Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum Star in "White House Down"

The central plot of White House Down is similar to Olympus Has Fallen, which was released this past spring, with an attack on The White House by those who intend to ultimately use nuclear weapons to devastate the world. While Olympus Has Fallen featured a threat from Korea, renegade U.S. officials who do not agree with a peace treaty offered by President Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) are behind the attacks in White House Down. At the center of the plan is one of Sawyer's closest advisers, who also blames the commander-in-chief for the death of his son in a botched military mission. He is just one of many threats that the President faces as The White House is eviscerated by a group of renegades with plenty of firepower.

But all is not lost, as President Sawyer has the assistance of a would-be Secret Service hopeful, John Cale (Channing Tatum), who was denied a job with the organization by agent Carol Finnerty (Maggie Gyllenhaal). Finnerty soon realizes just how wrong she was when Cale risks life and limb to keep the President safe and attempts to rescue his daughter who he was separated from during a White House tour when the attacks began. Cale demonstrates extreme bravery and courage when the odds are stacked against him and he is determined to eliminate the threat and be reunited with his daughter, Emily (Joey King).

The screenplay, by James Vanderbilt, is loaded with supporting characters, which is one of the reasons for the extended run time (over two hours). Some of the characters are necessary, while others are not. Thankfully, talented actors including Richard Jenkins, James Woods and Lance Reddick deliver their typical strong work. The screenplay also includes a good deal of comedy to offset the heavy dose of drama and the frequently amusing rapport between Foxx and Tatum is quite good. Because of the fine work from the lead actors, it is curious why so many other characters are needed, some of whom only seem to take time away from Foxx and Tatum.

Director Roland Emmerich has crafted a fast moving, generally well acted and exciting film that seems like a solid option for summertime viewing. At least for those who like their movies loud, fun and entertaining. Clearly, the young male demographic is being targeted, with the mostly masculine cast. Maggie Gyllenhall and Rachelle Lefevre are the only two female players of note, outside of youngster Joey King. However, the female demographic may be pleased to learn that Channing Tatum strips down to a muscle shirt for more than half the movie, so there is something for everyone to enjoy.  While White House Down is not necessarily inventive, the film is a lot of fun and, at least from the screening I attended, appears to be a real crowd pleaser. And yes, I would bet on a sequel if the box office is significant.

New in Theaters: "Won't Back Down" - Starring Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal

Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox

Based on actual events at a California school, where parents attempted to wrest control from administrators, Won't Back Down centers around Nona Alberts (Viola Davis), a school teacher, and Jamie Fitzpatrick (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a single working mother. Both women have children who are struggling. Jamie's daughter, Malia (Emily Alyn Lind), has dyslexia and has been falling behind in her studies. Her teacher does not seem interested in helping Malia and is often mean spirited towards the youngster. Nona has a son, Cody (Dante Brown), who is also having difficulty keeping up with his studies, which may be the result of a careless accident that occurred years earlier. Nona and Jamie realize that the school administrators are unable to help, so they decide to take matters into their own hands.

Their battle is a long and difficult one, but Jamie has few options. She must work two jobs and cannot afford to place Malia in a private school. She pins some hope on a lottery where several children are able to find places in a better school, but space is very limited. Nona also understands that the school is failing her child, but is not sure is she wants to stir up trouble and risk losing her job. However, doing nothing is not an option, so Jamie and Nona join forces and try to change the school culture, which causes both of them much personal grief. In Nona's case, she also has to contend with school administrators and fellow teachers who resent what she is trying to accomplish. However, they are determined to succeed and eventually find a couple of allies, whose opinions evolve as a result of Nona and Jamie's efforts.

The performance by Viola Davis helps to elevate the material, as she expertly utilizes her body language to relay Nona's physical exhaustion during her long battle with school district officials. While I think Maggie Gyllenhaal is well cast and delivers some fine work, I think more direction from Daniel Barnz was needed to bring out her best performance. Both characters appear likable and sincere and viewers are likely to root for them to succeed. However, their success is part of the problem because there is no mystery in the screenplay. The formulaic plot and feel good nature of the film virtually assures a victory for the two women. No, I am not giving anything away. I suspect even casual moviegoers will be able to telegraph what will happen. However, as in life, the best rewards often lie in the journey, not the destination.

In addition to the performances from the aforementioned actors, I appreciated the Pittsburgh setting, since I was born and raised in the suburbs of the city. Furthermore, my liberal sensibilities had me siding with Nona and Jamie and I wanted them to succeed and admired their determination. I also appreciated seeing Holly Hunter and Marianne Jean-Baptiste in supporting roles. As I stated earlier, Jamie and Nona are certainly likable people, unfortunately, the performances by Davis and Gyllenhaal are not enough to make up for the aforementioned problems with the screenplay and the direction. There is also a subplot involving a romantic relationship between Jamie and a teacher, Michael (Oscar Isaac), which is essentially abandoned and thus seems pointless. The editing could have used some additional work as well. Overall, consider this a missed opportunity. While the message is inspirational, the deliver lacks authenticity.