RBR: Olympus Has Fallen

When I saw White House Down a couple of months ago, I did not have the luxury of comparing it to the other "Die Hard in the White House" movie that came out this year, Olympus Has Fallen. Now that this one, which stars Gerard Butler in the "John McClane" role, is out for rent I can see that both films share similarities beyond their set-up. Both films are also flawed. Where WHD decided to take a lighter approach to the terrorist plot, Olympus is far more somber. The death count is higher and the kills are more graphic in this one. There are also some problems with the film playing fast and loose with the timeline of event. Compressing the time of events would not be so bad if it was not for the fact that they chose to constantly put a clock up telling us what time it was. You sit there wondering what everyone has been doing for the past two hours when they jump ahead, yet nothing seems to have happened since the previous scene. Plot holes and shoddy filmmaking can be ignored if a film is entertaining, but this movie treats everything so seriously that it's difficult to enjoy any of it. Even Morgan Freeman, who plays the Speaker of the House and eventually takes over as President, seems weary playing his role. While White House Down is no cinematic classic, it at least had the sense to have some fun with its ludicrous plot. This one may boast a higher number of celebrities in its cast, but that's no reason to opt for this dreary disappointment. Rating: **

Die hardly

The old adage goes, "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". This is a phrase that doesn't exactly hold true in Hollywood. Instead, studios tend to repeat history because they do remember the past. When a formula works, they reuse it time and time again. One of the most frequently used formulas is the Die Hard formula. For the past 25 years since the original Bruce Willis film hit theaters, Hollywood has frequently used the 'one man overcomes the odds to defeat a group of evil terrorists' trope. It's one thing when we are talking about a sequel to the franchise (which we already saw this year). It's another thing when it's a completely separate film that borrows the framework. So then, what are we to make of a film that not only uses the trope but then also uses the exact same context and setup as another film that was released mere months before it?

That is the question were left answering as White House Down, the latest film from master of disaster Roland Emmerich, hits theaters. Just like Olympus Has Fallen (a film which I have yet to see) did this past spring, our country has been put into peril as terrorists infiltrate the White House and hold our government hostage. Playing the role of John McLain this time (right down to the white tank top) is Channing Tatum playing John Cale, a security guard for the Speaker of the House who has aspiration of working for the Secret Service.

When all hell breaks loose, Cale finds himself as the lone guy able to help protect President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx, doing a not so subtle job of actually playing President Obama). The two scamper through the White House hoping to avoid death while also trying to eliminate the bad guys. Of course, the film finds time to have this racially mismatched duo crack wise with each other during the down moments, which feels cribbed from Die Hard 3.

We then move on to borrowing from the fourth Die Hard film as the protagonist's kid is put into peril. In this case, the moppet is Joey King, playing Cale's daughter. She's a political junkie who happened to be visiting the White House with her father at the time of the attacks. And of course, to remind us that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, we get several scenes of her finding ways of talking tough and standing up to the terrorists, even though most 10 years would be absolutely petrified by the events that occur in the film.

And if you thought that Die Hard 2 was ignored, you'd be wrong. These domestic terrorists are able to gain access to these government buildings with embarrassing ease largely because of their being at least one, if not more, moles within the President's administration. Apparently, in this America, the concept of background checks is the only thing that is too far-fetched.

I will grant you that director Roland Emmerich will never be confused as someone who makes sophisticated films. If you've seen any of his previous films, you'll know that they require you to stop thinking and just enjoy the goofy ride. I've been able to do that with some of his past films because they are so outlandish in their attempts at putting people in peril. However, after completely destroying the world in 2012, he really had no way of topping himself and thus this film feels like a let down. There are a few moments of zany inspiration, like a rocket launcher being used during a car chase on the front lawn of the White House, but it overall just felt like a noisy rerun of better action films.

There's an attempt to add some gravitas to the picture through its casting. James Woods is the retiring head of the Secret Service. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a Secret Service agent. And Richard Jenkins plays the aforementioned Speaker of the House. They all manage to keep a straight face through this silly plot, but their presence alone isn't enough to improve the overall quality of the film. As for Tatum and Foxx, they seem to be having fun in their respective roles, but they also come off as pale imitations of the real or fictional person they are emulating.

