. Tatum plays the all-American everyday hero with the action movie-approved name John Cale. ItвЂ™s too bad 'White House Down' will always be considered the knock-off (they both began filming last July), because itвЂ™s also easily the more entertaining of the two. LetвЂ™s try this again: The White House is under attack, and itвЂ™s up to one man (Channing Tatum) to fight the assault, save the President and convince potential viewers that no, this isnвЂ™t just a more expensive version of the same movie they saw three months ago. Sorry, it seems IвЂ™ve mixed up my 'Olympus Has Fallen' notes from a couple months ago with my 'White House Down' notes. ItвЂ™s up to one man to fight the assault and save the President: a wannabe Secret Service agent played by hunky star Gerard Butler.

The American people and the surviving members of the cabinet watch in horror as the country teeters on the brink of disaster. Flames bellow from the Oval Office as armed militia storm one of the most iconic and important symbols of America, shooting anyone in a suit in their path.

White house down characters