For a film like this to work, there needs to be a true sense of fun, which is absent here. You have to slog through a half hour of obvious exposition to set up every single plot payoff that will come in the film's finale. And as the action starts to pick up, the film spends too much time trying to figure out how reverent it should be when it comes to depicting a White House under siege. I also could have done with one or two fewer twists that come near the films end that unnecessarily overcomplicate the film's plot. I don't have a problem when a film liberally borrows from a successful formula, but White House Down follows it so dutifully that it prevents the film from being the escapist fun that it should be. Grade: C

2013 Movie Preview (#24 - 19)

#24. 42 (April 12)

Plot: 42 will star Academy Award nominee Harrison Ford (What Lies Beneath, Air Force One, Witness) as the innovative Dodger's general manager Branch Rickey, the MLB executive who first signed baseball great Jackie Robinson to the minors and then helped to bring him up to the show, and Chadwick Boseman (The Express) as Robinson, the heroic African American who was the first man to break the color line in the big leagues. The film also stars Nicole Beharie (Shame) as Rachel Isum, who would become Robinson's wife, as well as Christopher Meloni (upcoming Man of Steel) and T.R. Knight (TV's Grey's Anatomy).

Personal Opinion: As you no doubt know, I'm a baseball fan so anytime a new film about America's pasttime hits the screen I'm instantly interested. The fact that this one is about one of the most prolific players in baseball's history makes it all the more appealing. Based on the trailer that came out this past fall, it seems like this one could feature some very good performances including Ford as Branch Rickey. Oscar films don't usually come out in the spring, but this one may end up being an exception.


#23. Runner Runner (September 27)

Plot: A dramatic thriller based in the world of offshore online gaming and dealing with the tense relationship between the business' owner and his younger protege.

Personal Opinion: After Argo, nobody is hotter right now than Ben Affleck. Though he is not directing this film, I'm still excited to see what he does as a follow-up. Pairing him with Justin Timberlake who's acting career is on the rise gives this film quite the duo. Though there's nothing new about films dealing with competitive rivalries in business, the online gaming aspect of the plot makes this feel like something fresh and original.


#22. Delivery Man (October 4)

Plot: From DreamWorks Pictures comes "Delivery Man," the story of affable underachiever David Wozniak (Vince Vaughn), whose mundane life is turned upside down when he finds out that he fathered 533 children through sperm donations he made twenty years earlier. In debt to the mob, rejected by his pregnant girlfriend, things couldn't look worse for David when he is hit with a lawsuit from 142 of the 533 twenty-somethings who want to know the identity of the donor. As David struggles to decide whether or not he should reveal his true identity, he embarks on a journey that leads him to discover not only his true self but the father he could become as well.

Personal Opinion: The story here has a lot of potential. The key will be the direction they take this story. If the comedy is too broad, then this could be a disaster. There's also a risk of the film being too serious. But if it strikes the right tone this could be a real comedic gem. Known for his fast-talking charm, Vince Vaughn seems like a good choice to play this 'delivery man'.


#21. RED 2 (August 2)

Plot: "RED 2" brings back the team of retired CIA operatives as they use their old-school style to take on a new set of enemies all across Europe.

Personal Opinion: The first film was a surprising treat. It found the proper balance of humor and action while also giving us the joy of seeing these older people having the fun typically engaged in by actors half their age. The key question here though is whether or not there will be Bruce Willis fatigue after the new Die Hard and the G.I. Joe sequel comes out earlier in the year.


#20. The To Do List (August 16)

Plot: Starring Aubrey Plaza ("Safety Not Guaranteed"), "The To Do List" follows the story of Brandy Klark (Plaza), a Type-A, overachiever who comes up with a "to-do list" featuring all the risque extra-curricular activities she missed out on in high school and wants to complete before college. Rachel Bilson ("Hart of Dixie"), Bill Hader ("Men In Black 3"), Andy Samberg ("Saturday Night Live"), Scott Porter ("The Good Wife"), Connie Britton ("American Horror Story"), Clark Gregg ("The Avengers"), Christopher Mintz-Plasse ("Superbad"), Donald Glover ("Community"), Johnny Simmons ("The Perks of Being a Wallflower"), Sarah Steele ("Please Give") and Alia Shawkat ("The Oranges") co-star in the film.

Personal Opinion: I make no pretenses that this will be a small indie comedy that most people won't see, but that doesn't my interest in it in the least. What's not to like about a film that features a cast like the one listed above. Aubrey Plaza proved in Safety Not Guaranteed that she has leading woman capabilities. If this film earns any sort of recognition, she could easily cement that status. If not, then at the very least, this will be harmless comedy that will serve as a nice way to enjoy the final days of summer.


#19. White House Down (June 28)

Plot: The storyline concerns a para-military takeover of the White House.

Personal Opinion: Though it's not indicated above, this film is being directed by Roland Emmerich, which will likely mean that this will be one big, noisy mess of a film and yet somehow I'm still intrigued by it. A White House takeover is a plot that hasn't been overdone and when done right, like it was on 24, it can make for a very compelling story. While he doesn't do much for me, the fact that Channing Tatum, after the big year he just had, is in the cast can only help its cause.